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February 8, 2019 by NOW National

Pope Francis Must Act Now – Reform on Sexual Abuse is Long Overdue

Statement by NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

WASHINGTON – For years, the Catholic Church hierarchy has proven it has no moral authority on issues concerning women. This week, Pope Francis publicly acknowledged for the first time a chronic history of sexual abuse by priests and bishops of nuns, who had been forced to have abortions or give birth to children of these men. In his response, he claimed that the Church has a will to “do something more.”

So do more. Actions speak louder than words.  Stop objectifying children and women, treating them as second class parishioners, concubines, or indentured acolytes who are available to service predatory men in your church.

Abuse in the Church has been a well-known issue for decades. Some believe sexual abuse of nuns dates back centuries, and in the 1990s, members of religious orders prepared private reports about this abuse for top Vatican officials that went nowhere.

Stop protecting abusive priests,  open the gates of secrecy and adopt real reforms – starting with independent oversight that includes laypersons and leaders of the various orders of Catholic Sisters as part of the process.

Pope Francis needs to do more than improvising an answer about sexual abuse of nuns while standing aboard an airplane.  He must punish offenders, support the families and survivors of this heinous abuse, and protect them from retribution for coming forward.

The Catholic Church must make these changes swiftly and immediately – they are hundreds of years overdue.

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NOW Press, press@now.org, 202-628-8669

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Florida_NOWFlorida NOW@Florida_NOW·
22 Feb

After years of leading the fight for civil rights from outside the Department of Justice, @vanitaguptaCR and @kristenclarkeJD are now poised to lead and reshape it. Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/03/kristen-clarke-vanita-gupta-biden-justice-department

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drnikkistampDr Nikki Stamp FRACS@drnikkistamp·
18 Feb

The gender pay gap in medicine - a thread which I would like to dedicate to my colleagues who have been telling me for the last two decades that no such thing exists, this is the evidence. #womeninmedicine #ilooklikeasurgeon 🧵1/lots

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Florida_NOWFlorida NOW@Florida_NOW·
13 Feb

Check out our tool kit! Share this post to educate others on the threat that this bill poses. Let others know abortion bans don't stop abortions!

#abortionrights #abortionishealthcare #abortionban

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AdoreMeAdore Me@AdoreMe·
4 Feb

We're taking a break from tweeting about lingerie today to have an important conversation about TikTok.

The app's algorithm was openly built with discrimination at its core. They've said it's gotten better, but here's what we're seeing here at Adore Me.

A THREAD:

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Florida_NOWFlorida NOW@Florida_NOW·
4 Feb

One-size-fits-all laws have no place in health decisions. Health care professionals should be able to use their best medical judgment to inform their patients' decisions throughout pregnancy, including abortion. #stopthebans #abortionishealthcare
https://www.thecut.com/2019/02/abortion-after-20-weeks-womens-stories.html

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