Preventing abuse
June 19, 2011
The Roman Catholic Church announced on Saturday a new online resource for combating sexual abuse by clergy.
An e-learning center, scheduled to go live early next year, is designed to help bishops and other church workers establish guidelines to protect children.
To be offered in German, English, French, Spanish and Italian, the online resource will "work with medical institutions and universities to develop a constant response to the problems of sexual abuse," Monsignor Klaus Peter Franzl of the archdiocese of Munich told Reuters.
It will be launched during a symposium and international conference on the sexual abuse of children planned for February at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University.
The symposium, entitled "Towards Healing and Renewal," will draw top experts on child sexual abuse by clergy.
"We want people to know that we are serious about this and that we think the Church has to be at the center of a solution," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said.
Author: Stuart Tiffen (dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Kyle James