New Indian-Chennai News + more

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: Pope Benedict Ratzinger must Resign


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
RE: Pope Benedict Ratzinger must Resign
Permalink  
 


Peter Isely speaks to journalists as Barbara Blaine holds up picture of herself when young and banner saying, "Expose the Truth! Stop Secrecy", as they take part in demonstration against child sexual abuse, in front of St. Peter's Square at the Vatican

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

10-13-05.gif

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

1070650_f520.jpg

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

mohel-rabbi-yosef-weisburg-sucking-baby-penis.jpg

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

pedophile.gif

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

y204233247030667.jpg

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

pastorsbs.png image by pspauld

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Paedophile+priests+2.jpg

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

passionate-play-an-italian-couple-caught-having-sex-during-masshave-made-peace-with-the-local-bishop.jpeg

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

812550_92467913.jpg

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

image

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

paedophile [pedophile] Priest Oggling Young Girl

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

George Pitcher

George Pitcher is Religion Editor of Telegraph Media. He is an Anglican priest and serves his ministry at St Bride's, Fleet Street, in London – the "journalists' church".

george_pitcher_140_small.jpg

Fresh evidence that Pope Benedict is the Church's saviour from the child-abuse crisis – now he needs to prove it

A leader in The Tablet this week hails Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna as something of a hero of the Catholic Church in the midst of the child-abuse scandal. Apparently he has led his congregation in a litany of confession and repentance and delivered a sermon which implicitly contradicted the Vatican’s attempts to blame the mass media for the crisis. His cathedral is something of a focus for the We Are Church movement, which opposed Cardinal Schonborn’s predecessor, Cardinal Hans Groer, who it is alleged resisted pressure to resign in the face of evidence that he had sexually abused a minor.

Cardinal Schonborn has also revealed that he had discussed the allegations against Cardinal Groer with Pope Benedict when he was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The then Cardinal Ratzinger had apparently wanted cardinal Groer to be properly investigated. But a group inside the Vatican – “the diplomatic party in the State Secretariat who wanted to shove everything on to the media”, according to The Tablet – had protected him. Cardinal Schonborn distinctly recalls Ratzinger saying afterwards: “The other party got its way.”

Meanwhile, an investigation published in the American weekly National Catholic Reporter has claimed that the Mexican founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Fr. Marcial Maciel Degollado, who abused boys over decades while enjoying the patronage of Pope John Paul II and who died in 2008, escaped detection for so long because he used the Legion’s vast wealth to pay off senior Vatican dignitaries. Cardinal Ratzinger is specifically named as someone  who refused an offer of money, while the Secretariat of State, headed by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, again opposed his demands for a full investigation.

The role of financial corruption in this crisis gives it another moral gravity. But Pope Benedict seems to be emerging better than some observers, perhaps led by American lawyers who see a fast buck to be made from compensation class actions, would like him to. As Cardinal Ratzinger, he evidently tried in the past to be part of the solution, rather than an accessory to the problem. As Pope, he really does have the opportunity and authority to be that solution.

I say again: If Benedict really is to be a great reforming Pope, then he needs to dissociate himself from the smug and supercilious tones that emerge from some parts of the Vatican and Ireland by acting decisively and swiftly against those who would have us believe that this is a minor issue of limited implications for the Church, fuelled by the idle gossip of the media. Justice for the victims of these terrible crimes must be seen to be done, as Benedict must know.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Report: Official says pope in pain over scandal

VATICAN CITY — The clerical sex abuse scandal is causing Pope Benedict XVI great pain, the Vatican's No. 2 official said Thursday.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state, said that like all pastors the pope has suffered greatly for the cases of sex abuse of minors by priests.

The comments were reported by the ANSA news agency during Bertone's trip to Chile.

Bertone insisted the church has the "inner strength" necessary to keep up its mission, according to the report.

Cases of abuse in church-run institutions are rocking the church across Europe, including Benedict's native Germany, and elsewhere.

On Thursday, Norway's Catholic Church said it has received new allegations of clergy abuse, one day after revealing that its former bishop resigned after admitting to child molestation.

The current bishop, Bernt Eidsvig, said he has received e-mails alleging new cases of abuse. But he said the nature and seriousness of the allegations remain unclear.

Norway's Catholic Church disclosed on Wednesday that the reason Eidsvig's predecessor, 58-year-old Georg Mueller, resigned in June was that he had admitted to abusing a boy about 20 years earlier, when he was a priest.

Mueller's current whereabouts are unknown.

A spokesman for a church-affiliated hospital in Germany says Mueller moved into an apartment on the premises in December but no longer lives there.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Sex Abuse Scandal Threatens Pope's Focus on Europe's Christian Roots

Faithful crowd in St. Peter's Square during Palm Sunday Mass, 28 Mar 2010
Photo: AP

Faithful crowd in St. Peter's Square during Palm Sunday Mass, 28 Mar 2010

Share This

Related Articles

Five years after being elected pope, Benedict XVI is reeling from church sex scandals that risk undermining a central mission of his papacy: promoting Europe's Christian heritage. 

On a sunny April morning five years ago, the newly elected Pope Benedict XVI explained his choice of a papal name to thousands of pilgrims massed in St. Peter's Square.  He cited, among other things, one of Europe's patron saints - St. Benedict of Norcia.  The pontiff called him a fundamental point of reference for Europe's unity, and a strong reminder of the region's Christian roots. 

Promoting Europe's Christian heritage is a centerpiece of Benedict's papacy.  But some religion analysts fear that mission is threatened by the pedophilia crisis that has battered the Roman Catholic Church, along with some media reports, strongly denied by the Vatican, that Pope Benedict may have been responsible for some of the failings of abusive priests. 

Philippe Portier is director of the Group on Society, Religion and Secularity at the French National Center for Scientific Research, in Paris. 

Portier says the pedophilia scandals are seriously weakening the pope's project to re-Christianize Europe.  He believes the church will have great difficulty in regaining the confidence of Catholic activists who can put that goal into action. 

Isabelle de Gaulmyn, head of the religion section for France's La Croixnewspaper, agrees. 

De Gaulmyn describes the fallout of the pedophilia reports as disastrous, and damaging to the church's efforts to have a legitimate voice in society, in the long term.

 

Pope Benedict XVI greets the faithful during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, 07 Apr 2010
AP
Pope Benedict XVI greets the faithful during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, 07 Apr 2010

 

Pope Benedict inherited the project to promote Europe's Christian roots from his predecessor John Paul II.  A slew of statistics show a drift away from the church by Christians of all denominations.  In France, for example, about 70 percent of the population considers itself Catholic, but only about 20 percent attend mass, even occasionally. 

Earlier this decade, the Catholic church worked hard, but unsuccessfully, for a mention of Europe's Christian heritage in a draft, and ultimately discarded, European constitution.  Last year, the 27-member European Union finally adopted the Lisbon Treaty to strengthen and streamline its institutions.  The treaty simply refers to a dialogue with churches. 

But Johanna Touzel, spokeswoman for the Brussels-based Commission of the Bishops Conferences of the European Union, says the church still has an impact on an EU-wide level. 

"First thing, we are not [only] promoting Christian roots, we are promoting human dignity and common good in all EU policies.  And this is a major difference because on these two [values] you can have non-Christians who can share them," she said,

Touzel says the pedophilia scandal has not directly affected the conference's work, but she acknowledges the church is clearly weakened because of it. 

"I can only hope that this kind of earthquake in our church will lead to necessary reforms because an institution like the church [which] is eternal, still needs to reform itself to keep pertinent in the 21st century," she added.

Some church supporters believe the scandal will help re-energize the church and that the pope's evangelizing message for Europe will not be lost.  That includes Jean-Pierre Delville, a priest and theologian at the Catholic University of Leuven, in Belgium. 

Father Delville says the Catholic church cannot promote Europe's Christian roots without purifying its own roots from the sin and suffering caused by abusive members.  He points to Belgium as an example.  A separate, high-profile 1996 court trial of a pedophile and murderer sparked wider soul searching within Belgian society, and prompted the church to crack down on sex abuses. 

Church supporters can also take heart in a new poll published by France'sLa Croix newspaper.  It indicates 61 percent of Europeans believe Christian messages and values are still meaningful, even though it says seven out of 10 believe Christians do not do a good job communicating them.

Spokesman Christian Weisner, of the international Catholic reform movement We are Church, points to the past. 

"In my heart and my brain, I think there is a deep hope that the church will overcome this crisis as it overcame other crises in history," said Weisner. 

In France, Monsignor Tony Anatrella, a psychoanalyst and expert on priests and pedophilia, has no doubt Pope Benedict will continue to push his message of Europe's Christian roots, regardless of his present problems. 

Monsignor Anatrella says Benedict is a determined pope who will not be swayed by the events of the moment.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Pope visits Malta mid-month, sex abuse cases await

VALLETTA, Malta — Pope Benedict XVI visits Malta in two weeks, and some victims of sex abuse by priests on the predominantly Roman Catholic island say they want him to use the trip to apologize for their suffering.

The trip is the first foreign visit that Benedict will make since the clerical abuse scandal tore across Europe. Noting that he has met with victims and denounced clerical abuse on previous foreign trips, the Vatican on Monday didn't rule out that the pope might break his recent silence on the matter in Malta.

Lawrence Grech, a 37-year-old man who says he was abused as a child at a church-run orphanage, has written to the Vatican demanding an apology. He said the pope should use the two-day trip April 17-18 to address himself to victims as he did in his letter to Irish Catholics last month.

"He should recognize that these things happened in Malta, reflect about the victims' suffering and issue a formal apology," Grech said.

Grech is one of 10 people who have testified behind closed doors in a case against three priests facing charges of child abuse. The proceedings have been going on for seven years.

Last week, as the European church, the Vatican and pope were under fire for accusations of covering up sex crimes by its priests, a response team in Malta announced that it had received 84 allegations of child abuse allegedly involving 45 Maltese priests since it was established by the Maltese Catholic Church 11 years ago.

Vatican statistics list 855 priests on the island as of 2006.

A spokesman for the Maltese church, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said the response team's work is carried out in secret.

The spokesman did not say how many of the priests investigated were found guilty. He said disciplinary action was taken by the bishops or superiors of religious orders when allegations were proven true, but did not say whether any priest had been defrocked.

Retired Judge Victor Caruana Colombo said last week that no criminal action could be taken — even when police were informed — against an abusive priest without the victim's consent. He said he did not feel an obligation to refer sexual abuse cases to the civil authorities because in most cases victims prefer not to involve police and make their suffering public.

Grech says he was sexually abused in the 1980s and early 1990s as a youngster at St. Joseph Home, an orphanage for boys.

A Vatican spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was premature to know what the pope would say in Malta. But he noted that Benedict has issued apologies and met with victims while traveling in the U.S. and Australia.

On Monday, Benedict again didn't refer directly to the scandal in his public remarks. Speaking from the papal summer retreat in Italy where he is resting after busy Easter Week services, Benedict urged priests to be messengers of love that conquers evil and said Christ supports the church at times of difficulty.

All Christians should be like angels, he said, messengers of Christ's "victory over evil and death, the bearers of his divine love." He added that this was especially true for priests.

The Maltese church is traditionally powerful on the island of 400,000 people, 98 percent of whom are Roman Catholic. Divorce and abortion are banned.

One prominent case in Malta involved a U.S. congressman, Rep. Mark Foley.

The Florida Republican resigned from Congress in 2006 after he was confronted with sexually explicit computer messages he had sent to male teenage congressional pages. His attorneys have said that Foley is gay, suffers from alcohol addiction and was molested by a Catholic priest as a teenage altar boy.

The Rev. Anthony Mercieca, who has retired to Malta, has admitted having inappropriate encounters with Foley, including massaging him in the nude and skinny-dipping together. He denies ever having sex with Foley.

___

Associated Press writer Alessandra Rizzo contributed to this report from Rome.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Africa also suffers sex abuse by priests: bishop

JOHANNESBURG
Thu Apr 8, 2010 8:29am EDT
A member of the faithful shows a crucifix to Pope Benedict XVI during a youth rally at the Dos Coqueiros stadium in Luanda, Angola March 21, 2009. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
(Reuters) - Sexual abuse by Catholic priests is a scourge in Africa as well as the Western countries where scandals have badly hurt the Vatican's image, a leading African Catholic archbishop has said.

WORLD

Archbishop of Johannesburg Buti Tlhagale said the damage weakened the Church's ability to speak out with moral authority in Africa, where it has at times been a rare voice challenging dictatorship, corruption and abuse of power.

"What happens in Ireland or in Germany or America affects us all," Tlhagale said in a message on April 1 that was published this week on the website of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, which Tlhagale heads.

"It simply means that the misbehavior of priests in Africa has not been exposed to the same glare of the media as in other parts of the world."

The Church is now engulfed in a scandal over the sexual abuses of children by priests. It faces accusations in several European countries of mishandling and covering up abuses, some dating back decades.

"I know that the Church in Africa, is inflicted by the same scourge," Tlhagale said.

Africa is one of the fastest growing regions for the Church and ever more important as the number of practicing Catholics in the developed world declines. Africa's Catholic population rose from about 2 million in 1990 to about 140 million in 2000.

While reports of sexual abuse by priests have come to light locally, they have not made global headlines.

The Vatican and Catholic bishops in Europe and the United States have protested against what they say is a media campaign against the Church.

Some reports have accused Pope Benedict of negligence in handling abuse cases in previous roles as a cardinal in his native Germany, and in Rome -- accusations the Vatican denies.

TEENAGE GIRLS

Some 40 complaints of abuses, some from as far back as four decades ago, have been received by the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference over 14 years, its website said. Over half involved the sexual abuse of teenage girls, it said.

Father Chris Townsend, the group's spokesman, said some clergy had been found guilty and action had been taken, although the bishops were responsible for those measures. Precise details were not given.

Celibacy is frowned upon in some traditional African societies and there have been reports of priests having mistresses and fathering children in parts of Africa.

The Church's reputation in Africa is far from unblemished -- priests were accused of aiding Rwanda's genocide, and AIDS activists challenge its opposition to condom use in the world's worst afflicted continent.

But in some countries, Catholic clergy have won a reputation for being willing to use their position to speak out against oppression and misrule when others cannot. Tlhagale said the abuse scandals undermined the Church's moral authority.

"As Church leaders, we become incapable of criticizing the corrupt and immoral behavior of the members of our respective communities," he said. "We become hesitant to criticize the greed and malpractices of our civic authorities."

(Editing by Elizabeth Fullerton)



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Pope 'cries' after meeting sex abuse victims

Last Updated: 22 hours 9 minutes ago

The Pope is reported to have cried during a meeting in Malta with victims of paedophile priests.

During the meeting, Pope Benedict promised the sex abuse victims the Catholic Church will do everything in its power to bring those responsible to justice.

He also gave an assurance that the church will protect young people in the future.

A witness at the meeting in the Vatican's embassy in Malta has told the AFP newsagency, the Pope cried when he prayed with the victims and their families.

The Vatican says Pope Benedict also expressed his shame and sorrow at the pain they have suffered.

His meeting comes in the wake of a series of sexual abuse allegations around the world that have engulfed the Catholic Church.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Pope falls asleep during mass

Pope Benedict XVI briefly nodded off in front of tens of thousands of people during an outdoor mass in Malta's capital, Valletta.

Pope falls asleep during mass
Bishop Guido Marini gently wakes up Pope Benedict XVI Photo: Reuters

The Pope slumped forward around halfway through the mass, which was held just outside the historic stone walls encircling the city.

He had to be roused by the Vatican's master of ceremonies, Bishop Guido Marini, who was sitting next to him and gently nudged him.

"It was just for a few seconds," said an onlooker. "He slumped forward onto his chest."

Although the pontiff spent only 26 hours in Malta after flying in from Rome on Saturday, he had a busy and tiring schedule of events – meeting dignitaries and Malta's president, waving to crowds from his "Pope-mobile" and expressing his sorrow to a group of sex abuse victims.

But his apparent exhaustion is also a reflection of his age – he turned 83 on Friday.

The Vatican announced recently that the Pope will not take his usual holiday in northern Italy this summer because officials do not want to over-tax him.

His health is generally good but he takes medication for a cardiovascular condition and last summer slipped and fell in his bedroom.

The Vatican had to allay fears over the his health in December after it was announced that he would celebrate Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve two hours earlier than normal.

The decision was taken in order to "alleviate a little the Pope's tiredness", said the Vatican's official spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Two girls die in stampede to see PopeTwo teenage girls died in a stampede in Angola as tens of thousands arrived at a sports stadium to see Pope Benedict XVI.

