Don’t allow guilty bishops to ‘walk away’ – Collins

Chilean prelates guilty of concealing abuse must be held to account for their actions, and cannot simply be allowed to “resign and walk away”, leading child protection campaigner Marie Collins has said.

Noting how Chile’s entire hierarchy has offered to resign following an investigation into clerical abuse and cover-up in the South American country, Mrs Collins said this could not be used to hide wrongdoing on the part of guilty clerics.

A leaked letter from the Pope showed there had been “grave negligence” by the hierarchy, with reports of abuse being ignored, investigations being rare and superficial, and crimes played down as mere “moral lapses”, Mrs Collins said, highlighting how Cardinal Errazuriz did not take action against the prolific abuser Fr Fernando Karadima because he was a charismatic priest who encouraged vocations.

“So what is to be the punishment of these church leaders, bishops and cardinals, who facilitated abusers and tried to destroy victims?  In the case of the bishops it seems they are to be allowed to resign and walk away. In the case of the cardinals so far we do not know,” she said, noting how Cardinal Errazuriz is still a member of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinal Advisers.

Raising how the Pope almost two years ago introduced a process for taking action against bishops and religious guilty of negligence in tackling abuse, Mrs Collins said: “If it is not used in this case and bishops are allowed to walk away without facing any disciplinary hearing then will it ever be used?  Does any bishop or religious superior anywhere need to fear it?”