Catholic bishops have added their voice to those calling for greater protection for children online.
"We now join our voice to all those calling for greater protection for children from the harmful materials accessible to all on the internet," the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales said in a statement today after meeting in Leeds this week.
Auxiliary bishop of Westminster John Sherrington said there was an urgent need for children to be protected from the harmful materials accessible to all on the internet.
The internet had been developed for use by adults, he said.
It has "unthinkingly" been made available to children, often with damaging consequences.
In their statement the bishops said: "We now see so many young people acknowledging that they are addicted to its use and to the pornography which is so readily available there. The internet has also become a major means of the abuse pf children, of blackmail and of new forms of degrading slavery."
At the close of the World Congress on Child Dignity in the Digital Age convened in Rome by the Holy See last year, Pope Francis described looking into the eyes of smiling children.
He said: "What are we doing to ensure that those children can continue smiling at us, with clear eyes and faces filled with trust and hope? What are we doing to make sure that they are not robbed of this light, to ensure that those eyes will not be darkened and corrupted by what they will find on the internet?"
The bishops said: "We challenge internet providers to take account of their responsibilities and to invest in measures to limit and control the deeply damaging ways in which the internet is used."
Wish to comment on this story? Join the debate on Facebook and follow on Twitter.
(Pic credit: Pixabay)
Loading ...
