Pope Benedict XVI has shocked the world with the announcement of his resignation as Head of the Catholic Church, becoming the first Pope to step down for more than 600 years. His reasons ultimately revolve around his declining health which, at the age of 85, means he no longer feels capable of continuing as Pope. The move will be made official on 28th February 2013, and the Pope's public events and engagements will continue as normal until this date.
However, what will happen to the unfulfilled promises of investigation and justice for the victims of the Catholic priest child abuse scandal that came to light during Pope Benedict's time as Head of the Church? Of course, it was merely another chapter in the epic tome of sex scandals that has permeated Church history since 1985, with the case of Rev. Gilbert Gauthe in Louisiana, USA.
However, what will happen to the unfulfilled promises of investigation and justice for the victims of the Catholic priest child abuse scandal that came to light during Pope Benedict's time as Head of the Church? Of course, it was merely another chapter in the epic tome of sex scandals that has permeated Church history since 1985, with the case of Rev. Gilbert Gauthe in Louisiana, USA.
The outrage spread to Europe in 2002, when a wave of child abuse cases emerged in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. In addition, subsequently from 2009, Ireland was hit with a similar outcry when the government issued a report revealing that numerous cases of paedophilia from Catholic priests had been covered up for decades. In May 2010, Pope Benedict declared his "shame and remorse" for the terrible acts committed by members of the Church, announcing that he would open up a vigilant investigation into the matter.
But what has actually been done?
There has been a flurry of activity from organisations such as Irish Survivors of Child Abuse and SNAP (Survival Network of those Abused by Priests), who have cried out in protest at the Church's lack of action towards resolving this issue.
Today, an official statement by SNAP declared:
There has been a flurry of activity from organisations such as Irish Survivors of Child Abuse and SNAP (Survival Network of those Abused by Priests), who have cried out in protest at the Church's lack of action towards resolving this issue.
Today, an official statement by SNAP declared:
"No matter how tired or weak Pope Benedict may be, he still has two weeks to use his vast power to protect youngsters. Before he steps down, we hope he will show true leadership and compassion and take tangible action to safeguard vulnerable children."
According to The Guardian, John Kelly - a co-founder of Irish Survivors of Abuse - said: "In our view we were let down in terms of promise of inquiries, reform and, most importantly of all, the Vatican continuing not to acknowledge that any priest or religious found guilty of child abuse would face civil authorities and be tried for their crimes in the courts."
That is not to say, however, that the Church has failed to act at all. In February 2012, key figures within the Church participated in a four-day symposium in Rome, along with 100 bishops and other religious superiors and abuse victims themselves, which focused on the prevention of sexual abuse of children by the clergy. This was planned to be achieved by better communication with victims, and the development of a more thorough and efficient response system to cases of paedophilia with the intention of eradicating them entirely in the future.
Nevertheless, many feel that the response has been slow to deal with the issue and Pope Benedict XVI may be walking away from a ticking time-bomb of a situation. Already, news of his resignation has been met with harsh responses - SNAP celebrated, reportedly saying that he had done little to stop the "reign of terror of child rapist priests".
The renowned atheist, Richard Dawkins, today tweeted: "I feel sorry for the Pope and all old Catholic priests. Imagine having a wasted life to look back on and no sex."
Scathing remarks such as these illustrate the continuing anger and dissatisfaction many harbour towards the Catholic Church on this matter, and the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI could be the catalyst that sparks a whole new wave of protests and brings the issue of paedophilia within the clergy back into the headlines.
What are your thoughts on the Pope's resignation?
Do you believe the Church has adequately dealt with the child abuse scandal?
Comment below and share your thoughts!