Vatican launches website to battle clergy sex abuse

VATICAN CITY, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- The Vatican has launched a website it says will offer transparency and battle clergy sexual abuse of children around the world.

The website debuted Tuesday in English. The website is an offshoot of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors created by Pope Francis in 2013 and led by Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston.

For the first time, documents and resources are readily available, including an email and phone number to contact its commission for the protection of minors.

"It is very important to the commission that we are as transparent as possible," project coordinator Emer McCarthy told CNN on Tuesday. "Our members want people to know that they are doing their level best to carry out the commission of the Holy Father."

"Much of the work of the commission is listening, study and reflection, so there will not be day-to-day updates, but the website is the vehicle to let people know that we are here."

The website allows local churches to publish their own standards.

The site also allows sharing of information when priests seek to transfer dioceses.

Two years ago, the Vatican reported comprehensive statistics on the number of priests removed from ministry for sexual abuse.

Pope Francis' philosophy about sex abuse by clergy is on the website: "The commission's specific task is to propose to me the most opportune initiatives for protecting minors and vulnerable adults, in order that we may do everything possible to ensure that crimes such as those which have occurred are no longer repeated in the church. The commission is to promote local responsibility in the particular churches, uniting their efforts to those of the congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, for the protection of all children and vulnerable adults."

The commission has 17 active members, include religious and lay, men and women from a variety of backgrounds.

McCarthy told Crux an independent Catholic news site, that a Spanish website next will be created, followed by French, and eventually Italian, German and Portuguese.