Church's Sex Abuse Reforms Denounced As 'Minor'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests is denouncing plans by Roman Catholic bishops to update sex abuse guidelines, saying the update is nothing more than a public relations move.
It has been nine years since the American Catholic Church came out with reforms intended to address priest sex abuse. And this week, a nationwide meeting of bishops is planning to reform the reforms--ostensibly to make them better.
"These proposed changes, frankly, are very disappointing.' said David Clohessy is the executive director of SNAP. "They're few, they're extremely minor."
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Clohessy says the group wants real reforms - like action against church employees, everybody "from custodian to cardinal," who knows about abuse by priests but does nothing.
A spokesman for American Catholic bishops has said the policy has been working. Newsradio 780 has asked the Chicago archdiocese for comment on proposed reforms.