Irish clerical abuse survivor Marie Collins has said it would be a “pointless waste of effort” to comment on Pope Francis’ remarks in defence of a Chilean bishop accused of covering up abuse.
During his visit to Chile, the Pope was asked about his support for Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno whose mentor, Fr Fernando Karadima, was found guilty by the Vatican of sexual abuse. “The day they bring me proof against the bishop, then I will speak. There is not a single proof against him. This is calumny! Is that clear?” the Pope told reporters.
Ms Collins, who resigned from the Vatican’s Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) last March over what she saw as curial resistance to reform, apologised on Twitter for her negative stance, adding “it’s just the way I feel right now”. She admitted: “I think this is the most disheartened I’ve been by the whole thing in years”. Ms Collins also noted that the Pope was reportedly “unconcerned by the month-long delay in member appointments to PCPM”, and that proposed names are being vetted by the Curia. She said that this state of affairs is “all that is needed to be said about the priority being given to this Commission and this issue in the Vatican”.
The former head of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCCI) has also expressed disappointment in the wake of Francis’ comments. Ian Elliott, founding chief executive of NBSCCCI, expressed solidarity with Ms Collins’ refusal to comment: “I know the feeling, I have experienced it myself. It really is a waste of time. Nothing changes.”
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