In my commentary on The Sunday Times of Malta (16/0214) I criticised the the report by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, saying it smacked of an endeavour to engage in a culture war against the sexual mores and pro-life stand of the Catholic Church, rather than a genuine attempt to protect and defend children.

(The commentary can be accessed from http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140216/opinion/An-opportunity-not-to-be-a-missed.506942)

I also said that the Church should also adopt from the report any beneficial proposal that it makes. It should not let the negativity of the report blind it to positive aspects that can help her protect minors.

After the publication of my commentary I came across other similar opinions. Fr Hans Zollner, the head of the International Centre for Child Protection at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, after criticising the report added that its recommendations should be regarded by the Holy See as an “incentive”. Similarly to what I wrote he criticised the Vatican for failing to present the requested report for 14 years.

In my commentary I expressed the fear that the negative attitude taken in the UN report could strengthen the hands of those in the Church who still won’t support the Church’s official policy of zero tolerance to child abuse. This will make it impossible for the church to do the sensible thing: Have a bishop admit his mistakes, take full responsibility and resign. Resignation should not be viewed as a victory for the ‘liberal and secular media’ who have no love for the Church. Instead of doing what was best for the church, some bishops are holding on long after their credibility was destroyed, thus making it impossible for the Church to heal. For instance, Bishop Robert Finn of Kansas City, Mo., was convicted in court of not reporting a priest. He is still in office.

Benedict put in place sound policies for the Church, but now the Vatican must ensure that the bishops follow them to the letter. To recognize that the Church is doing better today does not reduce her responsibility for the hatchet job of the past. Nor does it mean it should not persistently look for better ways to respond to abuse by priests.

A similar position was taken by Fr Klaus Mertes, headmaster of the prestigious Canisius College in Berlin, who, according to The Tablet, told the daily Kölner Stadtanzeiger that the Vatican must allow external investigations and make its child protection procedures more transparent.

“Punishment must hurt the perpetrators, those who covered up for them and the institution that backed them,” he emphasised. Bishops who were involved in hushing up cases should either lose their episcopal office or step down, he said.

Words should be followed by action. The Vatican is right now facing a concrete challenge because of the case of Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, the former apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic. He is being accused by legal authorities of that nation of child abuse. The archbishop has been withdrawn from active diplomatic service. The Vatican has repeatedly promised its co-operation and desire to get to the truth. If the accusations are baseless the Vatican should espouse them as such. But if there is a prima facie case the Vatican should see to it that the due process of law is followed.

Justice and credibility ask for nothing less.