Pope Francis’ decision to appoint two US priests to key positions aimed at tackling the Vatican’s sex abuse crisis drew an angry response from abuse victims.
In the shake-up the Rev Robert Geisinger, a canon lawyer previously based in Chicago, was named chief prosecutor responsible for abuse cases. He replaces his US colleague, the Rev Robert Oliver, who was named to the Vatican’s anti-abuse commission, created by Francis last year.
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, who organized the pope’s first meeting with victims of abuse from England, Ireland and Germany at the Vatican in July, has now been confirmed as president of that commission.
Oliver, a Boston priest and canon lawyer, worked on the explosive abuse crisis in his own archdiocese before being appointed as the Vatican’s promoter of justice last year. He is expected to work with O’Malley as he seeks to add new members to the commission from Asia and Africa.
The appointment of both Geisinger and Oliver was slammed by SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which claimed both had failed to do enough to stop abuse while they were in the US.
“The pope has just promoted a priest from Boston with a disappointing track record,” said SNAP’s outreach director Barbara Dorris, referring to Oliver in a statement. “For a pontiff who shows boldness in other areas, when it comes to abuse, he moves very slowly and timidly. Bolder measures are needed.”
Full Story: Sex abuse survivors slam Pope Francis’ picks for crisis panels
Source:Religion News Service