A woman carrying bread rolls on her head walks past a poster of Pope Benedict XVI in Luanda, Angola
A woman carrying bread rolls on her head walks past a poster of Pope Benedict XVI in Luanda, Angola Photo: AP

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the pair were killed and 40 injured as 30,000 youths gathered to hear the pope speak on Saturday night.

On Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his "deep sorrow" at the deaths as hundreds of thousands attended an open-air mass on the outskirts of Luanda

"I would like to include in this Eucharist a special message for the two young people who lost their lives – two young girls. I entrust them to Jesus, so that he welcomes them into his kingdom," he said.

"I offer my sympathies to their families and friends, and my deep sorrow, because they were coming to meet them. I pray for the wounded," he added.

The Pope went on to decry the "clouds of evil" over Africa that had spawned war, tribalism and ethnic rivalry that he said condemned poor people to virtual slavery.

He spoke to the biggest crowd of his first pilgrimage to Africa who turned up in sweltering heat for the last major event of his seven-day trip, which ends Monday.

"We think of the evil of war, the murderous fruits of tribalism and ethnic rivalry, the greed which corrupts men's hearts, enslaves the poor, and robs future generations of the resources they need to create a more equitable and just society," he said.

"This experience is all too familiar to Africa as a whole: the destructive power of civil strife, the descent into a maelstrom of hatred and revenge, the squandering of the efforts of generations of good people.

"You have received power from the Holy Spirit to be the builders of a better tomorrow for your beloved country.

"It is to preach this message of forgiveness, hope and new life in Christ that I have come to Africa."



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Pope Promises Church Will Bring Abusers to Justice

Pope Benedict XVI is cheered by faithful as he arrive to celebrate a Mass in Floriana, Malta, 18 Apr 2010
Photo: AP

Pope Benedict XVI is cheered by faithful as he arrive to celebrate a Mass in Floriana, Malta, 18 Apr 2010

The pope met privately with eight Maltese victims of sexual abuse in the Vatican's embassy in Valletta.

A statement issued by the Vatican after the meeting said he prayed with the men and assured them the Church will continue doing all in its power to investigate allegations, to bring to justice those responsible for abuse and to implement effective measures designed to safeguard young people in the future.

The statement was one of the clearest yet from the Vatican that it wants local bishops to cooperate with civil authorities in prosecuting priests who abused children.  It also stated the pope was deeply moved by the stories of the abuse victims and expressed his shame and sorrow over what they and their families have suffered.

Lawrence Grech was one of the abuse victims who met with the pope.  He said he lost his faith 20 years ago, but this experience will change his life. 

"I am more than satisfied," said Grech.  "I cannot explain.  It is more than I expected, because to meet the pope personally you have to be something special."

Grech is now married with two children.  He started a legal battle against the Church in 2003 for which he said he would continue to raise awareness.  

Before the meeting Pope Benedict celebrated a large open-air mass in Valletta, attended by thousands of people.

The pope's last event in Malta was a meeting with young people on Valletta's waterfront, where he arrived by boat.  He told the youth that today's culture promotes ideas and values that are different from those of Jesus.  It is easy when one is young and impressionable, the pope said, to be swayed by peers to accept ideas and values that do not belong to Jesus. 

Malta's society, the pope said, is steeped in Christian faith and values.

"You should be proud that your country both defends the unborn and promotes stable family life by saying no to abortion and divorce," said Pope Benedict. 

Pope Benedict's visit to Malta was aimed at commemorating the 1,950th anniversary of the shipwreck of Saint Paul on the island.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

France Condemns Vatican for Blaming Abuse on Gay Priests

Related Articles

The French government has condemned remarks by a top Vatican official linking the pedophile scandal in the Catholic Church to homosexuality.

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero Wednesday said the remarks linking the abuse to homosexuality was "unacceptable."  He said France is committed to the struggle against discrimination and prejudice linked to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Gay rights groups also condemned the remarks by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.

The top aide to Pope Benedict sparked a furor Monday when he said that homosexuality and not the priestly vow of celibacy is the cause of widespread sex abuse of children by the Catholic clergy.

In statement Wednesday, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said that Bertone did not refer to the society at large, but only to the data gathered by Vatican investigators.

Critics have accused Pope Benedict and other church leaders of protecting abusive priests and attempting to cover up the scandal. 



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Pope's Former Archdiocese Housed Sex-Offender Priest - WSJ.com

Sex Scandal Finds Pope's Diocese

Amid German Priests' Abuse Cases, Pontiff's Munich Home Base Describes His Role in Decisions on an Offender in 1980

VATICAN CITY—A burgeoning sex-abuse scandal among German priests escalated on Friday with a disclosure by Pope Benedict XVI's former archdiocese, which said a priest known to the church as a sex abuser had been returned to pastoral work there while Benedict was the presiding archbishop in 1980.

The priest later was convicted of a fresh abuse incident within the Munich-Freising archdiocese.

The archdiocese's top administrative deputy took "full responsibility" for the decision to return the priest to work, and Benedict XVI—at that time the Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger—was unaware of it despite his position, said a statement by the archdiocese. But ...



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Pope loses credibility, theologian Hans Kung says

Pope loses credibility, theologian Hans Kung saysTubingen, Germany - The Catholic church was under the increasing threat to deteriorate into a sect under the rule of Pope Benedict XVI, a leading progressive theologian said.

Father Hans Kung, an emeritus professor of ecumenical theology at the University of Tubingen in southern Germany, said he was "very sad" over the direction where the current church leadership was heading.

Remarks by Kung that the Catholic church under the current pope risked becoming a sect triggered fierce criticism by the Vatican.

After meeting Pope Benedict XVI four years ago he was still optimistic, Kung, whose authority to teach Catholic theology was rescinded by the Vatican over his criticism against papal authority, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

"I was hoping that he [Pope Benedict] would show himself as reforming, ecumenical and open for the future. But this hope has been bitterly disappointed," Swiss-born Kung said.

Benedict XVI, formerly cardinal Josef Ratzinger, strained relations with the Protestant churches because of his lack of willingness to engage in ecumenical dialogue. Neither did the pope's dialogue with Islam amount to more than lip service, Kung said.

Furthermore, the German-born pope severely damaged relations with members of the Jewish faith by revoking the excommunication of Richard Williamson, a Holocaust-denying bishop of an arch-conservative Catholic group.

"Pope Benedict XVI seriously angered many faithful Catholics and suffered a severe loss of his credibility. This is sad," Kung said.

The pope should state that the revoking [Williamson's] excommunication without conditions has not been justified, Kung demanded. (dpa)



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

The Pope must resign

pope_benedict-1.jpgIt would appear that the smoking finger is now being pointed directly at Pope Benedict XVI, as the New York Times today ties him directlyto the sexual abuse scandal that has been plaguing the Catholic Church for many years. Here's the basic news:

Top Vatican officials — including the future Pope Benedict XVI — did not defrock a priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys, even though several American bishops repeatedly warned them that failure to act on the matter could embarrass the church, according to church files newly unearthed as part of a lawsuit.

The internal correspondence from bishops in Wisconsin directly to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope, shows that while church officials tussled over whether the priest should be dismissed, their highest priority was protecting the church from scandal.

Be sure to read the whole story. Meanwhile, Sinead O'Connor, who tore up a photo of Ratzinger's predecessor, John Paul II, on "Saturday Night Live" years ago, is calling for the current pope to be criminally prosecuted.

I've suggested half-seriously in previous posts that the Catholic clergy is merely a pedophile ring in robes, but the incredible number of sexual abuse cases seems to make that hypothesis plausible. Perhaps a better way to think about it is that the clergy attracts many pedophile men who have gone into the Church thinking that it is either a solution to their urges or an opportunity to indulge in them under the cloak of papal authority, as it were. As for the Church's coverup of the scandal, in which Benedict is now seriously implicated, that also could have at least two underlying aspects. Either the Church knows that it is attracting pedophiles and doesn't have a serious moral problem with that, and/or it knows that the vow of chastity is really against human nature and doesn't want to admit that--because it would increase pressure to withdraw the celibacy requirement for the priesthood.

It's up to ordinary Catholics to make sure their church deals squarely with this issue (or better yet, in my personal view, to leave the church, a moribund and corrupt institution.) And it's up to the courts to bring these priests to justice, including the man who supposedly talks to God.

Afterthought. As a journalist, I continue to find it very odd that the news media don't ever seem to ask why there is so much pedophilia in the Catholic Church. Perhaps I am missing something. If any readers of this blog have come across such analyses, I would be grateful if they would share them with all of us.

Additional thought. I suppose the vow of chastity is what nuns take, but you know what I mean.

UpdateYet more evidence against Benedict XVI surfaces in the New York Times.

More on this topic. A biting commentary in Slate by Christopher Hitchens.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

"Pope must resign" demand protesters

By Norman Miwambo 
Religion | Tue, 30 Mar 2010
button_prev_bg.gif button_next_bg.gif feed.gif
Text OnlyPrintE-mailSaveAlerts | Text Size: icon.minus.dim.gificon.plus.gif
start_quote_rb.gif No journey of love is too long. - By: FRANCIS TAWIAH -->Duisburg end_quote_rb.gif
More QuotesSubmit a Quote
Advertize Here for $8 a day to reach over 50,000 people
Ghana Tourist Villas Offers an unforgettable holiday and business experience in Accra.
The Nigerian Voice gives daily news updates of the country Nigeria
Protesters from humanist, secular, women's and gay organisations today accused the Pope of "covering up child sex abuse by Catholic clergy," calling him a "protector of paedophile priests" and "an accomplice to sex crimes." 


For the first time in history, this is one the biggest embarrassment as the protesters continue to make call for the Pope tp be prosecuted for the alleged accomplice to sex crimes 

They demanded: "The Pope must resign" and "Prosecute the Pope for collusion with sex abusers."

Their protest started at 12 noon today, the Palm Sunday (28 March 2010), outside London's Westminster Cathedral, the main Catholic Church in Britain. 

The protesters were greeted by a mixture of jeers and support from Catholic congregants leaving the Cathedral after Palm Sunday mass. A few applauded the protesters. Others heckled. 

"In 2001, the Pope wrote to all Catholic Bishops worldwide, ordering them to maintain 'Papal secrecy' about sex abuse by clergy. He threatened to excommunicate anyone who spoke about it. This makes the Pope personally responsible for the cover-up," said human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, of the Protest the Pope coalition, which organised today's protest. 

thumb.aspx?img=XGltYWdlc1xjb250ZW50XHBvcGVfbm9wZS5qcGcgfDY2MHw0LzIxLzIwMTA=

thumb.aspx?img=XGltYWdlc1xjb250ZW50XHBvcGVfaW5fc2V4LmpwZ3w2NjB8NC8yMS8yMDEw


"Pope Benedict's recent apology is inadequate because he has not apologised for his own failure to act against paedophile priests. He has not said sorry for his own role in covering up their sex crimes. 

"The Pope knew about child sex abuse by Catholic clergy. He failed to stop it and he failed to report the abusers to the police. His moral authority is irreversibly tarnished. He should resign. 

Last year, a report spoke on decades of cruelty in the Dublin archdiocese and Ryan report detailed natural and sexual abuse at a Catholic orphanages and schools in Ireland.

Again last week the pope accepted Bushop John Magee's resignation Wednesday, a year after he quit as bishop of Cloyne in southern Ireland. Magee stepped aside in after an inquiry fund that his diocese had put children at risk.

According to the NEW York Times, the then cardinal leading a Vatican office in charge with the protecting the moral authority for the church, was repeatedly warned about a priest who might have molested 200 deaf boys, according to the church file release as part of lawsuit.


"We intend to investigate whether the Pope can be prosecuted as an accomplice to child sex abuse. If anyone anyone else was involved in protecting paedophiles from prosecution, they'd probably be arrested as accomplices. Why should the Pope be treated differently? There is strong evidence of his collusion with sex abusing clergy. We believe the Pope should face a criminal investigation on charges of complicity. 

"The Pope failed to ensure that priests who raped and sexually abused young people were reported to the police. This is why he is not welcome in the UK and why we object to him being honoured with a State Visit in September, especially a State Visit that is being partly funded by the taxpayer. His visit should be called off. 

"The world renowned Swiss Catholic theologian, Rev Father Hans Kung, has accused the Pope of 'co-responsibility' for the cover-up of priestly sex abuse and criticised the weakness and evasions of his recent apology. Rev Father Kung urged: 

"In the name of truth, Joseph Ratzinger, the man who for decades was mainly responsible for the concealment of these abuses at a world level, should have pronounced a mea culpa."

"Pope Benedict has direct personal responsibility for allowing many paedophile priests to escape justice. 

"According to a 2006 BBC Panorama programme, Sex Crimes and the Vatican, in 2001, while he was Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI issued a secret Vatican edict to all Catholic bishops. It recommended that instead of reporting child sex abusers to the police, bishops should report them to the Vatican and encourage the victims to take an oath to not talk about the abuse they suffered. To keep victims quiet, the Pope warned that if they broke their oath and repeated the sex abuse allegations they should be excommunicated.

"Benedict XVI put the interests and image of the church before the welfare of children and young people. He is unfit to remain as Pope. 

"The Panorama programme revealed details of the Pope's leading role in the cover-up of sexual assaults by Catholic clergy. It reported that the Vatican knowingly harboured and protected paedophile clergymen. Priests accused of child sex abuse were mostly not sacked or reported to the police but simply moved to another parish, often to reoffend. The BBC gave examples of church hush funds being used to silence the victims.
Sunday's protest was organised by the Protest the Pope coalition

'Protest the Pope' is a campaign against the Pope being honoured with a State Visit to Britain. We object to the Pope's often harsh, intolerant views on a wide range of social issues and his cover-up of child sex abuse by Catholic clergy. He is unsuitable to be honoured with a State Visit. He is not welcome in the UK.


__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Report: More Church Abuse Allegations in Pope Benedict's Native Country

 

FOXNews.com

Children were allegedly "sadistically tormented and also sexually abused" in Pope Benedict's native Bavaria, according to Reuters.

 

An internal report on sexual abuse at a Catholic monastery in Germany is causing more trouble for the Catholic Church.

Thomas Pfister, a lawyer hired to investigate accusations of abuse at the monastery in Pope Benedict's native Bavaria, concluded that children at the monastery's school allegedly were "sadistically tormented and also sexually abused."  Pfister issued his final report to the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.

"My investigations quite clearly show that for decades up until around 1990, children and adolescents were brutally abused in the Ettal monastery," Pfister said in a written statement, Reuters reported.

An archdiocese spokesman said he could not comment on the specific number of victims, Reuters reported.

Also Friday, the Vatican said that Pope Benedict XVI would meet with more abuse victims and that transparency in dealing with abuse allegations is an "urgent requirement" for the church -- a sharp turnabout in Rome's previously defensive response to the scandal.

The church's internal justice system for dealing with abuse allegations has come under attack because of claims by victims that their accusations were long ignored by bishops more concerned about protecting the church and by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger from 1981 until he was elected pope in 2005.

Germany's has recently been hit hard by a Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, which has grown from the claims of seven former pupils at a Catholic-run Berlin high school to more than 170 ex-students from several of the church's most prominent educational facilities in Germany.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Nearly 2,700 call German church abuse hot line

AP

BERLIN – Nearly 2,700 people have called the church's sexual abuse hot line in Germany in the first three days it was operating, a Catholic church spokesman said Tuesday.

A team of psychologists and other experts had conversations with 394 people so far, ranging from several minutes up to an hour, Trier Diocese spokesman Stephan Kronenburg said.

"Most callers report cases of sexual abuse," he told The Associated Press.

The hot line — which began operating March 30 — received around 13,300 calls total in its first three days. Kronenburg said this worked out to about 2,670 people, as many called several times.

In addition, around 100 people used an online form to contact the service.

Most of the callers are people who say they were victims of sexual abuse or their relatives, with some callers also reporting cases of physical abuse, he said.

"The boundaries between both are often loose," Kronenburg added.

The Catholic Church in Pope Benedict XVI's homeland has been rocked by a widening scandal of physical and sexual abuse in recent weeks, with hundreds of people who say they were victims coming forward.

The church decided to set up a national hot line as pressure mounted and many victims seemed reluctant to report abuse cases to the diocese where they had been abused.

Most cases date back years, if not decades, and the statute of limitations may have passed, Kronenburg said.

"The hot line shall give the victims an opportunity to talk about what has happened to them. From there, we decide what to counsel them," Kronenburg told the AP.

