Father Hans Zollner Archives

Bishops, anti-abuse experts praise bid to own up to ‘institutional failures’

Jun 6, 2021

Abuse scandals have exposed “systemic weaknesses in the church that also call for systemic responses. A purely legal review and administrative changes are not enough,” said Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, noting that Marx’s decision was a “personal response” to the failures of the past.

By Elise Ann Allen

Anti-abuse center gets upgrade, sensing both progress and frustration

May 3, 2021

Last week, a well-known center at one of Rome’s pontifical universities aimed at protecting children from clerical sexual abuse, and beyond, was upgraded to an institute of anthropology, giving the Church’s most respected academic outfit devoted to child protection room to grow.

By Inés San Martín

Catholic leaders tell Harvard panel victims are ‘true north’ of anti-abuse fight
- Apr 10, 2021
On the 100th birthday of his priest abuser, Mark J. Williams visited his abuser’s gravesite and “let it go.” He forgave the man for the pain he had caused.

By John Lavenburg
Leading abuse expert hopes McCarrick report ‘will have consequences’
- Nov 11, 2020
According to a leading expert in the Catholic Church’s fight against clerical sexual abuse, the Vatican’s report into laicized ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick is “a good example of how seriously these whole questions of cover up and denial and non-compliance and insincerity should be dealt with,” and believes there are other similar reports to come.

By Inés San Martín
Reform or suppression: Troubled lay movements need outside oversight
- Nov 5, 2020
Questions have been raised about the influence some lay groups exercise over their members and about how the church should determine whether the movement should be reformed or dissolved when there is abuse or corruption.

By Junno Arocho Esteves
Top expert fears abuse of minors within families has increased during lockdown
- Sep 25, 2020
Father Hans Zollner, arguably one of the most prominent Church officials working on abuse prevention, says he understands the frustration some victims feel upon not seeing “immediate impact” from Rome on their cases, while at the same time underlining that “substantial change” has been made.

By Inés San Martín