The Vatican staunchly denied it allowed the continual sexual abuse of children by priests during an unprecedented U.N. committee inquiry into the international sex abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church.
The 18 members of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva ordered the Church's Holy See to explain accusations that it kept hidden the sexual abuse of children across several countries, leaving the abusers unpunished and the victims without justice.
"The best way to prevent abuses is to reveal old ones- openness instead of sweeping offences under the carpet," Kirsten Sandberg, chairman of the U.N. committee, told the Holy See, according to Reuters.
"It seems to date your procedures are not very transparent."
Victims of abuse also attended the hearing, which was set up to address allegations the Vatican knowingly ignored the abuse, which took place over the course of decades. The U.N. collected information from cases in countries including Mexico, the U.S. and across Europe.
During the hearing, Sandberg asked the Holy See several times to unseal Vatican records of sexual abuse and pay restitution to the children who were either raped or sodomized, Reuters reported.
"We will take your questions seriously but we are not in a position to answer now," Vatican representative Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, told Sandberg, Reuters reported.
The Holy See maintained its traditional response when accused of refusing to turn over sexually abusive priests to the law.
"Priests are not functionaries of the Vatican," Tomasi said, according to CBS News. "Priests are citizens of their own states, and they fall under the jurisdiction of their own country."
But according to evidence submitted by victims right groups, the Church strongly influenced bishops not to report the abuse cases to local authorities.
"Transparency is a very powerful tool when you are doing the right thing," Miguel Hurtado, who was molested by his priest, told Reuters. "When you have something to hide, you hide behind words and are not forthcoming with facts and details because facts and details are not on your side."
The Vatican told the committee they will take measures to make the system better. The U.N. committee, which does not have the authority to sanction the Vatican, will offer its recommendations to the Church on Feb. 5, CBS News reported.