Should the hot line experts learn of an alleged child abuse case involving a priest currently on duty, they would alert the diocese and also prosecutors, Kronenburg said.

In the past, the Catholic Church was accused of covering up abuse cases. Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger for instance spoke of a "wall of silence" surrounding the church.

During the Easter holidays, however, several prominent bishops — among them the dean of the bishops' conference, Robert Zollitsch — called for a "renewal" of the church and condemned the abuses cases as "heinous crimes."

In Munich, meanwhile, an independent lawyer hired by the church wrapped up his investigation of abuse allegations at the southern Ettal monastery.

"The investigation clearly shows a system of abuse that lasted for decades," Thomas Pfister told the AP.

There are some cases of sexual abuse, but most of the victims who came forward were physically abused, Pfister said in a telephone interview. Most cases happened before 1990, he added.

The lawyer declined to cite exact figures or release more details on the reported cases as his final report is due to be published next week.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

In Europe, calls flood church abuse hotlines


VIENNA: Telephone hot lines in Europe offering help to people claiming abuse by Roman Catholic priests are being deluged with calls as the crisis spreads — with one center reporting complaints jumping from about 10 cases a year to more than a thousand in the past few weeks. 

Experts say the record influx of calls reflects an increasing realization among victims that they are not alone and that they will not be scorned for breaking their silence about horrors that in many cases go back decades. "Until now, many people were afraid they wouldn't be respected," said Max Friedrich, a prominent Austrian psychiatrist. 

"There's also a certain comfort knowing you're not the only one to have experienced such abuse." 
In the Netherlands, the Help and Law line was set up in 1995 and generally dealt with roughly 10 reports of abuse per year. Since March it has received some 1,300 new reports. Germany's bishops conference, which launched its hot line on March 30, reported this week that 2,700 people have called it in its first three days. 

According to the Vienna hot line, 174 contacts were made between January and the end of March — compared to 17 in all of 2009. Of those, eight turned out to be concrete cases after experts held intensive conversations with alleged victims, said Erich Leitenberger, spokesman of the Vienna Archdiocese.


__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

More Catholic Church abuse: Pupils "sadistically tormented" at German monastery
www_reuters_com.jpg
© Reuters/Osservatore Romano
Children were "sadistically tormented and also sexually abused" at a Catholic monastery in Pope Benedict's native Bavaria, according to a new report commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church. 

A lawyer investigating accusations of abuse in a Benedictine monastery school in Ettal presented a final report to the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising Monday, including 173 pages of victims' accounts of abuse. 

"My investigations quite clearly show that for decades up until around 1990, children and adolescents were brutally abused in the Ettal monastery," Thomas Pfister said in a statement. 

"The number of victims' accounts has increased significantly since the intermediary report of March 5," added Pfister, who said last month that hundreds of pupils had been beaten and some sexually abused at the school. 

An archdiocese spokesman said he could not comment on the specific number of victims before a news conference Tuesday. 

A growing sex abuse scandal has rocked confidence in Germany's Catholic Church. 

A survey published Monday found that a quarter of the country's Catholics were considering quitting the church in the wake of reports of hundreds of cases, some many decades old, of sexual abuse by clerics. 

In Pfister's report last month, the lawyer said there had been very extreme cases of mishandling at the school in Ettal in southern Bavaria which would normally have been punished with long prison sentences. 

He also said that one monk now dead had committed "serial sexual harassment and sexual abuse on small and older children." 

Last week, clerics in Germany used Easter sermons to pray for the victims as public sentiment against the Church turned decidedly negative. Thousands quit the Church in the last month. 

A victim hotline set up last week in a bid to win back trust by Stephan Ackermann, Bishop of Trier and the Church's expert on abuse, was swamped with 12,293 calls in its first week and was briefly shut down. Only calls from 2,670 could be answered. 

Archdiocese Vicar General Peter Beer said Monday the Ettal monastery was setting about the difficult process of dealing with its past in an open and "impressive way."


__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Pope: Leading a 'wounded & sinner' church
VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI admitted to world cardinals that he led a "wounded and sinner" Church, as he marked five tumultuous years in charge, most recently mired in paedophile priest scandals. 

The pontiff "evoked the sins of the Church," describing it as "wounded and sinner" to some 50 cardinals gathered for his anniversary, the Vatican daily L’Osservatore Romano said on Monday. 

He "feels very strongly that he is not alone," the paper reported the pontiff as saying, he "has at his sides the whole college of cardinals who are sharing with him vicissitudes and reassurance." 

Waves of allegations sweeping the Church in Europe and the Americas had also been the backdrop to a tearful meeting between the pope and abuse victims on Sunday in Malta, one of the latest countries to be hit by sex abuse scandals. In his third meeting with victims of child-molesting priests Benedict expressed his "shame and sorrow" over the scourge.


__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Lawsuit against Pope without merit: Vatican


First Published : 24 Apr 2010 12:22:38 PM IST

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican has rejected a lawsuit against Pope Benedict XVI and other Vatican officials for failing to defrock a Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse in the US, saying that it is "completely without merit".

 

The plaintiff is an alleged victim of the priest, Father Lawrence Murphy, sacked in 1974 after being accused of molesting minors at a school for the deaf in Wisconsin state.

 

"The case against the Holy See and its officials is completely without merit," the Vatican said Friday, referring to a statement issued by Jeffrey Lena, the Vatican's lawyer in the US.

 

"With regard to Murphy himself, the Holy See and its officials knew nothing of his crimes until decades after the abuse occurred, and had no role whatsoever in causing the plaintiff's injuries," it said.

 

The statement, however, sympathised with the victims of Murphy's sexual abuse and said they had been wronged.

 

The federal lawsuit announced Thursday proposed against the pope and other top Vatican clergy was not legitimate, it said.

 

"The lawsuit represents an attempt to use tragic events as a platform for a broader attack. If necessary, we will respond more fully to this lawsuit in court and at the appropriate time."

 

The victim's lawyer Jeff Anderson Thursday said in St Paul city that he sent certified letters to the Vatican in 1995 asking for Murphy to be defrocked but he received no response.

 

A report in the New York Times last month said Benedict, who as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger headed the Vatican's disciplinary body from 1981-2005, prevented Murphy being tried in a Catholic court, after the priest wrote a pleading letter to Ratzinger asking for his "assistance in this matter".



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Vatican Rejects U.S. Suit, Pope Accepts Bishop’s Resignation

April 23, 2010, 12:17 PM EDT


April 23 (Bloomberg) -- Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of a Belgian bishop who admitted to molesting a minor, as the Vatican reiterated that a U.S. lawsuit against the Holy See for a separate abuse case is “without merit.”By Lorenzo Totaro

Roger Vangheluwe, the bishop of Bruges, admitted in a statement posted on the Vatican’s Web site today that he had sexually abused a minor early in his career. “I have asked for forgiveness, but this did not pacify him, as it did not pacify me,” Belgium’s longest-serving bishop said.

Vangheluwe, 73, resigned “out of respect for the victim and his family, and out of respect for the truth,” Archbishop Andre-Mutien Leonard, the head of the Belgian Catholic Church, said in the statement.

Benedict has struggled to respond to a wave of sexual-abuse allegations against priests, and victims groups have accused him of covering up cases during his previous stints as archbishop of Munich and head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office. Benedict this week vowed “action” against clerical sexual-abuse after he met on April 18 with victims in Malta.

The Vatican, citing its U.S. attorney Jeffrey Lena, today reiterated that it wasn’t notified about alleged sexual abuse of children by a Wisconsin priest until 20 years after the acts were said to have taken place, and said that a related lawsuit against the Holy See, filed at a federal court in Milwaukee, is “completely without merit.”

Milwaukee Case

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi first commented on the case in a March 25 response to a New York Times article that said the future pope, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, had failed to respond to two 1996 letters from Milwaukee’s archbishop seeking action against the priest, Father Lawrence Murphy. At the time, Ratzinger headed the Vatican congregation charged with enforcing church doctrine.

“While legitimate lawsuits have been filed by abuse victims, this is not one of them,” the Vatican press office said today. “The lawsuit represents an attempt to use tragic events as a platform for a broader attack.”

Benedict, 83, who marked the fifth anniversary of his papacy this week, yesterday accepted the resignation of Irish Bishop James Moriarty following a report into Catholic officials’ handling of child sex-abuse allegations. Another Irish bishop, John Magee, stepped down last month.

Augsburg Bishop Walter Mixa, a leader of Germany’s Catholic Church, offered his resignation amid charges he beat children and misappropriated funds. He said in a letter to the pontiff that he no longer wanted to burden priests and the faithful in his southern Bavarian diocese with the allegations, according to an April 22 statement posted on the Augsburg diocese’s Web site.

Mixa, 68, has not been accused of any sexual misconduct.

--Editors: Jeffrey Donovan, Jones Hayden

To contact the reporters on this story: Lorenzo Totaro in Rome at ltotaro@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: John Fraher at jfraher@bloomberg.net



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Pope pledges action to prevent sexual abuse of children
Pope Benedict XVI publicly promised "action" and "effective measures" from the Catholic Church to fight the scourge of paedophile priests. His previous, vaguer condemnation of reports of sexual abuse had drawn criticism from victims groups.
By News Wires (text)
Elena CASAS (video)

REUTERS - Pope Benedict, who has come under fire from victims' groups for using vague language about the Roman Catholic sexual abuse crisis, on Wednesday publicly promised Church "action" to counter the scandal.

In the past month since the sexual abuse crisis has exploded, with allegations mushrooming in the United States, Austria and his native Germany, he has used vague terms such as how the Church was "wounded by our sins" or needed "penance".

Speaking at his general audience, he used the word "abuse" in public for the first time in more than a month, a period in which the scandal has spread extensively and developed into the greatest crisis of his five-year pontificate.

Summarising his weekend trip to Malta at his weekly general audience in St Peter' Square, Benedict said:

"I wanted to meet some people who were victims of abuse by members of the clergy. I shared with them their suffering and with emotion I prayed with them, promising them action on the part of the Church."

Victims groups had demanded the pope say something directly in public instead of using indirect reference and generalities.

A statement on Sunday in Malta after his meeting with eight abuse victims said the pope promised them the Church would do "all in its power to investigate allegations, to bring to justice those responsible for abuse and to implement effective measures designed to safeguard young people in the future".

That was one of the clearest statements yet from the Vatican that it wanted local bishops to cooperate with civil authorities in prosecuting priests who abused children.

Hundreds of cases

Hundreds of cases of sexual and physical abuse of youths in recent decades by priests have come to light in Europe and the United States in the last month as disclosures encourage long-silent victims to finally go public with their complaints.

Many cases date back so far that the statute of limitations has expired.

In the past month, the pope himself was accused of turning a blind eye in 1980, when he was archbishop of Munich in Germany, to the case of a priest who was sent there for therapy after sexually abusing children and soon transferred to parish work.

His deputy has taken responsibility for that decision.

As Benedict marked the fifth anniversary of his pontificate on Monday, the Vatican was swept up in another potentially explosive case.

Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, a former Vatican official who congratulated a French bishop for hiding a sexually abusive priest in 2001, told a conference at the weekend in Spain he acted with the approval of the late Pope John Paul.

Last week the Vatican spokesman indirectly confirmed that a 2001 letter Castrillon Hoyos sent to the bishop posted on a French website was authentic and was proof the Vatican was right to tighten up its procedures on sex abuse cases that year.

A U.S. victims group has demanded that the archdiocese of Washington rescind an invitation to Castrillion Hoyos to lead a mass this weekend in the American capital to mark the start of the sixth year of Benedict's papacy.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Historic breakthrough: Pope Benedict vows action by Vatican against pedophile priests after months of non-stop scandal
Historic breakthrough: Pope Benedict vows action by Vatican against pedophile priests after months of non-stop scandal

Historic breakthrough as Pope vows Vatican action on child sex abuse priests

Benedict assures victims that Church will act on pedophile priests

Pope Benedict XVI finally announced today that the Vatican would take action against pedophile priests.

The historic breakthrough comes after months of non-stop revelations about the global child sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church.

Speaking in Rome today, the pope said the church plans to take major steps in bringing pedophile priests to justice.

The pope said he had made a solemn promise to eight abused men in Malta at the weekend as part of his trip to the Catholic island nation.

Benedict said many tears were shed at the meeting.

"I shared with them their suffering, and emotionally prayed with them, assuring them of church action," Benedict said.

Today's historic admission is the first time the church has moved to focus on victims rather than protecting the predator clerics.

Just last week a leading Swiss theologian accused Benedict of masterminding an international cover-up over the child sex abuse.

Fr Hans Kung blasted a furious missive to the Catholic bishops accusing the Pope of engineering the global cover-up.

However today's admission has raised hopes that the Vatican will finally address the problem that is ripping the church apart.

The Vatican has spent more time of late blaming media coverage for the problem and defending the Pope rather than trying to get to the root of the problem.

Leading European Jesuit journalist Andreas Batlogg said “The focus is now on victims, not on protecting the church, that I think is the breakthrough right now."

Last week, the Vatican distributed internal guidelines for handling pedophiles and stressed that any abusers found within the church should be handed over to the relevant authorities.

And in Malta, Benedict said the church would do “all in its power to investigate allegations, to bring to justice those responsible for abuse and to implement effective measures designed to safeguard young people in the future."



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Rev. John Jangam -

April 30, 2010 by devapriyaji

Church Scandal: Girl Alleges Molestation

By Ziva Branstetter
Tulsa World [Oklahoma]
July 30, 2002

The priest was returned to India and police were not informed. PRYOR — A 16-year-old Pryor girl says she was molested three years ago by her Catholic priest, who Tulsa Diocese officials hastily returned to India without reporting the case to authorities.

The girl and her mother also maintain that church officials urged the family not to discuss the case.

In a related development, Bishop Edward Slattery will issue a call Tuesday for anyone who has been molested by a priest or employee of the Tulsa Diocese to report the matter to the church. Slattery’s action follows allegations of inappropriate behavior involving another priest and young boys in Tulsa.

“He is saying that if anyone has been in any way molested by a priest or any employee of the diocese . . . for anybody that feels they have been abused in any way, they can let us know, and we will carry it forth according to policy,” said the Rev. Msgr. Dennis Dorney, vicar general of the diocese. Slattery, who has been in Canada for the appearance of Pope John Paul II, scheduled a news conference to make the announcement.

Tulsa Police Sgt. Liz Woollen said she believes that the earlier allegations of improper conduct by the Tulsa priest, the Rev. Ken Lewis, should have been reported to police. Woollen said that if a victim or a “mandatory reporting party” comes forward to discuss the case, Tulsa police will investigate to determine whether charges of abuse or failure to report abuse could be filed.

Lewis resigned from his church in McAlester last month and could not be reached for comment.

Henry Harder, chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa, confirmed that the Pryor priest, the Rev. John Jangam, was sent back to India after the girl made her allegations in 1999. He said the church has offered to pay for counseling for the girl.

“It is our understanding he is no longer a priest,” Harder said of Jangam.

When asked whether he believed the allegations, Harder said: “I think there was an incident where a priest acted improperly.” He said the case was never reported to authorities because “her parents did not want it reported.”

But her mother, Linda La Porte, told the Tulsa World that was not true. She said church officials urged the family not to discuss the case.

“We trusted the church, and they let us down,” she said.

Dorney, however, said the priest was “excommunicated” and returned to India because he revealed what the girl had said to him during confession. Dorney said the girl told church officials that Jangam had tried to hug and kiss her, but nothing more, so they did not report the matter to police.

Shortly after the family moved to Pryor in 1999, the girl began attending St. Mark’s Catholic Church. She said she attended a church picnic in May 1999 and that she accepted Jangam’s offer of a ride home afterward.

Several days later, the girl, who was 13 at the time, said Jangam called her at home and asked her to come see him at his house. She said the priest did not do anything improper during that visit.

During a second visit at his house a short time later, the girl said Jangam asked her to watch television in his bedroom. She said Jangam “put his hand on my leg and would invite me to go over to his bed and lie down.” She said the priest fondled her breasts under her clothing.

La Porte said her daughter also told her later that during that encounter, Jangam took a shower and came out of the bathroom wearing a towel.

“I think she has blocked that part out,” La Porte said.

The girl said Jangam kissed or touched her on two other occasions during the weeks that followed. She said one incident occurred in a confessional, where he kissed her on the mouth, and another in the church library.

“It was after Mass, and there’s a water fountain in the library, and I was getting a drink. He came up behind me and put his hands on my waist and began to hug me and touch me,” she said, indicating that Jangam touched her genitals.

