BALTIMORE – As all U.S. Catholic Bishops gather for their national assembly, the Vatican ordered all Bishops Monday to delay voting on measures to hold Bishops accountable for failing to protect children from sexual abuse.
For weeks, the U.S. Catholic Bishops have trumpeted a series of reforms they had hoped to make after what one Cardinal called the Church’s “summer of hell.” Those reforms must be approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which gathers the Bishops twice a year to debate and adopt new policies.
The three-day assembly started Monday in Baltimore.
Bishops have several reforms under consideration to craft a stronger response to the scandals, but some Catholic Activists are demanding further steps, including releasing the names of all Clergy accused of abuse and giving a greater voice to abuse victims.
