Rome (dpa) – A four-day Vatican-sponsored symposium on ways to prevent and detect sexual abuses of minors by clerics began in Rome on Monday, attended by representatives from Catholic dioceses around the world. The gathering, hosted by Rome's Jesuit-run Gregorian University, is entitled “Towards Healing and Renewal.” Organizers say it aims to tackle topics linked to abuse scandals which in recent years have rocked the Catholic Church. Widespread allegations of abuse have surfaced in several parts of the world, including the US, Ireland, Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands and Pope Benedict XVI's native Germany. The symposium is being held against the backdrop of ongoing criticism of the Vatican's handling of the abuses, including measures against so-called predator-priests. Many dioceses face a slew of lawsuits by victims or groups representing them. The symposium takes place ahead of a May deadline set by the Vatican for Catholic bishops around the world to develop procedures “suitable” for assisting abuse victims, as well as educating church communities on the protection of minors. Speakers at the symposium include Marie Collins, an Irish victim of clerical abuse and outspoken critic of how the Vatican has dealt with the crisis, and Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Vatican's top prosecutor on sex abuse cases. The program includes bishops from Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines – the world's three largest Catholic nations – as well as South Africa, to discuss responses to clerical abuse in those regions. The symposium is set to culminate with the launch Thursday of a new Centre for Child Protection in Rome, aiming to develop an internet- and computer-based course on abuse prevention and detection. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/nG8VK Tags: abuse, Conference, Sex, Vatican Section: Religion
