Vatican City, Sep 10, 2018 / 14:05 pm
In an interview with Vatican News on Sunday, Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston said Church leaders must listen to abuse survivors' experiences to respond properly to the sexual abuse crisis
"Bringing the voice of survivors to the leadership of the Church is crucial if people are going to have an understanding of how important it is for the Church to respond quickly and correctly any time a situation of abuse may arise," O'Malley said in an interview published Sept. 9.
The cardinal is president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM), an advisory body to the pope on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from sexual abuse. "This must be the priority that we concentrate on right now," he said.
"We see particularly in light of the present situation, how if the Church is unable to respond whole-heartedly and make this a priority, all of our other activities – of evangelization, works of mercy, education – are all going to suffer."