Source: France 24
Some 3,000 paedophiles have operated inside the French Catholic Church since 1950, the head of an independent commission investigating the scandal told AFP, days ahead of the release of its report.ADVERTISING
The commission’s research uncovered between 2,900 and 3,200 paedophile priests or other members of the church, said Jean-Marc Sauve, adding that it was “a minimum estimate”.
The commission’s report is due to be released on Tuesday after two and a half years of research based on church, court and police archives, as well as interviews with witnesses.
Sauve, senior French civil servant, said the report, which runs to 2,500 pages, had attempted to quantify both the number of offenders and the number of victims.
It also looked into “the mechanisms, notably institutional and cultural ones” within the Church which allowed paedophiles to remain, and will offer 45 proposals.
The independent commission was set up in 2018 by the Bishops’ Conference of France (CEF) and the national congregations conference (CORREF) in response to a number of scandals that shook the Church in France and worldwide.
Its formation also came after Pope Francis passed a landmark measure obliging those who know about sex abuse in the Catholic Church to report it to their superiors.
Made up of 22 legal professionals, doctors, historians, sociologists and theologians, its brief was to investigate allegations of child sex abuse by clerics dating back to the 1950s.
When it began its work it called for witness statements and set up a telephone hotline, then reported receiving thousands of messages in the months that followed.
Suggested Reading by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times, for the best understanding of personal religion in the 21st century
My main suggestion to the open minded readers is to read on and in the words of Sir Francis Bacon, “Read not to contradict … but to weigh and consider.”
Islamism — the Political Islam: The Challenge for the 21st Century
Are Religions Pluralistic or Myopic and Parochial?
The Holy Quran and the Seventh Century Arabian Metaphors
I am a Jew, a Catholic, a Christian and a Muslim; I am Zia H Shah
In Defense of the Secular Narrative of the Holy Quran
We Will be Judged by Our Compassion and Deeds and Not Our Dogma
Pope Francis: Satan Is Stalking The Catholic Church
A Message of Compassion and Love from the Holy Bible
Deciding to Leave: The Last Straw that Broke a Catholic’s Back!
Why it’s so hard to hold priests accountable for sex abuse
Abou Ben Adhem, A Compassionate Man
Americans are depressed and suicidal because something is wrong with our culture
Videos: Let Joel Osteen Breathe Hope, Optimism and Success in Your Life
What Can a Quarter of Unaffiliated US Population Find in Islam?
How Islam has Influenced Christian understanding of God
World Leading Christian Apologist, William Lane Craig Always Presents God of Islam and Judaism
24 Video lectures: The Great Courses: How Jesus Became God?
Video: The most famous Christian apologist, William Lane Craig, accepts there is no Trinity in the Old Testament
Book Review: The Dark Box: A Secret History of Confession
The Concept of Justice in Islam by Sir Zafrulla Khan
‘Islamic Law’: A Myopic Reading of the Quran
Proposing Daryl Davis as a Peace Maker for Palestinians and Israel, for he attends KKK rallies, despite being black
Kripkean Dogmatism: The Best Metaphor to Understand Religious and Political Debates
Categories: Catholic Church, Catholicism, Catholics
What would interest me is the conclusion whether the institution of celibacy contributed to this. Of course sexual abuse is not limited to celibate priests, but the incidents may be higher?