The girl said the episodes occurred during a six-week period.

The girl eventually told a relative about the priest’s actions. The relative in turn told her mother.

“I was confused,” the girl said. “I knew that no one would believe me because he was a priest and everyone liked him.”

La Porte said her husband, Neal La Porte, confronted Jangam about the girl’s allegations but that the priest denied them. She said Neal La Porte reported the matter to a family friend, a retired priest from Tahlequah, who informed Slattery’s office.

The girl said she and her family met with officials at the Tulsa Diocese and told them about what had happened. She said that shortly after that, a diocese official called and said: “He’s on his way to India, and don’t say anything until he’s gone.”

Jangam left the church in July 1999, claiming that his mother had died in India, La Porte said. She said she did not report the case to police because she believed there was nothing she could do once Jangam was out of the country.

The girl said a priest who replaced Jangam spent several months counseling with her about the matter.

He said not to say anything because it would make the church look bad,” she said.

Recently, with allegations of abuse by Catholic priests in the news, the girl has been having emotional and physical problems, including sleeplessness and stomach pains. The girl and her mother met with Dorney and former Tulsa Diocese Chancellor Edward Maillet on July 2 to discuss the issue.

A letter obtained by the World from Maillet to La Porte states: “We can only hope and pray that John Jangam is not engaging in misconduct now or that he will never do so in the future. As we told you, we did write to his former bishop and urged him to try to prevent the man from working with children or youth, if indeed he knows where he now lives in that vast country. As you know, it is very unlikely that he is now serving as a priest or that he will ever do so in the future.”

The letter also addresses concerns that the girl raised about Jangam being transferred from a previous position at the University of Tulsa to St. Mark’s Parish.

“Please be assured that there was no incident of misconduct behind that transfer. Actually it occurred because it became evident that he was poorly suited for work with American college students. . . . That assignment was not a good fit for him.”

The girl said that during the meeting last month, she repeatedly tried to tell Dorney and Maillet details of the encounters with Jangam. She said they didn’t want to hear specifics of her story.

“I told them that, ‘You should know the specifics of what he did for the record.’ I asked them why they never did an investigation, and they said because he wasn’t from here and that if he tried to get reinstated, Rome would do an investigation.”

The girl said she believes that there might be other victims because Jangam was active with youth groups at the church.

“I still attend Mass four times a week, and I’m still a faithful Catholic, but I’m very, very disappointed with how the church has handled it,” the girl said.

Harder said the girl’s allegation that she was discouraged from discussing the case “is a patent falsehood.”

“The advice she may have been given is that she should do what she thinks is right but consider the ramifications to herself.”

Dorney said the church files do not indicate that the girl had claimed that Jangam molested her.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Rev. John Jangam -Priest Accused of Abuse Now Running Orphanage

By Ziva Branstetter
Tulsa World [Oklahoma]
August 1, 2002

A Catholic priest who is accused of molesting a Pryor girl in 1999 and was returned to India by Tulsa Diocese officials told the Tulsa World on Wednesday that he is operating an orphanage in that country and is still a priest.

John Jangam said he is operating an orphanage with 35 boys and girls ranging from 5 to 10 years old. He said most have no parents or live in poverty, so “we start to bring these children into our house.”

“They are very poor… I am trying to help them and educate them,” said Jangam. He said he provides food, clothing, education and shelter for the children.

Jangam was interviewed by the World via telephone from his orphanage in the city of Vijayawada, India. The city is in India’s southeast coastal region about 150 miles northeast of Bangalore.

Pryor police are now investigating the case, the girl’s mother said Wednesday.

The president of a national group of abuse survivors called on Tulsa Diocese Bishop Edward Slattery to contact Vatican officials and criminal authorities about the case.

Slattery said Tuesday that Jangam had been excommunicated and returned to India. But Jangam said it was untrue that he was excommunicated and that he is still a priest.

My visa was only for three years, and that’s why I left,” Jangam said. He added that Tulsa Diocese officials also asked him to leave after the girl made her claims.

Jangam denied the girl’s claims that he molested her, but he acknowledged that she was in his bedroom once to watch television.

The 16-year-old girl claims that she was repeatedly molested by Jangam while he was a priest at her Pryor church in 1999. She was outraged after learning that he is continuing to work with children and criticized Tulsa Diocese officials, who stated in letters to her that they could not locate the man.

That is horrible. You can track him down, but the church can’t,” she said. “If the church would have had an investigation in the first place, . . . for goodness sakes, he is working in an orphanage.”

The girl said that during a six-week period in 1999, Jangam molested her several times while he was a pastor at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Pryor. She said she was 13 at the time.

The girl said one episode occurred in Jangam’s bedroom, where he asked her to lie on his bed and fondled her breasts under her clothing. She claims that he also kissed her on the mouth in a confessional and that he hugged her and touched her genitals in the church library.

Jangam told the girl that he was lonely and that “it’s good to have a father figure,” she said.

Just days after the girl’s family told another priest that Jangam had tried to hug and kiss her inappropriately, Tulsa diocese officials withdrew their sponsorship of Jangam and he returned to India. The girl said Monsignor Dennis Dorney, vicar general of the Tulsa Diocese, told her not to tell anyone about the matter until Jangam was out of the country.

Dorney has said he does not recall telling the girl that.

Church officials sent a letter July 2 to the girl’s family, offering to pay for her counseling.

“As we told you, we did write to his former bishop and urged him to try to prevent the man from working with children or youth if indeed he knows where he lives in that vast country,” states the letter from Edward Maillet, a former Tulsa Diocese chancellor.

The girl said she had been concerned that Jangam had continued contact with children and that she had asked church officials if they could find him.

In a letter to the girl’s family dated June 25, Maillet states that the girl “most often expresses concern that John Jangam might now be continuing to misbehave with young girls in India. We have explained to her that we find her concern to be very understandable, but that we cannot know whether that is happen ing or not happening… We further explained that in greatest likelihood, he will never again function as a priest.”

The letter also addresses the girl’s suggestion that the matter be “made known to the people of her parish.”

“It is not clear what good would be accomplished by that… She is certainly free to discuss the matter with whomever she wishes… We also told her that what becomes public knowledge in the parish will almost certainly become public knowledge well beyond the parish.”

In several letters to the diocese, the girl said she believed that church officials had done all they could to address the matter and praised their handling of it.

In December, Jangam wrote letters to members of his former Oklahoma parish seeking funds for his orphanage in India. The letters contained Jangam’s address and phone number in India.

The letter states: “My main aim is overall rehabilitation by providing food, proper clothing, education, medical care and love and affection. I plan to give everything, whatever they lost at home, especially love.”

The girl said Jangam told her he had been a principal in India before coming to Oklahoma. He had also been assigned to a position at the University of Tulsa before his assignment at St. Mark’s.

“I am very surprised, because I don’t know how many times Monsignor Dorney and Dr. Maillet told me we cannot find him,” the girl said. “I thought there was nothing else they could do.

He was always around youth his whole adult life, and . . . I just wanted to make sure the church did everything in their power to make sure he never did this again. I trusted them.”

Maillet said church records show that the girl did not initially tell details of the alleged abuse and that she only recently alleged sexual abuse.

“What we were told at that time was that he had attempted to hug and kiss her. We did not regard that as sexual abuse or sexual molestation, but it was certainly reprehensible or inappropriate.”

The case was not reported to Pryor police because the girl’s family did not seem interested in pursuing a criminal case, Maillet said.

Her mother, Linda La Porte, said that is untrue.

Maillet said Jangam’s claims that he has not been excommunicated are untrue. Jangam revealed what the girl told him during confession and thereby “excommunicated himself,” Maillet said.

“It’s possible that somehow or another he went through steps and got himself reinstated,” he said.

Maillet said he was surprised to learn that Jangam still claimed to be a priest and is running an orphanage. Slattery’s office had written to Jangam’s bishop in India and urged him to try to prevent Jangam from having contact with children.

“I would be very, very distressed to hear that, especially in light of the fact that we wrote to the bishop,” Maillet said.

Jangam said there is no reason for concern over the fact that he has access to children. He said he employs a cook and a teacher in his orphanage.

“I am very clear in my conscience… Things like this come up because some people may like to get money out of a priest.”

The girl’s family has not sued the church or requested a financial settlement regarding the case. Though the church offered to pay for counseling, that offer has not yet been accepted, her mother said.

David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said it is common for church officials to claim that they cannot find priests who are accused of abuse.

“We’ve seen over and over again that they don’t know where these perpetrators are and any person with Internet access can find them… What that girl said is what we hear from virtually every survivor: ‘I just want to make sure that other people are safe.’ “

Though Maillet said what the girl initially alleged was not sexual molestation, Clohessy said police should have been notified of the case before Jangam was returned to India.

“No institution can effectively police itself, and certainly church officials shouldn’t at this stage try. That’s the job of a professional, unbiased law enforcement personnel.”



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Catholic bishop Sex Scandal- CBCI For Strict Action
April 30, 2010 by devapriyaji
Clergy moots action against child abusers

Chennai: Stung by child sex abuse charges in several countries,Catholic bishops in India at a conference held in Bangalore came out with guidelines for clergymen.While the general consensus at the conference was to report any suspected case of child sex abuse to the police,measures like defrocking and expulsion would be thought of only if the accused is convicted by a court, Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) spokesperson Babu Joseph Karakombil told TOI.
Till now,priests charged with child sex abuse abroad have been transferred to dioceses in India,raising concern that they could repeat their crimes while in service that puts them in close proximity with children.
Office-bearers of CBCI,including its president and Mumbai archbishop Fr Oswald Cardinal Gracias,are in favour of defrocking priests found guilty.I am in favour of such stringent action against the guilty.We will follow the Indian law and the canon law, Fr Gracias told TOI before leaving for Rome ahead of the Bangalore conference.
The Bangalore conference discussed in detail ways and means to ensure the safety of children in our institutions.The draft guidelines will not be made public till they are given a final form.The draft will be sent to the Vatican,as also to all bishops and Catholic institutions in the country for perusal and suggestions, Karakombil said.
While cases of child sex abuse against priests have been reported from other countries,child right activists feel that non-reporting in India is a matter of grave concern.The CBCI guidelines,they hope,will bring in more transparency and accountability.
arun.ram@timesgroup.com


Priests In The Dock

Roman Catholic priest Fr Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul,who faces charges of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Minnesota,is serving in the diocese of Udhagamandalam Fr Francis X Nelson who served as a visiting priest at a church in Brooklyn was sentenced to four months in prison in 2003 on charges of groping a minor girl.He works in the bishop’s office in his home diocese of Kottar in Kanyakumari Fr Vijay Bhaskar Godugunuru faced charges of assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Bonifay,Florida.He was transferred to Italy and back to India Fr John Jangam was accused of kissing and fondling a 13-year-old girl in 1999 in Tulsa,Oklahoma.He continues to work among children in Vijayawada Simon Palanthingal,a priest from Chennai is serving a 16-year sentence since 2004 in a Wisconsin prison for sexually assaulting a nine-year-old boy

Bishops draft code against child sex abuse

Arun Ram | TNN

Chennai: With the clergy facing child sex abuse charges in several countries,Catholic bishops in India have drafted guidelines for clergymen across the world.From spelling out a general behavioural code for bishops and other priests to defrocking as the ultimate punishment for such crimes,the guidelines focus on wholesome safety of children in and outside our institutions.
The draft is a result of four days of deliberations by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) and the Conference of Catholic Bishops in India (CCBI),which ended in Bangalore on Wednesday.It will be sent to the Vatican for the Popes approval before being finalized by the end of June.
Several cases of alleged child sexual abuse against Indian Catholic priests abroad have come to light in the recent past.With similar cases being reported from across the world,Pope Benedict XVI had written letters to the clergy in several countries.

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

போப் பதவியில் இருந்து விலக வேண்டும், கைது செய்ய வேண்டும்

By devapriyaji

04-05-10_8390056.jpg

pope_condoms_popjam.jpg

ரோமன் கத்தோலிக்க மதத்தலைவரான போப்பாண்டவர் 16ம் பெனடிக்ட், போப்பாண்டவர் பதவியில் இருந்து விலக வேண்டும், அவரை கைது செய்ய வேண்டும் என்ற கூக்குரல்கள் தற்பொழுது உலகெங்கிலும் ஒலித்துக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது. போப்பாண்டவருக்கு ஆதரவான வாதங்களும், எதிர் வாதங்களும் அமெரிக்க ஊடகங்களிலும், ஐரோப்பிய ஊடகங்களிலும் எதிரொலித்துக் கொண்டிருக்கின்றன. தற்போதைய போப்பாண்டவரான பெனடிக்ட் இதற்கு முன்பு கார்டினலாக இருந்த பொழுது பலக் கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபை பாதிரியார்களின் பாலியல் வன்முறைகளை மூடி மறைத்தார் என்றும், அதில் ஈடுபட்ட பல கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபை பாதிரியார்கள் மீது எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்க வில்லை என்றும் தற்பொழுது குற்றச்சாட்டு எழுந்துள்ளது.

போப்பாண்டவர் 16ம் பெனடிக்ட்டின் இயற்ப்பெயர் ஜோசப் ராட்சிங்கர். இவர் போப்பாண்டவர் பதவிக்கு வரும் முன்பு கார்டினலாக பணியாற்றி இருக்கிறார். கார்டினலாக இருந்த பொழுது திருச்சபை உறுப்பினர்களின் ஒழுக்க விவகாரங்களுக்கு பொறுப்பான வாடிகன் அதிகாரியாகவும் (Leader of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith) ராட்சிங்கர் பொறுப்பு வகித்தர். இதன் காரணமாக உலகெங்கிலும் நடக்கும் பல்வேறு பாலியல் அத்தீமீறல்கள் குறித்த பிரச்சனைகளை நெறிப்படுத்தும் பொறுப்பும் ராட்சிங்கருக்கு இருந்து வந்துள்ளது. அவ்வாறு இருந்தும் ஒழுக்கம் தவறிய பாதிரியார்கள் மீது எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்கப்படவில்லை. அதோடு மட்டுமில்லாமல் பாலியல் குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டுள்ள கத்தோலிக்க பாதிரியார்களை மிகவும் ரகசியமாகவே விசாரிக்க வேண்டும் என அனைத்து கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபைகளுக்கும் ராட்சிங்கர் அனுப்பிய ரகசிய உத்தரவும் தற்பொழுது சர்ச்சைக்குள்ளாகி இருக்கிறது. தன்னுடைய திருச்சபைக்கு களங்கம் நேராமல் காப்பாற்றவே வாடிகன் முனைந்ததே தவிர குற்றவாளிகள் தண்டிக்கப்படவோ, பாலியல் அத்துமீறலுக்கு உள்ளானவர்களுக்கு நியாயம் கிடைக்கவோ எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் வாடிகன் எடுக்கவே இல்லை. இதன் காரணமாக குற்றம் செய்த பாதிரியார்கள் எந்த தண்டனையும் இல்லாமல் தொடர்ச்சியாக பல ஆண்டுகள் இத்தகைய குற்றங்களை செய்து வந்திருக்கிறார்கள்.

அதுவும் இத்தகைய பாலியல் வன்முறை யார் மீது தொடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது தெரியுமா ? குழந்தைகளின் மீது. ஆம், பத்து வயது கூட நிரம்பாத சிறுவர்களையும், சிறுமிகளையுமே தங்களுடைய செக்ஸ் வக்கிரத்திற்கு இந்தப் பாதிரியார்கள் பயன்படுத்திக் கொண்டுள்ளனர். Pedophiles எனப்படும் குழந்தைகளை பாலியலுக்கு உட்படுத்தும் பாலியல் வல்லூறுக்கள் தான் இந்தக் கத்தோலிக்க கிறுத்துவ பாதிரியார்கள்.

கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபைகள் உலகெங்கிலும் பல்வேறு அனாதை ஆசிரமங்களையும், குழந்தைகளுக்கான காப்பகங்களையும் நடத்தி வருகிறது. இத்தகைய காப்பகங்களிலும், பள்ளிகளிலும் இருக்கும் சிறார்களின் மீது பாலியல் வன்முறைகள் தொடுக்கப்படுவதாக பலக் குற்றச்சாட்டுகள் பல ஆண்டுகளாக இருந்து வந்திருக்கின்றன. இந்தக் குற்றங்களை போப்பாண்டவர் பதவிக்கு வருவதற்கு முன்பு தற்போதைய போப்பாண்டவர் மூடி மறைத்தார் என்ற குற்றச்சாட்டே தற்பொழுது எழுந்துள்ளது.

pope.jpgவழக்கம் போல போப்பாண்டவரின் பெயருக்கு களங்கம் விளைவிக்கவே இத்தகைய குற்றச்சாட்டுகள் முன்வைக்கப்படுவதாக வாடிகன் கூறியுள்ளது. போப்பாண்டவருக்கு இத்தகையக் குற்றங்கள் நடந்தது தெரியாது என வாடிகன் பிரச்சனையை பூசி மொழுக முனைகிறது. இதை விட வேடிக்கை என்னவென்றால் வாடிகனைச் சேர்ந்த ஒரு உயரதிகாரி போப் மீதான குற்றச்சாட்டினை யூதர்கள் மீதான வெறுப்புடன் (Antisemitism ) ஒப்பிட்டுள்ளதும் சர்ச்சையை எழுப்பி உள்ளது. இதனை பல யூத அமைப்புகள் கண்டித்துள்ளன. பல யூதர்கள் கொல்லப்பட காரணமான யூதர்கள் மீதான வெறுப்பினை (Antisemitism ) தற்போதைய போப் மீதான வெறுப்பாக கட்டமைக்க முனைவது வேடிக்கையானது. வாடிகன் தற்போதையப் பிரச்சனையை எவ்வாறு கையாளுவது என குழம்பிப் போய் உள்ள சூழ்நிலையையே இது வெளிப்படுத்துகிறது.

எப்படி எழுந்தது இந்தக் குற்றச்சாட்டு ?

கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபைகளின் மீதான இந்தக் குற்றச்சாட்டு புதியது அல்ல. பல்வேறு நாடுகளில் இந்தக் குற்றச்சாட்டுகள் தொடர்ச்சியாக கடந்த காலங்களில் எழுப்பப் பட்டிருக்கின்றன. தற்போதையக் குற்றச்சாட்டு கடந்தக் காலங்களில் நடந்தக் குற்றங்களை ஒட்டியே எழுந்திருக்கிறது. குறிப்பாக அயர்லாந்து, அமெரிக்கா, ஜெர்மனி ஆகிய நாடுகளில் கடந்த காலங்களில் நடந்த பாலியல் குற்றங்களே தற்போதைய குற்றச்சாட்டிற்கும் காரணமாக உள்ளது.

அயர்லாந்தில் நூற்றுக்கணக்கான பாதிரியார்கள் பல்லாயிரம் குழந்தைகளை பல ஆண்டுகளாக பாலியல் பலாத்காரம் செய்துள்ளதாக பல்வேறு விசாரணைகளின் மூலம் கண்டறியப்பட்டுள்ளது. அது போல அமெரிக்காவிலும் பல்வேறு குற்றாச்சாட்டுகள் கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபைகள் மீது வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. ஆனால் பிரச்சனை என்னவென்றால் இத்தகைய எந்தப் பாதிரியார்களும் தண்டிக்கப்படவே இல்லை.

ஏன் தண்டனை இல்லை ? கத்தோலிக்க வாடிகன் தலைமைக்கு இந்தக் குற்றங்கள் தெரியாதா ?

கத்தோலிக்கத் தலைமைக்கு இந்தக் குற்றங்கள் தெரியும். ஏனெனில் திருச்சபைகளில் நடக்கும் ஒவ்வொரு பாலியல் குற்றங்களும் வாடிகனுக்கு தெரியப்படுத்தப் பட வேண்டும் என்ற நெறிமுறை உள்ளது. ஆனால் இந்தக் குற்றங்கள் கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபைக்கு களங்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்தும் என வாடிகன் அஞ்சியது. இதனால் இந்தக் குற்றங்களை மூடி மறைக்க கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபை முனைந்தது. இத்தகையக் குற்றங்களை மூடி மறைக்க தனி நெறிமுறைகளையே வாடிகன் வகுத்துள்ளது.

1962ல் வாடிகன் ஒரு ரகசிய ஆணையை பிறப்பித்து உள்ளது. இதன் பெயர் Crimen Sollicitationis. இதன் படி கத்தோலிக்க பேராயர்கள் பாலியல் குற்றச்சாட்டுக்கள் எழும் பொழுது அந்தக் குற்றங்களை ரகசியமாக வைத்திருக்க வேண்டும் என அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளனர். இந்தக் குற்றங்கள் குறித்து வெளியில் எதுவும் பேசக் கூடாது என்பதும் ரகசிய உத்தரவாகும். பாலியல் குற்றம் செய்தவர், பாலியல் அத்துமீறலுக்கு உள்ளானவர்கள், குற்றத்தைக் கண்ட சாட்சிகள் என அனைவரும் இந்தச் சட்டத்தின் படி பாலியல் குற்றம் குறித்த ரகசியத்தை கட்டாயமாக கடைப்பிடிக்க வேண்டும். அவ்வாறு ரகசியத்தை கடைப்பிடிக்காவிட்டால் கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபையில் இருந்து நீக்கப்படுவார்கள் (excommunication). திருச்சபையில் இருந்து நீக்கப்படுவது என்பது சில இடங்களில் கிராமத்தை விட்டு ஒதுக்கி வைப்பது போன்றது தான். இது குறித்த ஒருபிபிசி ஆவணப்படத்தில் தனது ஐந்து வயது பேரனுக்கு நடந்த பாலியல் வன்முறையை வெளிப்படுத்தியமைக்காக தான் எவ்வாறு திருச்சபையில் இருந்தும், கிராமத்தில் இருந்தும் ஒதுக்கப் பட்டேன் என ஒரு மூதாட்டி விளக்குகிறார்.

பாலியல் அத்துமீறலால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட சிறார்கள் இந்தக் குற்றத்தைக் குறித்து வெளியில் பேசக்கூடாது என வரையறுத்த கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபை, குற்றம் செய்த பாதிரியார்களுக்கு எந்த தண்டனையும் வழங்கவில்லை. Pedophile என்பது ஒரு கிரிமினல் குற்றமாகும். இந்தக் குற்றம் குறித்து வெளியே கூறக்கூடாது என்ற ரகசிய உத்தரவு இருந்ததால் இது போலீசாருக்கோ, உள்ளூர் அரசாங்கத்திற்கோ தெரியப்படுத்தப்படவே இல்லை. கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபையின் இத்தகைய நெறிமுறை குற்றம் செய்தவர்களுக்கே சாதகமாக இருந்தது. காரணம் இத்தகைய குற்றம் செய்த பாதிரியார்கள் வேறு இடங்களுக்கு இடமாற்றம் மட்டுமே செய்யப்பட்டனர். இதன் காரணமாக ஒரு இடத்தில் குற்றம் செய்த பாதிரியார்கள், வேறு இடங்களிலும் தொடர்ச்சியாக குற்றம் இழைத்துக் கொண்டிருந்தனர். இவ்வாறு பல ஆண்டுகளாக ஆயிரக்கணக்கான குழந்தைகளை பல நூற்றுக்கணக்கான பாதிரியார்கள் பாலியல் பலாத்காரம் செய்துள்ளனர். ஆனால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர்கள் இந்தப் பிரச்சனைக் குறித்து வெளியே கூறக்கூடாது என மிரட்டப்பட்டனர். பலர் பல ஆண்டுகள் இதனை வெளியே கூறவே இல்லை. பல ஆண்டுகளுக்குப் பிறகு தற்பொழுது தான் பலர் தங்கள் மீது சிறு வயதில் இழைக்கப்பட்ட அநீதிகள் குறித்து கூறத் தொடங்கியுள்ளனர். இதில் எரிச்சல் ஊட்டும் வேதனையான உண்மை என்னவென்றால் கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபை இத்தகைய பாலியல் குற்றங்களை ஒரு பாவமாகவும், பாவத்திற்கு மன்னிப்பாக பாவமன்னிப்பையும் பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர்களுக்கு வலியுறுத்தி வந்துள்ளது. இதனால் குற்றம் செய்த குற்றாவளிகளான பாதிரியார்கள் எந்தப் பிரச்சனையும் இல்லாமல் பல சிறார்களை தொடர்ந்து தங்கள் காமவெறிக்கு பயன்படுத்தி வந்துள்ளனர்.

பாலியல் குற்றம் தொடர்பாக அமெரிக்காவில் தேடப்படும் சில பாதிரியார்கள் அமெரிக்காவை விட்டு தப்பி வாடிகனில் அல்லது ரோமில் சுதந்திரமாக திரிவதாக கூட ஒரு தொலைக்காட்சியில் கூறப்பட்டது. ஆனால் இது எந்தளவுக்கு உண்மை என்பது தெரியவில்லை.

இந்தக் குற்றங்களை கடந்த காலங்களில் பல ஊடகங்கள் வெளியிட்டு இருந்தாலும் வாடிகனின் போக்கில் பெரிய மாற்றம் எதுவும் இல்லை. 2006ல் பிபிசி இந்தக் குற்றங்களைச் சார்ந்து ஒரு ஆவணப் படத்தை வெளியிட்டு உள்ளது. அந்த ஆவணப் படத்தில் ஒரு பாதிரியார் செய்த குற்றங்கள் குறித்து விவரிக்கப்படுகிறது. குற்றம் செய்த பாதியாரின் பெயர் டார்டிசியோ. முதன் முதலில் 1991ம் ஆண்டு இவர் செய்த பாலியியல் குற்றம் பிரேசிலில் வெளியாகி உள்ளது. ஆனால் இவர் மீது எந்த நடவடிக்கையையும் வாடிகன் எடுக்க வில்லை. மாறாக அவரை வாடிகன் இடமாற்றம் மட்டுமே செய்துள்ளது. இவர் இடம்மாறிய இடங்களில் எல்லாம் இத்தகைய குற்றங்களை தொடர்ச்சியாக செய்துள்ளார். இவர் குற்றம் செய்வதும், இடமாற்றம் செய்யப்படுவதுமாக நிலைமை இருந்துள்ளது. இவ்வாறு சுமார் நான்கு முறை இவர் இடமாற்றம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளார். இறுதியாக 2005ல் இவர் போலீசாரால் பிடிபட்ட பொழுது தான் இவர் பற்றிய விபரங்கள் வெளியுலகுக்கு தெரிய வந்தது. இந்தப் பாதிரியார் எழுதியுள்ள டைரியில் எழு வயது முதல் பத்து வயதிற்குட்பட்ட ஏழை மற்றும் பெற்றோர் இல்லாத அனாதைக் குழந்தைகளையே இவர் தன் பாலியில் இச்சைக்கு பயன்படுத்திக் கொண்டதாக கூறியுள்ளார்.

பாதிரியார்கள் செய்த குற்றத்திற்கு போப்பாண்டவர் பெனடிக்ட் பொறுப்பாக முடியுமா ?

தற்போதைய போப்பாண்டவர், இந்தப் பதவிக்கு வரும் முன்பு திருச்சபை உறுப்பினர்களின் ஒழுக்க விவகாரங்களுக்கு பொறுப்பான வாடிகன் அதிகாரியாக பொறுப்பு வகித்தவர். இதன் காரணமாக உலகெங்கிலும் நடக்கும் பல்வேறு பாலியல் அத்துமீறல்கள் குறித்தப் பிரச்சனைகளை நெறிப்படுத்தும் பொறுப்பும் ராட்சிங்கருக்கு இருந்து வந்துள்ளது.

இவ்வளவு பெரிய பொறுப்பில் இருந்தும், குழந்தைகளை பாலியல் அத்துமீறலுக்கு உள்ளாக்கிய பாதிரியார்களை நெறிப்படுத்தும், ஒழுங்குப்படுத்தும், தண்டிக்கும் எந்த நடவடிக்கையையும் ராட்சிங்கர் எடுக்கவில்லை. மாறாக 2001ல் ராட்சிங்கர் ஒரு ரகசிய உத்தரவை பிறப்பித்து உள்ளார். அதன் படி பாதிரியார்கள் திருச்சபைகளில் செய்யும் குழந்தைகள் மீதான பாலியல் குற்றங்கள் உள்ளிட்ட எல்லா செக்ஸ் குற்றங்களையும் மிகவும் ரகசியமாக பாதுகாக்க வேண்டும் என்ற உத்தரவை மறுபடியும் வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளார். அதாவது 1962ல் இருந்த உத்தரவை மிகவும் தீவிரமாக அமல்படுத்த வேண்டும் என்பதே அவரது ரகசிய உத்தரவு. இவ்வாறு சுமார் 20 ஆண்டுகளுக்கும் மேலாக கிரிமென் (Crimen) எனப்படும் ரகசியத்தை பாதுகாக்கும் நடவடிக்கைகளை வலியுறுத்திய ராட்சிங்கர் இத்தகைய குற்றங்களை தடுக்கவோ, பாதிக்கப்பட்டவர்களுக்கு நியாயம் கிடைக்கவோ எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்க வில்லை.

அது மட்டுமில்லாமல் பாலியல் குற்றம் தொடர்பான ஒவ்வொரு குற்றத்தையும் வாடிகனுக்கு அனுப்ப வேண்டும் என்பதும், அவை வாடிகனின் நேரடிப் பார்வைக்கு வர வேண்டும் என்பதும் அவரது ஆணை. ஆனால் வாடிகனுக்கு அனுப்பப்பட்ட எந்தக் குற்றத்தின் மீதும் எவ்வித நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்கப்படவில்லை. எனவே போப்பாண்டவர் பெனடிக்ட் தான் கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபைகளில் நடந்த எல்லா குற்றங்களுக்கும் முழு பெறுப்பேற்க வேண்டியவராகிறார்.

போப்பாண்டவர் பெனடிக்ட் மீது இத்தகைய குற்றச்சாட்டு பல ஆண்டுகளாக இருந்து வந்தாலும் அமெரிக்காவின் விஸ்கான்சின் மாநிலத்தில் நடைபெற்ற ஒரு பாலியல் அத்துமீறலில் போப்பாண்டவர் எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்க வில்லை என்பதற்கான ஆதாரங்களைக் கடந்த மாதம் நியூயார்க் டைம்ஸ் நாளிதழ் வெளியிட்டதை தொடர்ந்தே போப்பாண்டவர் குறித்த பல்வேறு குற்றச்சாட்டுகள் வெளிவரத் தொடங்கி உள்ளன. கார்டினலாக பணியாற்றுவதற்கு முன்பு ஜெர்மனியில் பேராயராக பணியாற்றிய பொழுதும் ராட்சிங்கர் பாலியல் குற்றங்களை மூடிமறைத்துள்ளது தெரியவந்துள்ளது. இதையெடுத்தே தற்போதைய போப்பாண்டவர் பதவி விலக வேண்டும் என்ற கோரிக்கைகள் வலுப்பெற்றுள்ளன.

அமெரிக்காவின் விஸ்கான்சின் மாநிலத்தில் நடைபெற்ற பாலியல் அத்துமீறல் குறித்து பிபிசி தமிழோசை இணையத்தளம் பின்வருமாறு செய்தி வெளியிட்டுள்ளது.

அமெரிக்காவில் முன்பு கேட்கும் திறன் அற்ற கிட்டத்தட்ட 200
சிறார்களை பாலியல் துஷ்பிரயோகம் செய்த கத்தோலிக்க பாதிரியார் ஒருவர் தொடர்பாக தனக்கு என்னென்ன தெரியும் என்பதை உலகுக்கு வெளியிட வேண்டும் என்ற குரல்களை தற்போது போப்பாண்டவர் பெனடிக்ட் எதிர்கொண்டுவருகிறார்.

அமெரிக்காவின் விஸ்கான்ஸின் பகுதியில் ஒரு பள்ளிக்கூடத்தில் இருந்த சிறார்களை திட்டமிட்டு தொடர்ச்சியாக பாலியல்
துஷ்பிரயோகங்களுக்கு பாதிரியார் லாரன்ஸ் மர்ஃபி உட்படுத்திவந்திருந்தார். இந்த துஷ்பிரயோகம் குறித்து லாரன்ஸ் மர்ஃபிக்கு மேலேயிருந்த திருச்சபை அதிகாரிகள் 1990களின் மையப் பகுதியில் அப்போது திருச்சபை உறுப்பினர்களின் ஒழுக்க விவகாரங்களுக்கு பொறுப்பான வத்திகான் அதிகாரியாக இருந்த கார்டினல் ராட்ஸிங்கருக்கு இரண்டு முறை கடிதம் எழுதியதாக தெரிவிக்கப்படுகிறது.

