European church leaders gather to discuss sexual abuse

(Vatican Radio) November 18th marked the Council of Europe’s first European Day on the Protection of Children against sexual exploitation and abuse.

Child protection experts from 13 East and West European nations gathered in Luxembourg on the date for the start of a conference entitled ‘One Crisis – Different Responses’.

While Churches is some countries represented at the conference have been dealing with the clerical sex abuse crisis for decades, others are only just beginning to recognize the damage done to victims, families and the wider parish or religious communities.

“When I became Archbishop four years ago, I got the whole dossier on sexual abuse - mostly relating to past 30, 40 years ago - and I must say I had to read them in the chapel, because you feel sick to read it,” said Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg. “It is really sick. It is too much.”

Listen to the Vatican Viewpoint featuring the interview with Archbishop Hollerich:

He said the entire Church in Europe has been touched by the fact of sexual abuse, and told Vatican Radio Church leaders “cannot close our eyes.”

“We have to react as a Church, and we have to react in order that children and young people can feel completely safe when they come to Church,” Archbishop Hollerich said. “If there is no such confidence anymore, we cannot work. We cannot proclaim the Gospel, which is our task.”

He said the sexual abuse crisis has affected the Church in Luxembourg, and people have lost their once strong attachment to the Catholic faith.

“I think we could compare us to Ireland and Flanders. We were a very Catholic nation. We are now probably one of the most secularized states in Europe,” the Archbishop said.