Irish abuse survivor resigns from Vatican panel set-up to fight sex abuse

Irish abuse survivor Marie Collins has resigned from a Vatican panel set up to fight sex abuse in the church.

Clerical abuse survivor and campaigner Marie Collins said she resigned from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors because a group of people in the Vatican who had been obstructing its work, including not following recommendations from the Pope.

Ms Collins had been a member of the 15-person Commission for the past three years and its only Irish representative, but in a strongly worded statement yesterday she said she had tendered her resignation to Pope Francis last month and that her work with the Commission ended officially today.

"Since the beginning of the Commission in March 2014 I have been impressed with the dedication of my colleagues and the genuine wish by Pope Francis for assistance in dealing with the issue of clerical sexual abuse," she said. "I believe the setting up of the Commission, the bringing in of outside expertise to advise him on what was necessary to make minors safer, was a sincere move.

"However, despite the Holy Father approving all the recommendations made to him by the Commission, there have been constant setbacks. This has been directly due to the resistance by some members of the Vatican Curia to the work of the Commission.

The lack of co-operation, particularly by the dicastery most closely involved in dealing with cases of abuse, has been shameful."

She referred to what she called "a simple recommendation, approved by Pope Francis" that then went to the dicastery (a department of the Roman Curia) regarding "a small change of procedure in the context of care for victims/survivors".

She later explained that this was actually to do with facilitating and responding to communication from abuse survivors. However, she said in January she learned the change was refused, alongside a request for co-operation on "a fundamental issue of Commission work in regard to safeguarding".

"While I hope the Commission will succeed in overcoming this resistance, for me it is the last straw," she said.

Subsequently she said while there might be a popular view that 'what the Pope says, goes', "It is not as simple as that".

"I just think that there is a small number of men in there who are not really in touch with things," she said. "Clericalism still abounds with that group.

"I don't know the reasons."

Regarding her decision to issue a letter of resignation to the Pope on February 9 last, she said the recent refusals within the Vatican had been "a step too far".

Abuse victims support group One In Four said it was saddened Ms Collins had stepped down and that it appeared she had "no option" but to resign.

The organisation's Executive Director Maeve Lewis said: “ Marie Collins was among the first survivors of child sexual abuse in the Irish Catholic Church to speak openly about her experiences. Her bravery was instrumental in encouraging other survivors to come forward and in forcing the Irish State to put in place four Commissions of Investigation which uncovered the dark, hidden world of clerical sexual abuse. She is recognised internationally as a woman of the highest integrity. She had real hopes that her participation on the Vatican Commission would lead to genuine change at the very top of the Catholic Church.

"Marie’s resignation after three frustrating years brings into question the sincerity of top-level Vatican personnel in responding to survivors of sexual abuse. The way in which the Curia stymied most recommendations of the Commission shows a reluctance to accept the reality of clerical sexual abuse. Despite all the protestations of commitment to child protection, it appears that very little has really changed. Many survivors would like to remain within the Catholic Church and they had placed a great deal of confidence in the Commission because of Marie’s participation. They will be disappointed and distressed today. But like One in Four, they will understand that Marie had no option but to resign if she were to retain her credibility and integrity.”

Ms Collins said she did not know if someone else would be sought to take her place on the Commission, although she suspected no-one else would be drafted in until the end of the year, when the terms of office of current members comes to an end.

Cardinal Sean O’Malley has invited Marie Collins to continue to be part of training projects including those for the Curia and new bishops and she said she was happy to accept the offer.