போப்பாண்டவர் மீதான குற்றச்சாட்டு

பிற்பாடு போப்பாண்டவராக உருவெடுத்தவரான கார்டினல் ராட்ஸிங்கர் அக்கடிதங்களுக்கு பதில் எழுதியிருக்கவில்லை. பாதிரியார் லாரன்ஸ் மர்ஃபி தனது கடமைகளிலிருந்து விடுவிக்கப்பட்டிருந்தாலும் அவர் திருச்சபையிலிருந்து வெளியேற்றப்பட்டிருக்கவில்லை. போப்பாண்டவர் பெனடிக் உரிய
நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கத் தவறிவிட்டார் என்று விமர்சகர்களும், துஷ்பிரயோகத்துக்கு உள்ளாகியிருந்தவர்கள் பலரும் கூறுகின்றனர். திருச்சபைக்கு அவப்பெயர் வந்துவிடக்கூடாது என்ற நோக்கத்தில் இந்த விஷயத்தை மூடி மறைக்க நடந்த முயற்சிகளில்
போப்பாண்டவருக்கும் பங்கிருந்தது என்று கூட அவர்கள் குற்றம்சாட்டியுள்ளனர்.

பிபிசியில் விடுபட்டுப் போன ஒரு தகவல் – பாதிரியார் லாரன்ஸ் மர்ஃபி நேரடியாக ராட்சிங்கருக்கே ஒரு கடிதம் எழுதியுள்ளார். அதில் தனது உடல்நிலையை கருத்தில் கொண்டு தன் மீது எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்கக் கூடாது என்பதே சுமார் 200 காது கேளாத குழந்தைகளை பாலியல் பலாத்காரம் செய்த பாதிரியார் லாரன்ஸ் மர்ஃபியின் வேண்டுகோள். அதற்கு ராட்சிங்கர் என்ன விடை அளித்தார் என்பது தெரியவில்லை. ஆனால் சுமார் 200க்கும் மேற்பட்ட குழந்தைகளை பலாத்காரம் செய்த லாரன்ஸ் மர்ஃபிக்கு எந்த தண்டனையும் வழங்கப்படவில்லை. இறுதி காலம் வரை பாதிரியாராக இருந்து லாரன்ஸ் மர்ஃபி 1998ல் இறந்திருக்கிறார். இந்தத் தகவல்களை நியூயார்க் டைம்ஸ் வெளியிட்டு உள்ளது.

அமெரிக்காவில் வெளியான குற்றச்சாட்டினை தொடர்ந்து ஜெர்மனியிலும் ராட்சிங்கர் பாலியல் குற்றங்களை மூடி மறைத்தார் என்ற குற்றச்சாட்டும் தற்பொழுது வெளியாகி உள்ளது. பாதிரியார் ஹல்லர்மேன் ஜெர்மனியைச் சேர்ந்தப் பாதிரியார் ஆவார். இந்தப் பாதிரியார் பாலியல் குற்றம் செய்ததான ஒரு பிரச்சனை 1980ல் எழுந்தது. அப்பொழுது அங்கு பேராயராக இருந்தவர் ஜோசப் ராட்சிங்கர். ஒரு 11 வயது சிறுவனை பாலியல் பலாத்காரம் செய்திருக்கிறார் பாதிரியார் ஹல்லர்மேன். பேராயராக இருந்த ஜோசப் ராட்சிங்கர் இந்தப் பாதிரியாரை முனிச் நகரத்திற்கு இடமாற்றம் செய்திருக்கிறார். ஆனால் பாலியல் குற்றம் குறித்து போலீசாருக்கோ, அரசாங்கத்திற்கோ எந்தத் தகவலும் தெரிவிக்கப்படவில்லை. இடமாற்றம் செய்யப்பட்ட பாதிரியார் இடம் மாறிய இடத்திலும் தொடர்ந்து பாலியல் வன்முறை செய்துள்ளார். இவ்வாறு இவரது பாலியல் குற்றங்கள் தொடர்ந்து நடைபெற்றாலும் இவர் மீது கத்தோலிக்கத் திருச்சபை எந்த நடவடிக்கையும் எடுக்க வில்லை என்பது மட்டுமல்ல, இவர் தொடர்ந்து குழந்தைகளுடன் பணியாற்றவும் அனுமதித்து இருக்கிறது. இறுதியாக 1986ல் இவர் போலீசாரால் கைது செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளார். இவ்வளவு நடந்தும் அவர் பாதிரியார் பொறுப்பில் இருந்து விலக்கப்படவில்லை, கடந்த மாதம் இந்தக் குற்றச்சாட்டுகள் வெளியான பிறகே பாதிரியார் பொறுப்பில் இருந்து ஹல்லர்மேன் நீக்கப்பட்டார்.

இவையெல்லாம் போப்பாண்டவர் எத்தகைய பொறுப்புடன் இந்தப் பிரச்சனையை அணுகியிருக்கிறார் என்பதையே வெளிப்படுத்துகிறது.

போப்பாண்டவரை கைது செய்ய வேண்டுமா ?

போப்பாண்டவர் பல்லாயிரக்க்கணக்கான குழந்தைகளை பாலியல் வன்முறைக்கு உள்ளாக்கிய பாதிரியார்களின் குற்றங்களை மூடிமறைத்துள்ளார். அது மட்டுமில்லாமல் இந்தக் குற்றங்கள் குறித்த தகவல்கள் திருச்சபையை விட்டு வெளியில் செல்லாத வண்ணம் பாதுகாத்து மறைத்துள்ளார். அதற்கான உத்தரவுகளை பிறப்பித்து இந்தக் குற்றங்கள் தொடர்ந்து நடைபெற ”மறைமுக” காரணமாக இருந்துள்ளார். Pedophile என்பது ஒரு கிரிமினல் குற்றமாகும். அந்தக் குற்றத்தை மறைப்பதும், உடந்தையாக இருப்பதும் கிரிமினல் குற்றமே ஆகும். அந்த வகையில் பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கான குழந்தைகளை தங்களின் காமப்பசிக்கு இரையாக்கிய பாதிரியார்களை பாதுகாத்த போப்பாண்டவர் மிக மோசமான குற்றம் செய்த ஒரு கிரிமினல் என்ற குற்றச்சாட்டு உலகின் பல்வேறு நாடுகளில் எழுப்பப்பட்டு வருகிறது. இந்த வாதங்களில் இருக்கும் உண்மையை யாராலும் மறுக்க முடியாது. போப்பாண்டவர் பாலியல் குற்றத்திற்கு உடந்தையாக இருந்த ஒரு கிரிமினல் குற்றவாளி என்ற வகையில் அவர் போப்பாண்டவர் பதவியில் இருந்து விலக வேண்டும். அவர் உடனடியாக கைது செய்யப்பட வேண்டும் என்பதே என் நிலைப்பாடு.

போப்பாண்டவரை கைது செய்ய முடியுமா ? அது நடைமுறையில் சாத்தியமா ?

போப்பாண்டவர் கிறுத்துவ மதத்தலைவர் மட்டுமல்ல. வாடிகன் என்ற நாட்டின் தலைவரும் ஆவார். இந் நிலையில் அவரை கைது செய்வது என்பது நடைமுறைச் சாத்தியமற்றது. ஆனால் பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கான குழந்தைகளின் கற்பழிப்பிற்கு காரணமாக இருந்ததன் மூலம் மனித குலத்திற்கு எதிரான செயல்கள் புரிந்தவர் என்ற வகையில் அவரை கைது செய்ய முடியும் என சில பத்திரிக்கையாளர்கள் கூறி வருகின்றனர். போப்பாண்டவர் பிரிட்டனுக்கு சுற்றுப்பயணம் செய்ய உள்ளார். அப்பொழுது அவரை கைது செய்ய வேண்டும் என்ற கோரிக்கை முன்வைக்கப்படுகிறது. இதற்கான சட்டரீதியிலான முயற்சியில் சில வழக்கறிஞர்கள் ஈடுபட்டு உள்ளதாகவும் கூறப்படுகிறது.

ஆனால் இவையெல்லாம் நடைமுறைச் சாத்தியம் அற்றது. என்றாலும், கைது செய்யப்பட வேண்டும் என்ற கோரிக்கை நடைமுறையில் சாத்தியமானதா என்பதைக் கடந்து தார்மீக நோக்கிலே சரியான கோரிக்கையாகவே உள்ளது. எனவே போப்பாண்டவரை கைது செய்ய வேண்டும் என்ற கோரிக்கையை நாம் தொடர்ந்து எழுப்பியாக வேண்டிய சூழ்நிலையே தற்பொழுது உள்ளது.

************http://blog.tamilsasi.com/2010/04/pope-sex-abuse-pedophile-priests-arrest.html



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Pope Reins In Catholic Order Tied to Abuse

02legion_CA0-articleLarge.jpg
Plinio Lepri/Associated Press

Pope John Paul II with the Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado in 2004. Father Maciel was later found to have committed sexual abuse.

Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday took control of the Legionaries of Christ, a powerful and wealthy Roman Catholic religious order whose founder, a friend of Pope John Paul II, was found to have molested seminarians and fathered several children.

The move constituted the most direct action on sexual abuse since the most recent scandals have engulfed the church and prompted criticisms of the pope’s own handling of such cases as an archbishop in Munich and as a cardinal who led the office reviewing many sexual abuse charges.

In a statement on Saturday, the Vatican said that Benedict would appoint a special delegate to govern the Legionaries, an influential worldwide order that has been an important source of new priests in a church that has struggled with a shrinking priesthood in much of the developed world. It was founded in 1941 by a Mexican priest, the Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado.

Benedict also said he would appoint a special commission to examine the Legionaries’ constitution and open an investigation into its lay affiliate, Regnum Christi.

The measures mean that the order would be governed directly from the Vatican. But the pope decided against dissolving the order or forcing out much of its leadership — at least for now — steps urged by many critics and victims’ advocates, who say they believe that the leaders must have known, or should have known, of the abuses.

The fate of the Legionaries is the most closely watched case in the Catholic Church as it grapples with a sexual abuse crisis that has increased pressure on Benedict to demonstrate his commitment to confronting the issue.

Some praised the Vatican decision, but others, including former Legionaries, said that appointing a delegate did not address the fundamental problems in the current leadership, which was put in place by Father Maciel. The Vatican statement was ambiguous about the role of the current leaders in Father Maciel’s deception, and also about their fate.

“The question is whether everything is still on the table in terms of the future, or is the underlying assumption that the present Legion of Christ can be repaired?” said George Weigel, a biographer of John Paul who had defended the Legionaries before learning of Father Maciel’s crimes. “I don’t see how the good work that the Legion and Regnum Christi do can continue without a definitive and unambiguous break with the past.”

Jose Barba Martin, the leader of a group of former Legionaries who complained to the Vatican in 1998 that they had been sexually abused as boys, said the appointment of an outsider to administer the order would do little good unless the church also replaced many officials in the upper echelon and rewrote the teachings of the group that stress obedience to superiors and silence about internal problems.

“What’s needed is a psychological restructuring,” said Mr. Barba, a history professor in Mexico City. “If the same directors remain, it’s going to be very difficult.”

The Rev. Alberto Athié, a Mexican priest who in 1998 tried to bring allegations of sexual abuse by Father Maciel to the attention of Benedict, back when he was a cardinal, said the Holy See had been aware of the order’s strict code of silence and obedience and had done nothing about it.

“In this sense I think the Holy See cannot get to the bottom of this matter,” Father Athié said. “It would have to criticize itself as an authority.”

Others praised Benedict’s decision and said the Vatican statement left open the possibility of new leadership for the order.

“Many of us are deeply satisfied with the depth and scope of what is laid out in the Vatican response,” said the Rev. Thomas V. Berg, a prominent former Legion priest. “I think it bodes well for the well being of the Legionaries who remain.”

He added that “the wording of the statement certainly leaves open the possibility of removing the current leadership, and many of us await that and expect that to happen.”

Sandro Magister, a veteran Vatican reporter who has written extensively on the Legionaries, said he was struck by the “tough” tone of the statement. “It’s a sign that they want to act decisively,” he said. “This statement is also very hard on the current leaders of the legionaries.”

The Maciel case has become a touchstone for how Benedict has confronted sexual abuse. Benedict’s defenders cite it as an example that he took sexual abuse more seriously than others in the Vatican hierarchy did. But victims’ advocates say that he waited far too long to address it and that penalties were insufficient.


In 1998, eight Legionaries seminarians filed a complaint with the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The pope, who was then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and the head of the body, quashed an investigation in 1999, according to accounts from a Mexican bishop who tried to press the case with him. In 2004, a few months before John Paul died, the future pope reopened the investigation. It eventually found that Father Maciel had abused seminarians, fathered several children and misappropriated funds.

In 2006, Benedict removed him from priestly duties and restricted him to a life of prayer and penance — a punishment that his victims say was not commensurate to his crimes. He died two years later, still a priest.

The measures the pope announced Saturday came after an exhaustive investigation of the order and Father Maciel’s crimes by five bishops who formed what is called an Apostolic Visitation and who submitted their report on March 15. The Vatican has said it wants to be transparent in sexual abuse cases, but the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the report’s findings would not be made public.

Jim Fair, a spokesman for the Legionaries in North America, said: “We thank the Holy Father and embrace the provisions with faith and obedience. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of the apostolic visitators, and we’re grateful for the prayers of so many people who have supported us at this time.”

The Vatican statement said that Father Maciel had kept his double life hidden from most Legionaries by creating a system of power that allowed him to silence his critics. The Vatican also assailed “the most serious and objectively immoral behavior of Father Maciel, confirmed by incontrovertible witnesses, which amount to true crimes and show a life deprived of scruples and authentic religious feeling.”

The announcement came a day after Benedict made a brief appearance at a meeting at the Vatican with the five bishops who investigated the case; the secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone; and members of other Vatican departments.

Critics have said the order’s current leaders must have known about Father Maciel’s misdeeds. But the Rev. Luis Garza Medina, the order’s No. 2, or vicar general, said in an interview last week with the newspaper La Repubblica that he was not aware of the abuse until after Father Maciel was punished in 2006. “It was difficult to understand that there might be such immoral and aberrant actions on his part,” he said.

In the statement released Saturday, the Vatican said, “The Holy Father intends to reassure all the Legionaries and the members of the Regnum Christi movement that they will not be left alone: that the church has the firm commitment to accompany them and help them in the path toward purification that awaits them.”

That, Juan Vaca said, is little comfort for him and Father Maciel’s other victims.

“They don’t say anything about all the harm, about how they treated us like liars,” said Mr. Vaca, a professor of sociology and psychology at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. “I have my dreams completely shattered.”



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

NEW DELHI — India's Roman Catholic Church leadership is planning to enforce a zero-tolerance policy against abusive priests, following a meeting of the country's top bishops in southern India last week, a church spokesman said.

Under the new policy, abuse allegations would be reported to the police for criminal investigation, not merely handled internally, as was the practice in many Catholic institutions, said the Rev. Joseph Karakombil, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India.

The draft policy is a response to a rising tide of allegations worldwide that priests who abused children were permitted to return to work with little sanction, Karakombil said. It also follows a high-profile case in which an Indian priest has been accused of sexual abuse when he worked in the United States.

That priest, the Rev. Joseph Palanivel Jeyapaul, was charged in absentia in 2007 with criminal sexual conduct for allegedly forcing a 14-year-old girl in his parish in Minnesota to have oral sex.

Jeyapaul had returned a year earlier to India, and after a canonical trial was permitted to return to work as a priest.

New York Times News Service



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

The Catholic Church in Malta was as devious as the Mafia in covering up years of sexual abuse against orphans, one alleged victim said ahead of the Pope’s visit to the Mediterranean country on Saturday.

 

Catholic Church is ‘like the Mafia’25798_1324618409506_1652254913_790499_1186348_n

 

 

Pope Benedict XVI will arrive in Malta on his first overseas trip since a wave of paedophile sex abuse allegations engulfed the Church.

A group of 10 Maltese orphans, now in their late thirties, say they were sexually abused in the 1980s by the priests charged with looking after them. They believe hundreds of other Maltese boys and teenagers were also abused, but have been too afraid or ashamed to come forward.

"The Church on Malta is like the Mafia. It is very powerful, and people are afraid of it," said Joseph Magro, 38, one of the alleged victims.

But seven years after they officially launched their complaint, the group claims they continue to face a wall of silence from the Church.

Among the accused is Father Charles Pulis, who still works in a Catholic-run institution adjacent to a boys’ school.

He is being investigated by a behind-closed-doors Church tribunal, which holds hearings only every four months.

"If a father abused his child like this, he would go straight to jail," said a second alleged victim, who asked not to be named. "We want these priests to be punished as they used to punish us."

