UN Demands the Church Alter its Teachings, Including on Abortion

The Vatican defends itself against criticism of the UN Children's Rights Committee (UNCRC) on the ways the Catholic Church treats the sexual abuse of minors.

Vatican City / Geneva (kath.net / CBA / red) The Vatican is defending itself against criticism of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on the role of the Catholic Church in the sexual abuse of minors. Some of the claims published by the Committee in Geneva   were interfering in the Church's teaching about the dignity of man and the freedom of religion, said the Vatican press office. Details are not mentioned.  The Holy See recognizes its commitment to defend the rights of the child in accordance with the religious and moral values of Catholic doctrine in the agreement signed by it and the UN Children's Convention.

The Vatican representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Archbishop Silvano Maria Tomasi,  expressed the suspicion in an interview with Vatican Radio that the opinion of the Committee of the report on the most recent child report  had been prepared in the Holy See before the inspection. The assessment was not at the height of the current situation. It did not take into account the measures that would have long since been taken by both the Vatican and the National Episcopal Conferences on the Protection of Minors against abuse.   Therefore  the Committee to the United Nations is doing a disservice, said the Vatican diplomat.

The UN Committee had criticized that most recent child protection report of the Holy See to be insufficient on Wednesday.  Some necessary measures were missing so far, said the UN experts in their report. They complained that in practice sex offenders could remain unpunished in the Catholic Church. The Committee requested the Holy See to to bring the canon law in accordance with the UN Convention on the protection of children.

 Certain provisions of the Catholic Church law did not correspond to the demands of Child Protection Convention. This concerns in particular the right of children to protection from discrimination, violence and all forms of sexual abuse. The Holy See must ensure that ecclesiastical laws are adjusted to provisions  the Convention. In addition, the UNCRC demanded further information on the extent to which clergymen were obliged at all levels, to report cases of abuse to state authorities.

The Holy See has undergone as a signatory to the Child Protection Convention for the first time a regular evaluation by the UNCRC. On 16 January discussed the UN Committee and the Vatican's representative in Geneva open questions, among others, to child pornography, measures against sexual abuse and discrimination against girls. P. Bernd Hagenkord, director of Vatican Radio in German, has pointed out in the afternoon in an article for Vatican Radio that the UN paper claims that the Church's teaching on homosexuality contributes to social stigma. In paragraphs 25-27 according to Hagenkord, he  insinuates more than is proven that church doctrine leads to violence and discrimination. The same will be said about the gender debate, the Church represent here a doctrine of the distinction between male and female, the way they would represent lead to discrimination.

 The UN paper becomes absurd  then at point 55 on the subject of abortion. There the Church is even asked to change the doctrine of the Church. The Church should allow that under certain circumstances abortion is permitted. Then the Church will even be asked to read the Bible in "prescribed manner". The UN wants to dictate how biblical texts are to be interpreted. (C) 2013 Catholic News Agency KNA GmbH. All rights reserved

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