Church toughens stance on child abuse

By EHEYUC SESERU
THE Catholic Church will not tolerate cases of child sexual abuse and family violence in communities and within the church, says Bishop Rozario Menezes.
Lae Catholic Diocese Bishop Menezes said the church had a “no-tolerance” policy on such offences.
He said priests and church workers must refrain from any form of abuse.
Bishop Rozario also advised married couples to be faithful to each other.
“When there’s no faithfulness by couples within a family, it leads to all kinds of misunderstanding. Not only faithful to each other but faithful to God,” he said.
He said families who prayed together stayed together.
Bishop Rozario said there was no room for sexual abuse and domestic violence.
“We know that in the Catholic Church there is a lot of problems because of cover-ups. When there is something, sometimes the bishops and priests try to cover it up,” he said.
“They were worried that it brings a bad name to the church. Now there is no space for those kind of cover-ups.
“We are going to be hundred per cent transparent when there is a case of abuse.”