A third member of the group said that an apology from the Pope would help heal the emotional scars of the abuse. "But we would only really be healed by seeing these priests go to jail," said Lawrence Grech, 37.

The group has requested a meeting with the Pope, but the Vatican has said it is unlikely that the pontiff will be able to fit them in to his busy schedule during the 24-hour visit.

Telegraph Media Group



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

BANDIERA_DELLA_CITTA_DEL_VATICANO

In an investigation spanning 21 countries across six continents, The Associated Press found 30 cases of Roman Catholic priests accused of abuse who were transferred or moved abroad. 
Here are snapshots of the cases: 
___ 
REV. DENIS VADEBONCOEUR 
Vadeboncoeur, a 69-year-old priest, served a 20-month sentence in Quebec in the 1980s after pleading guilty to sexual abuse and sodomy of four teenage boys. 
Afterward, he moved to a small parish in Normandy, France — and was convicted in 2005 of raping an adolescent boy. He was sentenced to 12 years in a French prison, where he is now. 
The bishop at the time, Jacques Gaillot, said he tried to give the priest a second chance. 
"That was my first mistake," Gaillot told The Associated Press. "Retrospectively I realized that I was wrong to take him in, and I was wrong not to say anything." 
A 1987 letter to Gaillot from Vadeboncoeur’s Canadian superior, Pierre Levesque, clearly spelled out Vadeboncoeur’s sex crimes and concerns that he would abuse again. But Levesque also supported Vadeboncoeur’s move to France and said "the hard lesson Vadeboncoeur endured had beneficial effects on him." 
___ 
REV. FRANCOIS LEFORT 
A French priest and humanitarian doctor, Lefort was convicted in 2005 in France of raping and abusing six minors in Senegal in 1994 and 1995. According to his supporters’ Web site, he now works in the library in the bishop’s office in Puy en Velay. 
A witness at his trial said there were similar allegations in Mauritania, where he lived before Senegal. 
After the allegations surfaced, Lefort moved back to France and worked in different parishes. Catholic authorities didn’t restrict him from working with minors while the investigations were still pending. French observers say such procedure was standard at the time, but has changed in the past two to three years. 
___ 
CARDINAL HANS HERMANN GROER 
The now-deceased former cardinal was accused in 1995 by former pupils and monks in his care of sexually molesting minors in the 1970s and 1980s at the Goettweig monastery in Austria
Groer stepped down as Vienna archbishop soon after the first allegations were publicized and relinquished all his religious duties for the Catholic Church in 1998, at the request of Pope John Paul II
Upon stepping down, Groer was sent to a monastery in eastern Germany, in the Dresden diocese. He did not commit any known abuses while in Germany. 
Groer later returned to Austria, where he died in 2003. He never admitted guilt. 
___ 
REV. GREGOR MUELLER 
The Swiss priest has admitted to abuse with "children and adolescents" in the 1970s in the Cistercian Abbey in Mehrerau, Austria, and a church in Birnau, Germany. 
Mueller was dismissed from his post in Mehrerau and Birnau for sexual abuse, and then was hired by the Basel diocese in Switzerland in 1971, although diocese officials knew about his past abuse. They hired him under condition that he was monitored by another priest and given medical treatment. 
Basel officials have told the Swiss daily Blick that four alleged cases have been reported against Mueller. 
In 1987, Mueller was called back to Birnau. He joined the Chur diocese in 1992 as a priest in the small Swiss town of Schuebelbach. The Chur diocese said it didn’t learn about his past until being contacted by a victim on March 15 of this year. The bishop then confronted Mueller, who resigned last month. 
___ 
REV. JOSE POVEDA SANCHEZ 
Poveda Sanchez, a 50-year-old Spaniard, worked in the Italian diocese of Porto-Santa Rufina and is now in Spain. 
The bishop, Gino Reali, said under questioning by an Italian prosecutor Dec. 1, 2008, that the priest came under suspicion for sending sexually explicit telephone messages to several children in the diocese in 2005. The bishop said the priest denied sending the messages but said other people may have used his cell phone
The bishop said he ordered the priest back to Spain and not to return to Italy. He said he ordered a formal investigation. 
Poveda Sanchez was transferred to the Spanish diocese of Getafe, outside Madrid. That diocese says it was not informed in advance of the problems in Italy. Caramella Buona, an Italian nonprofit organization working with abuse victims, said Sanchez was accused of having abused four minors in the parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Aranova, in Rome
The Getafe diocese said he was assigned to work in his hometown of Belmote de Cuenca in a non-pastoral job, then in 2007 was named parish priest of Valdelaguna and in 2008 of Belmote de Tajo. 
The Getafe diocese said it learned of the probe in 2008 from the priest himself, and transferred him to work at a nursing home in Aranjuez. 
___ 
REV. BRENDAN SMYTH 
Smyth was an Irish visiting priest at Our Lady of Mercy in East Greenwich, R.I., in 1965-68. Providence diocese spokesman William Halpin said the Americans were told the move was to ease Smyth’s difficulties with asthma. 
Smyth’s stay ended abruptly following allegations of abusing children. 
The late Bruno Mulvihill, a priest in Smyth’s Norbertine order, has said he spoke of his concerns about Smyth to Archbishop Gaetano Alibrandi, the papal nuncio in Ireland, and the then-bishop of Kilmore, Francis McKiernan. In a statement to Irish police in 1995, Mulvihill said: "Archbishop Alibrandi was not interested in listening to my complaints." 
After more complaints in 1975, McKiernan barred Smyth from ministry in the diocese of Kilmore. The Rev. Sean Brady, now leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, interviewed two children who complained about Smyth. Brady said this year that he accepted their accounts as true, but did not notify police. 
In 1979, Smyth went to North Dakota at St. Alphonsus Church in Langdon. 
Smyth was charged with multiple offenses in Northern Ireland in 1991, but fled to the Republic of Ireland, mostly staying at Kilnacrott Abbey. He returned to Northern Ireland in 1993 and pleaded guilty the following year to indecently assaulting five girls and two boys. 
In 1997, Smyth was extradited to the Republic of Ireland, where he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing 20 boys and girls between 1958 and 1993. He died of a heart attack one month into his 12-year sentence. 
___ 
UNIDENTIFIED PRIEST 
This priest is mentioned in a July 2009 report by an Irish commission on priest abuse in the archdiocese of Dublin. 
The priest was first sent for treatment by the Servants of the Paraclete in Stroud, England. There was another complaint after he returned to Ireland. 
The priest was persuaded to go to New Mexico for treatment in 1982. He briefly returned to Ireland, was accused of making a pass at a 16-year-old boy and went back for treatment in Jemez Springs. 
In April 1983 the then-archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Ryan, got Bishop Mark Hurley of Santa Rosa, Calif., to allow the priest to work in Eureka, Calif. After complaints of inappropriate conduct in 1985, Hurley withdrew the priest. 
In June 1987 an official from Sacramento telephoned Monsignor Alex Stenson in Dublin about the priest, saying: "Urgent to get him out of the USA to anywhere."
The priest was suspended, and laicization was approved in March 1988. The priest applied to work with a non-church homeless project in Stockton. 
"The bishops decided to let him go to the USA. They, in effect, set him loose on the unsuspecting population ofStocktonCalifornia. There is no record that they notified the bishop of Stockton of his arrival," the report concludes. 
___ 
REV. PATRICK MAGUIRE 
Maguire sought to become a priest, he said, to deal with his impulses. "Since priests don’t have sex, it wouldn’t matter whether he was attracted to boys or girls," according to a report by an Irish commission. 
He initially worked in Japan. He was sent to Ireland in 1974 after a nun in Japan complained of his inappropriate conduct with young males. The report quotes a letter from a member of the Missionary Society of St. Columban in Japan to group’s head in Ireland: 
"Bishop Hirata was most understanding but said that it would be best that Pat slip out of Japan quietly." 
In 1974-75 Maguire worked in the diocese of Raphoe in northwest Ireland, where he got altar boys to stay with him overnight. He was then sent for treatment in Stroud, England, where he was diagnosed as a pederast, a man who commits sodomy on boys. 
He resumed pastoral work in England in 1976. Following a complaint, he was assigned to office work in Dublin in 1979. That year, a woman complained that she found Maguire in bed with her two sons. 
Maguire went to England for treatment in 1982. In 1983, he was appointed to parish duties in the Dublin district of Ballymun, "highly" recommended by a superior of the society. But after complaints, he was sent to England in 1984 for more therapy. 
Maguire got a parish appointment in England, where he was accused of sexually abusing a 21-year-old man with a mental illness. The Columbans brought him back to Ireland. 
Maguire is now living in a Columban residence in Meath, northwest of Dublin, where he is "monitored very carefully," Bishop Philip Boyce of Raphoe told an Irish newspaper in November 2009. 
___ 
FATHER VIDAL (pseudonym) 
He had several affairs with women in Britain and sought a post in Ireland. 
The report from an Irish commission looking into Dublin archdiocese abuse cases said Vidal’s bishop wrote to Archbishop John Charles McQuaid saying: "As you will appreciate, it will not be advisable for him to work in this diocese again." 
In 1973, a nun informed the Dublin archdiocese that Vidal was having sexual affairs with a woman and her daughter, aged 12-14. At the time of his laicization in 1979, Vidal acknowledged a physical relationship with the girl from the age of 13. He married her in 1980, but they separated in 1985. He got a divorce in California in 1992; she got a divorce in Ireland in 1997 after divorce was legalized there. 
In 1985, Vidal contacted the archdiocese saying he wished to return to the ministry. After Vidal spent time at a monastery, Auxiliary Bishop Dermot O’Mahony arranged for the priest to go to the Sacramento diocese in California. O’Mahony did not disclose the priest’s past. 
Vidal worked as a priest in Sacramento, retired to Ireland in 2003 and died the following year. 
___ 
REV. MOISES ALEXIS C. JAVIER 
Javier was accused by two altar boys (one 18 and another 19 at the time) of molesting them in 2001-02 at a Catholic school about three hours west ofManila, in the Philippines
Javier left in 2002. The former bishop of his diocese told the AP that Javier went to the U.S., where his parents and a sister live. "We allowed him," the former bishop said. "His mother got sick and he went there to take care of her." 
Ryan Mau, the parish secretary at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Rowland Heights, Calif., said Javier was the parish’s associate pastor for two years, starting sometime in 2003. Javier died on Jan. 23, 2008. 
The AP has copies of two letters sent in June 2002 by the lay leaders at the St. Columban parish in Olongapo to then-Bishop Deogracias Iniguez and other diocesan leaders about the alleged abuse. 
Frustrated by the lack of action, one of the lay leaders, Olet Enriquez, e-mailed the Vatican in September 2003 to report the alleged sexual harassment. He said he got an unsigned reply telling him to take his case to the papal nuncio in Manila. He said he sent a lengthy follow-up letter to the same Vatican e-mail address in January 2004, restating the case, but never got a reply. 
___ 
REV. CRISTOBAL GARCIA 
Garcia was expelled from the Dominican order in 1986 after a nun told police that an altar boy had been found in his bed in a Los Angeles rectory. The priest left for his hometown in the Philippines in Cebu province, where he continued to serve and in 1997 was given the title of monsignor. 
Monsignor Pedro Quitorio, media director of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, said he had not heard about the Garcia case but that it should be looked into. 
Garcia told the Dallas Morning News that he did have sex with the boys, but claimed he was the one who was "seduced and raped," a charge his accusers called absurd. A plaintiff, Paul Corral, said he had obtained a financial settlement. 
___ 
JOSEPH SKELTON 
Skelton was studying for the priesthood in Michigan in 1988 when he was convicted of sexual misconduct with a 15-year-old boy and dismissed from his seminary. 
He went to the Philippines, where he was ordained a priest in 2001 in the diocese of Tagbilaran in Bohol province. Today, at 48, he is parochial vicar of St. Vincent Ferrer parish in the town of Calape, according to the diocese directory. Reached on his cell phone, Skelton declined to comment. 
The bishop who ordained Skelton said he wouldn’t have made him a priest if he had known about the criminal conviction. But he added: "The priest is trying to live well. If he has really changed, the heart of the church is compassionate." 
The archdiocese of Detroit, after learning Skelton had been ordained, sent a letter about his conviction to then-Bishop Tumulak in early 2003. Tumulak said he doesn’t remember if he received the letter. In any case, he added, it would have been too late. 
Informed of the case, current Bishop Leonardo Medroso said he would investigate. But he added: "He was convicted, and that means to say he has served already the conviction. So what obstacle can there be if he has already served his punishment or penalty?" 
___ 
REV. MANUEL PEREZ MARAMBA 
A lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by Maramba in the U.S. more than than 30 years ago was settled this month. The settlement was the third reached with the diocese of El PasoTexas, and others in allegations of sexual abuse by the same Filipino priest. 
Maramba’s lawyers said he was not party to the settlement. 
"Since Father Maramba was not a party to the proceedings that resulted in the reported settlement, there is nothing to deny or admit other than that he was assigned to the parish of Las Cruces in 1976-77," said the statement from the law firm Saguisag, Carao & Associates. "That a settlement was reached does not in any way indicate fault on the part of any party." 
Maramba served at St. Genevieve Church in Las Cruces, N.M., from 1976-77 and at the Newman Center in Silver City, N.M., before being recalled to the Philippines in 1977 by his abbey. 
___ 
REV. SANTIAGO TAMAYO 
After Tamayo was accused of abusing Rita Milla in the Los Angeles area, the church urged Tamayo to stay in the Philippines and mailed him checks, court documents show. 
Milla has maintained that she was molested by Tamayo at a church in Carson, Calif., when she was 16. After she turned 18, she said, she had sexual intercourse with Tamayo and he introduced her to six other priests who also abused her. 
After she was impregnated in 1982 by another priest at a Los Angeles-area church, Milla said, Tamayo suggested she get an abortion, then devised a plan to send her to the Philippines to have the child. 
Milla returned to California after giving birth to her daughter, Jacqueline. She sued the archdiocese in 1984, and won a $500,000 settlement. 
Tamayo later went to the Philippines. In 2004, Milla’s lawyer released documents showing the church mailed him checks. In three letters, church officials advised him not to reveal the source of the payments "unless requested under oath," noting that he was "liable for personal suits arising out of your past actions." 
Tamayo admitted he had sex with Milla and publicly apologized years before his death in 1999. 
___ 
REV. ALLAN WOOD**** 
Wood**** accused of molesting at least 11 boys at four different church facilities in New Zealand before being sent by the church to Ireland. 
He was extradited to New Zealand in 2004, pleaded guilty to 21 sexual abuse charges involving 11 victims and was sentenced to seven years in jail. He was paroled in September 2009. 
Society of Mary spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer told the AP "some families (of Wood****’s victims) asked for him to be sent offshore … he was sent to Ireland for intensive psychotherapy. He had no permission to exercise his ministry or to be involved with youth." 
Wood**** was suspended from his ministry in the New Zealand branch of the Society of Mary in 1987, according to Freer. He was removed from the priesthood in 2001, she said. 
___ 
RODGER WILLIAM MOLONEY AND BERNARD MCGRATH 
Brothers Moloney and McGrath of the Australian branch of the St. John of God Order were both jailed in New Zealand for the sexual abuse of scores of children at a special school in the southern city of Christchurch in the 1970s. The order had transferred them to Australia, but they were extradited back to New Zealand by police to face sexual abuse charges. 
Moloney was sentenced in 2008 to two years and nine months, and becomes eligible for parole later this month. At that time, the St. John of God Order said he will be deported to Australia. 
"He’s a brother (in the order) but won’t have any active ministry. He will be in a retirement home," the order’s spokesman, Simon Feely, told the AP. 
St. John of God shifted McGrath to Australia "before the prison term and prior to the order knowing of any court case (over abuse charges)," Feely told the AP. 
"McGrath was sacked by the (St. John of God) brothers several years ago. He is not a member of the order. They removed him," Feely said. 
McGrath was found guilty of 22 charges against nine victims aged 7 to 15 and sentenced to five years in 2006. He was paroled in February 2008, and reportedly is living in New Zealand. 
___ 
REV. JOSEPH JEYAPAUL 
Jeyapaul has been charged in Minnesota with two counts of criminal sexual conduct in connection with his work at a small church in the Crookston diocese in 2004-05. The charges stem from accusations that he groped a 14-year-old girl and forced her to perform oral sex on him. 
Jeyapaul returned to India before the charges were filed and continues to work in the diocese of Ootacamund. After initially saying he would not return to the U.S. to face the charges, he and his bishop have since said they would go back if his extradition was requested. 
___ 
REV. FRANCIS XAVIER NELSON 
Nelson was convicted in a New York court in 2003 of fondling a 12-year-old altar girl in the Brooklyn diocese. He was sentenced to four months in prison and has since returned to his church in the diocese of Kottar in southern India, where he works in the bishop’s office. 
___ 
REV. VIJAY VHASKR GODUGUNURU 
Godugunuru was forced to return to his native India and then transferred to Italy after pleading no contest to assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Bonifay, Fla. He now ministers to a parish in a medieval town of about 4,000 in Tuscany, where he hears confessions, celebrates Mass and works with children. 
The bishops supervising him said they were aware of the case but believed he was innocent. 
"The evidence that has been given does not support the accusation," Monsignor Rodolfo Cetoloni, the bishop of the Montepulciano diocese, told the AP last week. 
Cetoloni said he saw no reason for any restrictions. 
Godugunuru was charged with fondling a parishioner in her family’s van on June 23, 2006. The priest had been visiting friends and was allowed by the diocese to assist at the Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in Bonifay. 
The priest was arrested the next month on charges of lewd or lascivious battery on a minor, subject to up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The priest denied the accusation but pleaded no contest in a deal that required him to return to India, undergo counseling, not supervise minors for a year and not return to the United States. 
___ 
REV. MARIO PEZZOTTI 
The 75-year-old Pezzotti was accused in abuse cases that date from 1959 at a now-closed Holliston, Mass., boarding school run by his Xaverian religious order. 
Allegations against him surfaced in early 1993, but Pezzotti had already been sent to a remote area of Brazil’sAmazon to work as a missionary with the Kayapo Indians in 1970. Pezzotti was removed from Brazil for good and sent to Italy in 2008 after photos of him holding naked Kayapo children surfaced on the Internet, prompting one of his American victims — Joseph Callander — to contact the church and demand his removal. 
In a 1993 handwritten note of apology from Pezzotti to Callander, the priest admitted passing "through a rather difficult moment" in the 1960s, and said he "asked to leave Holliston and to go to Brazil to change my life." 
"Upon my arrival in Brazil, confiding in God’s mercy, I owned up to the problem," Pezzotti said. 
Pezzotti now lives in the headquarters of his order in Parma, Italy. Reached by telephone, he declined comment. 
"I don’t see why I have to talk about it. Everything was resolved and I don’t feel like talking," Pezzotti said. 
___ 
REV. CLODOVEO PIAZZA 
Brazilian police in Salvador in August 2009 said they were seeking Piazza’s arrest on abuse allegations made by eight boys. Police also accuse him of allowing foreign visitors to abuse boys. 
Piazza ran an award-winning shelter for homeless children. 
After three decades in Brazil, Piazza left in 2007 for missionary work in Mozambique. Brazilian prosecutors say Piazza has refused to respond to the charges. 
Interviewed in Maputo, Mozambique, this week, Piazza said the charges were false and part of a campaign to blackmail him by "political circles" in Brazil that he did not identify. 
"This is propaganda in order to earn money," Piazza told the AP, saying people in Brazil had asked him for money. 
He said he has been in Mozambique for about seven months living in a Jesuit residence and helping with "economic projects." He said he was not working with children. 
___ 
REV. ENRIQUE DIAZ JIMENEZ 
A Colombian, Diaz pleaded guilty to sexually abusing three boys while a priest at St. Leo’s Church and Our Lady of Sorrows Church in New York in the mid-1980s. 
Diaz was sentenced in April 1991 to five years’ probation and four months of an "intermittent sentence." He was deported and resumed work as a priest inVenezuela
He was suspended from the priesthood in 1996 for 20 years after 18 boys in Venezuela accused him of molesting them. 
Monsignor Francisco de Guruceaga, the bishop who hired Diaz in Venezuela, said it was not clear to him when the priest arrived that he had been charged with abusing children. De Guruceaga said Diaz told him he had problems with relationships with women, not molesting children. 
Diaz returned to Colombia in 1996 and found work again as a priest. Colombian prosecutors say Diaz was charged in 2001 with molesting one more boy and pleaded guilty later that year. 
___ 
JOSE ANGEL ARREGUI ERANA 
Arregui, a Spaniard, is a member of the Clerics of Saint Viator. He was convicted in Chile on March 24 possessing child pornography and was sentenced to no fewer than 817 days in prison, without access to computer equipment. 
Arregui came to Chile in January 2008 and has been jailed since Aug. 14, 2009, when Chilean police determined that he had downloaded child pornography. 
Police found he had stored more than 400 hours of child porn videos, including ones he made with a hidden camera in three schools in Spain. The Chileans concluded from the children’s accents that they were Spanish, and alerted Spanish authorities, who began their own investigation early last year. 
Ignacio Pelaez Marques, a Madrid lawyer for the Saint Viator order, said Arregui left just because he wanted to teach in Chile. He was employed at Saint Thomas University in Santiago. 
The lawyer said there were never any complaints about Arregui from students in Spain. The Saint Viator order also denied any knowledge of pedophilia, saying Arregui left by his own volition to teach in Chile. 
___ 
BISHOP FRANCISCO JOSE COX 
Cox had been bishop in La Serena, in northern Chile, for seven years when he was removed in 1997 amid rumors that he was a pedophile. He was first moved to Santiago, then Rome, then Colombia, and finally Germany. 
In 2002, Santiago Archbishop Francisco Javier Erraruriz said Cox had agreed to be removed for "inappropriate conduct." Erraruriz said Cox had shown "affection that was a bit exuberant," especially toward children. The archbishop acknowledged the rumors, but said, "I’m not aware of any formal allegation backed by evidence and by someone willing to take responsibility." 
Erraruriz said Cox volunteered to be confined to a Schoenstatt convent in Colombia to continue "praying to God for his pardon for the errors he has made." 
Cox was given an administrative job in Santiago until 1999, then sent to Rome for psychiatric treatment, then in 2001 transferred to Colombia. He was later seen in Switzerland and then in a Schoenstatt sanctuary in Germany. 
___ 
REV. JOSE ANDRES AGUIRRE OVALLE 
Aguirre was sent out of Chile twice amid abuse allegations and eventually sentenced to 12 years in prison. 
The judge determined that the church had been aware of abuse allegations as early as 1994. Cardinal Carlos Oviedo sent Aguirre to Honduras, where he worked at a girls’ school. A mother accused him of abusing her daughters, then 13 and 16. He left Chile the next day — Sept. 30, 2002, again for Honduras. 
Santiago Archbishop Francisco Javier Erraruriz in 2002 defended the decision to send Aguirre to Honduras the first time. 
"According to what I’ve learned, the preachers are always accompanied by someone, and the effect is very positive. … The response seems to have been adequate in terms of his recuperation. Only afterward, with time, could we see that they were insufficient." 
Erraruriz sent Aguirre a letter in Honduras ordering him to come back and face justice. He was convicted in July 2003 of sexual abuse of nine teenage girls and the statutory rape of another. 
One of the girls, identified as Paula, was quoted by the Chilean La Nacion daily as saying "I thought it wasn’t that bad to have sex with him because when I told priests about it at confession, they just told me to pray and that was it." 
She said one of those she confessed to about her sex with Aguirre was Bishop Cox, who himself was facing allegations of pedophilia. 
___ 
REV. NICOLAS AGUILAR RIVERA 
In 1988 police began investigating reports that Rivera had molested children at two parishes in the archdiocese of Los Angeles — but Aguilar Rivera fled to his native Mexico before he could be arrested. U.S. authorities charged him in absentia with 19 felony counts for molesting 10 children and issued an arrest warrant. 
Over the next 10 years, U.S. authorities sent repeated queries on the case to Mexico, but no action was taken. 
Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony wrote to then-Bishop Norberto Rivera to ask for assistance in apprehending the priest. In his reply, the Mexican bishop said he had told Mahony of the priest’s "homosexual problems" in a confidential letter before Aguilar Rivera joined the Los Angeles archdiocese. Mahony replied that he had not received the letter. 
Once in Mexico, Aguilar Rivera continued to act as a priest at least until 1994, when he was accused of abusing a teenage boy as a priest at the San Antonio de la Huertas church in Mexico City
Aguilar Rivera was laicized last year, according to Bishop Accountability, a church watchdog group. 
___ 
REV. LUCAS ANTONIO GALVAN VALDEZ 
In 1989 Galvan pleaded guilty in Colorado to sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl. Galvan had the girl clean the rectory and his private room and on several occasions fondled her in his room, according to the girl’s attorney, Alan Higbee. 
Galvan pleaded guilty in March 1989 to third-degree sexual assault and was given a suspended one-year jail sentence in a deferred judgment in which the charge was later dismissed. The girl settled a lawsuit against the Pueblo diocese for more than $90,000. 
In 1992 Galvan became a priest at San Cayetano Church in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and stayed for five years. He transferred to Mexico City in 1997, where he is now an assistant pastor at the Parroquia Nuestra Senora del Sagrado Corazon y San Cayetano. 
___ 
REV. ELEUTERIO "AL" RAMOS 
The diocese of Orange in Southern California received reports that the Rev. Eleuterio "Al" Ramos had abused children as early as 1975 and sent him for psychotherapy while allowing him to remain in ministry. 
More allegations of abuse were reported in the late 1970s, and Ramos was eventually sent to St. Luke’s Institute in Maryland for about six months of treatment. Parishioners were told he was being treated for alcoholism. 
Church officials transferred him to another parish upon his return, and he served in two more parishes between 1980 and 1985. 
In 1985 Ramos called diocese officials to report that he had "slipped" and had an "incident" with a 17-year-old boy. Ramos assured his superiors that the parents were "not going legal." Two months later, he was transferred to Divine Providence Church in the Diocese of Tijuana, Mexico. 
The diocese of Orange provided Ramos with a car, paid him $332 a month and paid for car insurance valid in the United States. Ramos was to meet with hispsychiatrist once a month and pay the $100 fee and obtain Mexican car insurance. 
Ramos remained in Tijuana until at least 1993, when, according to an internal memo, diocese officials in California strongly urged Tijuana Bishop Emilio Berlie to remove him from active ministry, despite resistance from Berlie. 
Ramos eventually returned to the U.S. and lived in a trailer in Whittier, Calif., before his death in 2004. 
___ 
REV. JAMES TULLY 
Tully, a member of the Xaverian Missionary Fathers order, served two stints inSierra Leone, the second after being sentenced to probation in the U.S. in connection with charges of groping adolescent boys. 
Tully first worked as a missionary in Sierra Leone between 1979 and 1985, according to sources who knew him in that African nation. 
In 1991, in Franklin, Wis., Tully was accused of escorting three teenage boys to a baseball game, giving them alcohol and groping one of the youths. He pleaded no contest and was convicted of disorderly conduct in 1992. 
He was sentenced to two years’ probation and barred from unsupervised contact with juveniles. He was transferred to the Institute of the Living for therapy in Hartford, Conn. 
In 1994 Tully returned to Sierra Leone and remained there until a civil war forced him to be evacuated in 1998. He then returned to the U.S. 
In 1998 William Nash told the Xaverians that Tully abused him while he was a 21-year-old student at the Xaverian Seminary in Milwaukee between 1986 and 1988. Nash received a $75,000 out-of-court settlement in 2005 from the Xaverians. 
Soon after another alleged abuse victim in the Boston area came forward in 2002, Tully was moved from the U.S. to Rome and was assigned to a non-ministerial position. He was laicized in January 2009 and now lives inNew Jersey.




