New York City, N.Y., May 14, 2011 / 10:39 am
Amnesty International has cited the Vatican in a new report on human rights violations, alleging that it “did not sufficiently comply” with laws “relating to the protection of children.” The Catholic League says the charge represents ideological axe-grinding, from an organization that has lost Church support.
“This is ideology at work, not objective research,” said Catholic League President Bill Donohue. “Coming up empty with cases of abuse that occurred last year, (Amnesty) decided to adopt a 'look-back' strategy, one that is exclusively applied to the Catholic Church.”
Amnesty's 2011 Annual Report charges the Holy See with human rights violations for “child sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy over the past decades,” and what it describes as “the enduring failure of the Catholic Church to address these crimes properly.”
Donohue said it was “preposterous” for Amnesty to “hold the Vatican responsible for the behavior of priests all over the world,” a responsibility that belongs to local bishops according to Catholic teaching.