U.S., Vatican officials meet to review special norms for sex abuse

Published: 2005-02-03

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Representatives of the Vatican and the U.S. bishops met at the Vatican Jan. 31-Feb. 1 to review how special norms adopted in 2002 for dealing with priestly sex abusers have worked. No statement was issued at the end of the meeting, and participants contacted Feb. 1-2 by Catholic News Service said they all had agreed not to speak to the press about their discussions. The Vatican approved the norms for a two-year period beginning in March 2003, and the U.S.-Vatican meeting was designed to ensure discussion before the norms came up for renewal or revision. One participant confirmed the meeting included a discussion on whether or not the Vatican's approval of the norms for a two-year period beginning in March 2003 would have to be renewed. Information about the discussion, the participant said, would be communicated to Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Speaking on behalf of the six U.S. participants, Msgr. David J. Malloy, associate general secretary of the bishops' conference, told reporters, "because of the informal nature of the meeting," which was an exchange of experiences and opinions, participants would not be speaking with the press.

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