O’Malley corrects priest on obligation to report abuse

The cardinal who leads the pontifical body on child protection has stressed bishops have an obligation to report suspected abuse to civil authorities, writes Christopher Lamb.

Cardinal Seán O’Malley made the statement after it emerged that recently ordained bishops were told at a Vatican-run training course that they have no duty to report allegations to the police.

Mgr Tony Anatrella, a French priest and psychotherapist who is a consultant to two pontifical councils, made the remarks last September. The Congregation for Bishops, which runs the formation course, recently published his address in a book.

Cardinal O’Malley said, however, that he and the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors “wish to affirm that our obligations under civil law must certainly be followed”.

He went on: “But even beyond these civil requirements, we all have a moral and ethical responsibility to report suspected abuse to the civil authorities who are charged with protecting our society.”

He stressed that the commission was willing to share material with the Roman Curia’s annual training programme for bishops. It has also been reported that the Centre for Child Protection, based at the Pontifical Gregorian University, offered to help the Congregation for Bishops with the course.

Marie Collins, an Irish abuse survivor who sits on the pontifical commission, said she was “absolutely horrified” to hear that bishops had been told it was not necessary to report abuse. In Italy the bishops’ guidelines do not require members of the hierarchy to refer allegations to authorities.