Bombay archbishop, among organisers of Vatican meet on sex abuse, 'failed victims'

Online reports that Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, has stated that he “failed abuse victims”, mainly children, has spread like a wildfire in the Catholic Community in the city. 

Gracias was in Vatican City on Thursday, the day the Pope Francis opened a landmark summit on fighting child sex abuse, saying the world expected “concrete measures” on tackling paedophilia in the Catholic Church. 

Back here, community groups were abuzz with articles published on international websites quoting Gracias as saying that he failed the children of sexual abuse by priests. 

Gracias, who many believe is 'tipped to be the next Pope', is slated to open the second day of the four-day summit. 

“I do not know what were his (Cardinal's) exact words because I have not seen the video. I have only seen the article on BBC. I cannot comment unless I verify it from him. Until then it will be hearsay,” said Father Nigel Barrett, spokesperson of Archdiocese of Bombay. 

He added: “In the 2015 case of Fr. Johnson, who is in jail and being tried for child sex abuse, the hearings is still on. The family had left that particular Church.”

The report Fr Barrett cited quotes the mother of Fr Johnson's victim as saying: “I told the cardinal about what the priest had done to my child, that my child was in a lot of pain. So he prayed for us and told us he had to go to Rome…my heart was hurt in that moment.. s a mother, I had gone to him with great expectations that he would think about my son, give me justice, but he said he had no time, he only cared about going to Rome.”

The victim's father did not respond to DNA's calls and messages.