Abuse commission members see O’Malley about Barros

Members of the commission advising the Vatican on tackling clerical sex abuse travelled to Rome last Sunday to question the appointment of a Chilean bishop accused of orchestrating a cover-up, writes Hannah Roberts.

Peter Saunders, an abuse survivor, and three other lay members of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, met the commission’s head, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, about the decision Mr Saunders called a “disastrous move”. The other committee members were abuse survivor Marie Collins, Baroness (Sheila) Hollins and Dr Catherine Bonnet.

Juan Barros Madrid was installed as Bishop of Osorno, Chile, last month amid protests in the cathedral. Victims allege  that Barros covered up abuse by convicted paedophile Fernando Karadima, including some he witnessed. Barros denies the claims.

Mr Saunders, who is also the founder of the UK-based National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said the group told Cardinal O’Malley that the Barros appointment was “inappropriate”. Mr Saunders told The Tablet that the group was “flexing their muscles”. “If anybody has the slightest dubious history he cannot be in charge of looking after children,” he said, adding that Cardinal O’Malley had agreed to bring the matter to Francis’ immediate attention. The Vatican has stated that the Congregation for Bishops “did not find objective reasons to preclude the appointment”. On Friday last week, Mr Saunders told National Catholic Reporter: “The Pope cannot say one thing and then do another. None of us can.”