freedom of conscience

The strange silence of MIVILUDES and antisect groups about paedophilia in the Catholic Church

The European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics urges Barroso to address the issue

HRWF (31.03.2010) - Are MIVILUDES and antisect groups applying double standards or instrumentalizing their respective mandates to cover up a hidden agenda: the fight against specific religious groups and not others. This is the question that can be legitimately posed when we see their silence about the massive cases of paedophilia by Catholic priests around the world while in the past they had been prompt to denounce (alleged) acts of paedophilia  by members of minority religious groups and to use isolated cases to discredit whole movements (like the Raelians).

Barroso urged by a group of members of the European Parliament to address child abuse at annual meeting with religious leaders.

“The European Commission must come out of its ivory tower and address the issue of child abuse in the Catholic church and other religions. At previous editions of Barroso’s meeting with church leaders, they always carefully avoided any thorny issues.This time the Commission cannot turn a blind eye”, says Sophie in ‘t Veld, Chair of the European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics (EPPSP), a cross party group, in a press release issued on 30 March 2010.

The EPPSP urges Barroso to raise the issue of child abuse in the Catholic church at his annual meeting with religious leaders.

“It would undermine the credibility of the European Commission if it would fail to address this issue at its meeting with religious leaders”, says Mrs Senyszyn (S&D, Poland), Vice Chair of the EPPSP.

“Child abuse occurs in all sections of society, but abuse by church leaders and the moral pressure exercised on the victims to keep them from breaking the silence, is especially reprehensive”,says Jean Marie Cavada (EPP, France), Vice Chair of the Platform.

Although most other religions do not have comparable hierarchical structures like the Roman Catholic church, the mixture of conservative morals, taboos on sexuality, and religious authority often make it very hard for victims to speak out. EPPSP Vice Chair Franziska Brantner (Greens, Germany) adds: “The European Commission has recently issued its proposals for the protection of children against sexual abuse. This meeting is a good opportunity to show the Commission wants to tackle child abuse at all levels, and that it does not shy away from controversy.”

Human Rights Without Frontiers’ appeal

Human Rights Without Frontiers urges MIVILUDES, UNADFI and CCMM to clarify their position about paedophilia, especially when it is massively practised by ministers of a specific religious group. Is it a sectarian deviation (dérive sectaire) or not according to them?