UN committee reviews Holy See's child protection efforts
(Vatican Radio) A UN committee has been examining a report presented at a hearing
at the United Nations in Geneva by a Holy See Delegation on the application of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child. Attending the UN Committee hearing on Thursday
were Archbishop Silvano Tomasi Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations
in Geneva and Bishop Charles Scicluna who previously served as Promoter of Justice
at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The committee is responsible
for overseeing the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to
which the Holy See is a signatory. Among other things the agreement calls for
signatories to take all appropriate measures to protect children from harm and to
put children's interests above all else. In his opening statement to the Committee
on Thursday Archbishop Tomasi said “there is no excuse for any form of violence or
exploitation of children. Such crimes can never be justified”. Speaking to Vatican
Radio the Archbishop said the hearing was an “occasion to start a dialogue between
the Holy See and the experts in order to facilitate and to improve the protection
of children.
He said, “we will very gladly take this occasion as a constructive
moment, an important occasion, to reaffirm the value and the procedures of the convention
and to accept any good advice that is given for that can be helpful in the protection
of children.”
Asked about criticism the Holy See had received on the issue
of child protection Archishop Tomasi stressed that as far as the Holy See is concerned
a crime is a crime and is subject to prosecution.
He said “the policy and good
sense of the Holy See is to encourage the prosecution of any crime, including crimes,
and especially crimes, against children.”
Noting that the Holy Father had already
announced the establishment of a commission for the protection of minors, the Archbishop
said the task ahead is to strengthen the good steps and the good measures
that have already been taken and to continue to maintain as a priority the protection
of children. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s report