Geneva, Switzerland, Jun 21, 2021 / 12:00 pm
A Church official said Monday that a letter from U.N. experts accusing the Vatican of engaging in “obstructive practices” related to clerical abuse has “no real teeth.”
In the 11-page letter, made public on June 21, the four experts argued that the Vatican was using international agreements to avoid accepting responsibility for abuse committed by members of the Catholic Church.
“We urge the authorities of the Holy See to refrain from obstructive practices and to cooperate fully with the civil, judicial and law enforcement authorities of the countries concerned, as well as to refrain from signing or using existing agreements to evade accountability for Church members accused of abuse,” said the letter, whose existence was first reported by CNA on June 20.
A Church official, who asked not to be named as he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter, told CNA that while the letter lacked “teeth,” it signaled frustration among activists seeking to advance abortion and Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) issues through international institutions.
“It is a sign, however, of how frustrated the pro-abortion and pro-SOGI forces are that they can’t bulldoze their agenda at the U.N. because of the work of several member states and a permanent observer. Hence the concerted attempt to undermine the credibility of the Holy See,” the official said.
The letter was signed by Fabián Salvioli, Mama Fatima Singhateh, Nils Melzer, and Gerard Quinn, who work as U.N. special rapporteurs.
The U.N. defines special rapporteurs as independent human rights experts who work in conjunction with the U.N. Human Rights Council. They are not U.N. staff and work on a voluntary basis.
The text, which was dated April 7 and written in French, built on a letter sent to the Vatican in April 2019 by Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, then U.N. Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children.
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