Rome (CNN) -- A group representing survivors of sexual abuse by priests named a "Dirty Dozen" list of cardinals it said would be the worst candidates for pope based on their handling of child sex abuse claims.
Their presence on the
list is based "on their actions and/or public comment about child sex
abuse and cover up in the church," the group said.
Watch for the smoke: How is a new pope elected?
SNAP, the Survivors'
Network of those Abused by Priests, said as it released the list
Wednesday that its accusations were based on media reports, legal
filings and victims' statements.
The cardinals named on the list have not yet responded to the move by SNAP.
But when asked about it
by CNN, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, a spokesman for the Vatican, said:
"We believe it is not up to SNAP to decide who comes to conclave and who
is chosen ... cardinals can decide themselves without asking SNAP for
advice."
Monday, SNAP also called
for some of the older cardinals to remove themselves from the meetings
held before the election of the new pope, arguing that some have been
accused of complicity in protecting priests accused of sexually abusing
children.
Cardinals from around the
globe have been summoned to Rome to take part in the process of
choosing the next pontiff, after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI
last week.
As of midday, 113 of the
115 cardinals eligible to elect the new pope are in Rome, according to
Lombardi. To be eligible to be a part of the group, a cardinal must be
under the age of 80.
The two
cardinal-electors who are not yet there are Kazimierz Nycz of Warsaw,
who should arrive later Wednesday, and Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man of
Vietnam, who is arriving Thursday.
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No date has yet been proposed for the secret election, or conclave, to select the former pontiff's successor.
'Silence didn't work'
SNAP is intentionally
focusing on candidates with a realistic chance of being named pope, its
executive director David Clohessy said Wednesday as the group released
its list.
"The single quickest and
most effective step would be for the next pope to clearly discipline,
demote, denounce and even defrock cardinals and bishops who are
concealing child sex crimes. We think that's the missing piece," he
said.
The new pope should
order each bishop around the world to hand over "every piece of paper he
has on proven, admitted or credibly accused child-molesting clerics to
law enforcement," Clohessy said.
Barbara Dorris, victims'
outreach director for SNAP, said: "The short answer is we've tried
silence, silence didn't work, so we have to speak out. We have to do
everything we can to get this information out there."
The Catholic Church has
been rocked by a series of child sex abuse scandals in recent years --
and the new pope will be under pressure to deal more effectively with a
crisis that has undermined public confidence in the church.
SNAP says it believes it
is vital to look at how the world's bishops have handled claims of
abuse by priests because the crisis is far from over.
"This scandal, we
believe, has yet to surface in most nations. It's shameless spin and
deliberate deception to claim otherwise. It's tempting to reassure the
public and the parishioners by making this claim. But it's also
irresponsible," a statement on SNAP's website said.
"Clergy sex crimes and
cover-ups remain deeply hidden in the vast majority of nations (where
most Catholics live), and has really only become widely known -- and
barely addressed -- in the U.S. about a decade ago and in a few European
countries even more recently."
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Media leaks concern
A news conference
scheduled by American cardinals for Wednesday, following media briefings
on Monday and Tuesday, was canceled at short notice without
explanation.
Asked if the Vatican had
told the American cardinals to stop their daily media briefings,
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Thomas Rosica suggested that the details of
what was discussed in the general congregations were not meant to be
publicized.
"It's not up to Father
Lombardi or myself to tell them what to do," he said. "It could be that
among themselves they realized that there are different ways and
different methods of getting things out."
"Concern was expressed
in the General Congregation about leaks of confidential proceedings
reported in Italian newspapers," Sister Mary Ann Walsh, director of
media relations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said via
e-mail.
"As a precaution, the cardinals have agreed not to do interviews."
In total, 153 cardinals
gathered Wednesday at the Vatican for a third day of meetings, known as
general congregations, before they set the timetable for the election.
The cardinals spoke
about new evangelization, restructuring of the church hierarchy, or
curia, and the need for good governance of the church, Lombardi said.
A five-minute limit has
been imposed on cardinals speaking at the meetings, although the
microphone is not being switched off if they run over the time allowed.
The cardinals have
decided to meet twice Thursday, in the morning and afternoon, in order
to "intensify the rhythm of work," Lombardi said.
Video shown at a Vatican news conference showed workers preparing the Sistine Chapel for the secretive conclave.
An elevated floor is
being put in place to protect the elaborate mosaic tiling, said
Lombardi, where seats will be placed for the cardinals.
The Sistine Chapel and
its ornate ceiling by Michelangelo are normally a must-see for tourists
in Rome, but it was closed to the public beginning Tuesday afternoon to
allow for preparations to take place.
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