Vatican investigating abuse allegations

adminonDecember 29, 2021January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

Church abuse scandal (iconic image) © Evandro Inetti

According to media reports, the Vatican has opened investigations against Curia Bishop Gustavo Zenchetto in Argentina. Investigations under canon law are already underway against him by the Archbishop of Tucuman and the public prosecutor's office.

As reported by the local newspaper "El Tribuno" (online edition Thursday), Catholic seminarians are being questioned in Oran, northern Argentina, accusing the former diocesan leader of sexual assault. The testimonies, which would be collected by Bishop Carlos Sanchez of Tucuman, should serve as the basis for a future canonical trial, it said.

The accused is Gustavo Zanchetta, a high employee of the Vatican property administration. The now 55-year-old had been appointed bishop of Oran in one of Pope Francis' first personnel decisions in July 2013.

After he relinquished the diocesan leadership in August 2017, the pope appointed him in December of the same year to the specially created post of assessor in the administration of goods, the treasury of the Holy See.

Participation in retreat

In January, the Vatican cited problems with local clergy as the reason for Zanchetta's resignation from diocesan leadership. The bishop has been accused of authoritarian behavior, but there has been "not a single allegation of sexual abuse," Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said.

Irritation was caused by Zanchetta's participation last week in a week of retreat with the pope in Ariccia, southeast of Rome. Lenten spiritual retreats are usually addressed to a narrow circle of curia leaders.

The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Children addressed several international projects at its tenth plenary session in Rome. According to this, conferences are being prepared in Rome and Latin America.

In addition, education and training on child protection in Catholic schools will be reviewed and expanded, according to a statement from the Vatican. This will happen, for example, through pilot projects in South Africa, Colombia, India, the Philippines and Tonga. The commission's most recent meeting was held from 4. up to 7. April in Rome.

A conference planned for December 2019 in Rome is to deal with "confidentiality and transparency" in connection with church criminal law. In addition, the Commission is involved in the preparation of a symposium in Bogota on "Protection measures in the Church and civil society". Participants include Catholic schools, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, other churches and the media, in addition to the Latin American Council of Religious and Bishops.

Help for abuse victims

In four other initiatives, the panel addressed platforms to hear and help victims of abuse. Tools are also reportedly being developed to review the implementation and quality of protective measures for minors and vulnerable adults.

Additional outside experts participated in the plenary meeting of the Child Protection Commission, which lasted several days. In one segment, members heard the testimony of a woman from Africa who was a child victim of sexual violence at the hands of a priest. Finally, members of the commission spoke with leaders of various Vatican authorities.

Importance of child protection grows

Referring to the anti-abuse summit in Rome at the end of February, the Vatican statement said the meeting showed "that the understanding of the great importance of child protection in the Church is growing," while at the same time "much remains to be done".

Pope Francis had established the Pontifical Commission for Child Protection in March 2014. Its first term was over at the end of 2017. The pope then appointed a number of new members, while others left. The commission meets twice a year under the chairmanship of Boston Archbishop Cardinal Sean O'Malley.

Expert opinion examines prospects of success

The parliamentary groups of the FDP, the Greens and the Left are seeking to have the Bundestag file a lawsuit for a review of norms. An expert opinion is to examine the prospects of success. A legal scholar considers the amendment to Section 219a to be untenable.

FDP, Left Party and Greens are preparing a joint complaint to the Federal Constitutional Court against the reform of Paragraph 219a. This was said by the deputy chairman of the FDP parliamentary group, Stephan Thomae, to the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND, Friday). The FDP is in charge of the project and is working in coordination with the other two parliamentary groups to have an expert opinion prepared and to find a legal representative.

The reform, which the Bundestag passed last week, provides for an addition to the paragraph. Thomae said with regard to the lawsuit, "it would be nice if we could strike the iron in March". However, the final decision would depend on the content of the expert opinion. "We already want to go in with certain prospects of success."

FDP and Greens negotiate

The chairwoman of the Left Party, Katja Kipping, stressed that the examination was underway. "It looks like this actually has a good chance of happening," she told RND. Negotiations were currently underway with the FDP and the Greens.

The women's policy spokeswoman of the Greens, Ulle Schauws, confirmed on Friday that her group is open to the examination. The reform of the paragraph creates more "legal uncertainty". The negative mood towards doctors who perform an abortion and pregnant women who are considering an abortion is thus further fanned. 25 percent of the members of the Bundestag are required for a corresponding action for the control of norms by the Bundestag. Together, the three groups achieve this.

The Giessen legal scholar Arthur Kreuzer is apparently being discussed as a reviewer. He told the RND: "I think a lawsuit is promising. The law does not seem tenable under constitutional law."Giessen is also home to gynecologist Kristina Hanel, who was fined in late 2017 for unauthorized abortion advertising and was a trigger for the debate on the abortion advertising ban.

Adopted amendment controversial

Section 219a prohibits offering, announcing or touting abortions for financial gain or if done in a "grossly offensive manner". After months of dispute, the German government had agreed on a compromise for a reform, this provides for an addition to Section 219a in the penal code.

Afterwards physicians and hospitals are to be allowed to inform for instance on their Internet side about the fact that they accomplish abortions under the legal conditions. In addition, the German Medical Association is to compile a constantly updated list of doctors and hospitals that perform abortions.

Anne Klein Women's Award 2019

Meanwhile, doctors Kristina Hanel, Natascha Nicklaus and Nora Szasz will be awarded the 2019 Anne Klein Women's Prize in Berlin on Friday evening. The three women have been charged with violating the paragraph; Hanel has since been fined. It is also considering going to Karlsruhe. The jury honored her courage in fighting out a fundamental ie affecting all women, the statement said.

Anne Klein (1950-2011) was a German lawyer and Berlin senator who campaigned primarily for women's rights and same-sex lifestyles. The award, which comes with 10.The award, which is endowed with € 000, is given by the Heinrich Boll Foundation, which has close ties to the Greens.

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