But with (German Jesuit Fr. Hans) Zollner’s departure, the commission has now lost someone long-perceived as a key ally of Francis’ reform efforts, having been selected by Francis as one of the main organizers of his historic February 2019 abuse summit at the Vatican.
By Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter
“One of Pope Francis’ key advisers on clergy sexual abuse has resigned from the pontiff’s child protection commission and has launched searing criticisms against the organization’s leadership and its alleged lack of transparency.
“The president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley, announced on March 29 that one of the commission’s founding members, German Jesuit Fr. Hans Zollner, had asked the pope ‘to be relieved of his duties as a member.’
“O’Malley’s statement, which praised Zollner as a global ‘ambassador’ for combating clergy sexual abuse, said that Zollner had resigned due to his new appointment earlier this month as a consultant to the Diocese of Rome’s safeguarding office.
Yet in an unusually blunt 400-word statement issued several hours later, Zollner said that after nine years of service on the commission, it was ‘impossible’ to continue given his mounting concerns ‘in the areas of responsibility, compliance, accountability and transparency.’”
By Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter — Read more …