Posts Tagged Cardinal Sean O’Malley
Cardinal O’Malley sets timetable for accountability
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on February 18, 2015
Following up on hints given during a CBS “60 Minutes” interview last fall, Cardinal Sean O’Malley told John Allen of The Boston Globe on Monday, Feb. 16, that the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors will present “proposals for new accountability mechanisms to the pope within two months’ time.”
Church reform movement Voice of the Faithful® has been calling for bishops to be held accountable for coverups of clergy sexual abuse since 2002 and for penalties to be applied to those who continue failing to follow even basic standards. We are encouraged that there is at least a proposed deadline for presenting accountability procedures.
But the Vatican has often promised changes, reform and accountability without implementing such plans effectively and consistently. It seems that Cardinal O’Malley recognizes how damaging this record is. In the interview, he told Allen, “a lack of accountability for bishops who fail to make ‘zero tolerance’ policies stick has damaged the church’s credibility.”
It remains to be seen whether these new proposals will be realistic in terms of justice and whether they will be adopted and then implemented. If not, it will be yet another missed opportunity to demonstrate that the Church no longer will tolerate clergy sexual abuse and its coverups and that justice is more important than a hierarch’s position.
Voice of the Faithful®: Voice of the Faithful® is a worldwide movement of faithful Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity and increase the laity’s role in governance and guidance of the Church. More information is at www.votf.org.
O’Malley says cardinals more open to reform / The Boston Globe
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on February 17, 2015
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley (head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors) said on Monday (Feb. 16) that a prior climate of denial among Catholic cardinals on the need for reform with regard to the church’s child sexual abuse scandals has been largely driven underground.
“O’Malley also said that a lack of accountability for bishops who fail to make “zero tolerance” policies stick has damaged the church’s credibility, and vowed that he will present proposals for new accountability mechanisms to the pope within two months’ time.
“O’Malley spoke Monday in an exclusive interview with the Globe during a Rome event to present an expanded antiabuse initiative at the Jesuit-run Gregorian University.”
By John L. Allen, Jr., The Boston Globe — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Papal sexual abuse commission ‘developing processes’ of accountability / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on February 9, 2015
Somewhat cryptically hinting at possible new procedures for handling Catholic bishops who mishandle clergy sexual abuse, the Vatican commission advising Pope Francis on the issue says it is ‘developing processes to ensure accountability for everyone in the Church.’
“The commission, which met for the first time at the Vatican with all 17 of its members this weekend, makes the claim of such new processes in a press statement released Monday (Feb. 9) afternoon.
Mentioning the word ‘accountability’ four times in the statement, the commission says it is ‘keenly aware that the issue of accountability is of major importance …’
“The Vatican commission on clergy sexual abuse, which the pope created to advise him on the protection of minors in all circumstances, is being led by Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley. Among its 17 members are two survivors of clergy sexual abuse, Irishwoman Marie Collins (Marie Collins will be the featured speaker at the Voice of the Faithful® 2015 National Assembly, April 18) and Englishman Peter Saunders …
“Asked by NCR after the press conference about the fact that only the pope can remove bishops, Collins interrupted the question to say: ‘Currently, yes.’
“‘All I can say is the commission is working on a means by which bishops can be made accountable,’ Collins, an Irish abuse survivor who serves on the commission, continued. ‘And if that goes forward … there will be an answer to this problem.’”
By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Also of interest, “Accountability is key concern for pope’s child protection commission,” by Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service, and “Forget spanking: bishop accountability is the big pope story,” by John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com
An open letter to Cardinal O’Malley / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in church reform, Future of the Church, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful, Women in Catholic Church on November 20, 2014
Earlier today we posted Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s reflections on his “60 Minutes” interview that ran this past Sunday. We see that the leaders of the Women’s Ordination Conference have responded today on Cruxnow.com regarding women’s roles in the Roman Catholic Church.
An open letter to Cardinal O’Malley
By Erin Saiz Hanna and Kate McElwee, Co-Directors, Women’s Ordination Conference
In what has already become an infamous “60 Minutes” interview, you stated to Norah O’Donnell: ‘If I were founding a church, I’d love to have women priests. But Christ founded it, and what he has given us is something different.’
As women born well after Vatican II, we are constantly asked: ‘Why would any young, educated woman choose to stay in a Church that purposefully denies her equality?’ We stay because we believe that Jesus did give us ‘something different.’ Jesus gave us the Gospel message of equality and social justice, where all people are made in God’s image and welcomed at the table.”
Reflections on my ’60 Minutes’ interview / The Boston Pilot
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Voice of the Faithful on November 20, 2014
Reflections on my ’60 Minutes’ interview
By Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, in The Boston Pilot
Last Sunday evening I was privileged to be featured on the CBS television program “60 Minutes,” which is actually three 20 minute segments. I was featured in segment two of the broadcast … From the beginning of the process I was aware that the questions would not be about the weather and the Red Sox. The program’s interviews include difficult questions that are often on many people’s minds.”
Cardinal O’Malley: If I started a church, I’d love to have women priests / Cruxnow.com
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Future of the Church, Voice of the Faithful on November 17, 2014
Catholics who thought Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s remarks about Kansas City Bishop Robert Finn’s suitability for office were provocative have another interesting comment to ponder: If he were to start a church, he would ‘love to have women priests.’
“In an interview with ‘60 Minutes’ on CBS that producers said took more than a year for them to persuade him to do, O’Malley seemed troubled by reporter Norah O’Donnell’s question as to whether the exclusion of women from the Church hierarchy was ‘immoral.’
“O’Malley paused, then said, ‘Christ would never ask us to do something immoral. It’s a matter of vocation and what God has given to us.'”
Bay Teresa Hanafin, Cruxnow.com — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
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