The general assembly of the Central Conference of the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland, which met on Friday and Saturday, voted on measures to combat sexual abuse in the clergy. The assembly rejected a proposal for financial sanctions.
This content was published on
3 minutes
RTS
Two weeks after the publication of a preliminary report on sexual abuse in the clergy, the Swiss Catholic Central Conference made some surprising statements. The committee of the umbrella organisation made four demands and concluded its letter with a financial threat should talks with the bishops fail.
More
More
Should Switzerland add a new article on religion to its Constitution?
This content was published on
In Switzerland, questions of religion are largely handled at the cantonal level – which can lead to some gaps in legislation.
With 1% of the public money paid to the Catholic Church, the Central Conference can exert significant financial pressure, amounting to CHF13 million ($14.9 million). However, this financial leverage was not accepted.
“Discussion is more effective than threats”
Roland Loos, who was elected President of the Roman Catholic Central Conference of Switzerland by the assembly on Friday, told Swiss public television RTS that financial sanctions were no longer useful.
“Over the past months and weeks, we have rebuilt a new climate of trust. […] A lot has happened in recent months at a remarkable speed. We are not used to seeing this in the Catholic Church.”
He added: “We now believe that discussion, persuasion and explanation will be better methods than simply issuing threats”.
Four measures adopted
The four demands put forward by the committee – some of which have already been implemented – were all accepted by a large majority this weekend. The assembly – made up of people who work in the cantonal churches, either as employees or volunteers – recognises that the institution can do better.
More
More
How a national Church tribunal might help fight sexual abuse
This content was published on
The Swiss Catholic Bishops’ Conference has proposed a national ecclesiastical tribunal to deal with cases of sexual abuse. An expert explains.
Here are their demands: first to provide external support to the bishop who investigates their peers, second to give more prominence to the abuse-reporting service, third to create an ecclesiastical criminal court and finally to no longer discriminate against laypeople who apply to the diocese because they are cohabiting, divorced or homosexual.
“Rigid and homophobic sexual morality is one of the systemic causes of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church,” wrote the committee of the Central Conference of Catholics to justify the demands voted on Saturday.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Swiss voters to decide on three issues on November 30
This content was published on
Compulsory service for all, a tax on million-dollar inheritances, more indirect subsidies for media publishers: the electorate can vote on these three national issues on November 30.
Dollar falls to lowest level against franc in 14 years
This content was published on
The weakness of the dollar in recent weeks continues. The greenback hit new lows for the year against both the franc and the euro on Tuesday.
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter has met French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the EU treaties and geopolitical challenges. US tariffs were also part of the bilateral talks.
This content was published on
Swiss moors and floodplains are in a poor state. Researchers say further efforts are needed to preserve these biotopes in the long term.
Drones banned during the three Euro games in St Gallen
This content was published on
The St. Gallen government has issued a temporary ban on flying drones around the football stadium in St. Gallen. The measure will apply on three match days of Euro 2025, which starts on Wednesday.
EU nationals come to Switzerland primarily to work
This content was published on
Given the demographic slowdown, the Swiss labour market must remain open, argues the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in its annual report on the free movement of people.
UN expert accuses Glencore of complicity with Israel
This content was published on
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories has accused Zug-based Glencore of profiting from an Israeli economy that has become "an economy of genocide".
Swiss parliamentary commission to investigate F-35 purchase
This content was published on
The Swiss government and the other responsible authorities must once again answer critical questions about the procurement of the F-35 fighter jets.
Objections and appeals most common obstacles to residential construction projects
This content was published on
Objections and appeals are most frequently responsible for delays in new residential construction projects in Switzerland.
Swiss electricity prices predicted to fall in 2026
This content was published on
Electricity prices in 2026 are likely to be lower than this year, according to a survey. The main reason is the fall in prices on the electricity market.
This content was published on
Almost 34,600 people left the Catholic Church in Switzerland last year. That’s 300 more departures than the previous record figure of 2021.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.