__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Predator priests were shuffled around globe, investigation finds

In a photo from a 2008 newsletter released by the Bresciani Missionaries, the Rev. Mario Pezzotti posed with the Kayapo Indian children he worked with in Brazil. In 1959, he had raped and abused a 14-year-old Massachusetts youth.In a photo from a 2008 newsletter released by the Bresciani Missionaries, the Rev. Mario Pezzotti posed with the Kayapo Indian children he worked with in Brazil. In 1959, he had raped and abused a 14-year-old Massachusetts youth. (Bresciani Missionaries via Associated Press)

 

RIO DE JANEIRO — There he was, five decades later, the priest who had raped Joe Callander in Massachusetts. The photo in the Roman Catholic newsletter showed him with a smile across his wrinkled face, near-naked Amazon Indian children in his arms and at his feet.

The Rev. Mario Pezzotti was working with children and supervising priests in Brazil.

It’s not an isolated example.

In an investigation spanning 21 countries across six continents, the Associated Press found 30 cases of priests accused of abuse who were transferred or moved abroad. Some escaped police investigations. Many had access to children in another country, and some abused again.

A priest who admitted to abuse in Los Angeles went to the Philippines, where US church officials mailed him checks and advised him not to reveal their source. A priest in Canada was convicted of sexual abuse and then moved to France, where he was found guilty of abuse again in 2005. Another priest was moved back and forth between Ireland and England, despite being diagnosed as a pederast, a man who commits sodomy with boys.

“The pattern is if a priest gets into trouble and it’s close to becoming a scandal or if the law might get involved, they send them to the missions abroad,’’ said Richard Sipe, a former Benedictine monk and critic of what he says is a practice of international transfers of accused and admitted priest child abusers. “Anything to avoid a scandal.’’

Church officials say that in some cases, the priests themselves moved to another country and the new parish might not have been aware of past allegations. In other cases, church officials said that they did not believe the allegations or that the priest had served his time and reformed.

Callander says he was 14 when he was raped three times and abused on other occasions in 1959 at the now-closed Xaverian Missionary Faith High School in Holliston, Mass. The Xaverians settled the case for $175,000 in 1993. At least two other accusations of sexual abuse were leveled against Pezzotti in the Boston area.

In the meantime, from 1970 to 2003, Pezzotti was in Brazil, where he worked with the Kayapo Indians.

In a handwritten note of apology to Callander in January 1993, Pezzotti said he had cured himself in the jungle.

“I asked to leave Holliston and go to Brazil to change my life and begin a new life. Upon arrival in Brazil, confiding in God’s mercy, I owned up to the problem,’’ Pezzotti wrote. “With divine help, I overcame it.’’

There is no evidence that Pezzotti, now 75, abused children in Brazil, which has more Catholics than any other nation. Brazilian law enforcement officials said they were unaware of any complaints about him.

The Rev. Robert Maloney, a former provincial of the Xaverians who worked closely on Callander’s settlement, said Pezzotti was allowed to stay in Brazil for another decade and work with children after a psychological evaluation. He added that a Xaverian investigation into Pezzotti and his work in Brazil turned up nothing.

After Pezzotti returned to Italy in 2003, he was constantly being asked for, Maloney said.

In 2008, Pezzotti returned to Brazil. A few months later, Callander saw the photos of him on the Internet and complained to the church. The priest was quickly sent back to Italy.

The Xaverian vicar general, the Rev. Luigi Menegazzo, said Pezzotti works at Xaverian headquarters in Parma tending to sick and elderly priests. Asked whether Pezzotti had any contact with children or public parish work, he said, “Absolutely in no way.’’

Reached by telephone, Pezzotti said only: “I don’t see why I have to talk about it. Everything was resolved and I don’t feel like talking.’

 

Boston



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Pope could be arrested on his visit to Britain

Saint-Peters-Square

 

 

AVOWED atheist campaigner Richard Dawkins has said that he backs plans to have Pope Benedict arrested when he arrives in Britain in September. 
The author of The God Delusion said: “Should Pope Benedict be investigated for how cases of abuse were handled under his watch as archbishop of Munich or as the Vatican’s chief doctrinal enforcer? 
Yes, of course he should. 
This former head of the Inquisition should be arrested the moment he dares to set foot outside his tinpot fiefdom of the Vatican, and he should be tried in an appropriate civil — not ecclesiastical — court. That’s what should happen. Sadly, we all know our faith-befuddled governments will be too craven to do it.” 
Fellow atheist Christopher Hitchens, the author of God Is Not Great, put the idea of arresting Pope Benedict XVI to Dawkins: “I responded enthusiastically, [then] Christopher made the brilliant suggestion of Geoffrey Robertson,” said Dawkins. “The case is obviously in good hands.” 
The two lawyers, barrister Geoffrey Robertson and solicitor Mark Stephens, are drawing up a case using the same legal principle employed to arrest Augusto Pinochet when he flew to Britain in 1998. 
Three courses of action appear to be available to the legal team: they can ask the Crown Prosecution Service in England to initiate proceedings against Pope Benedict; launch a private civil action against the Pope, or take their case to the International Criminal Court. 
As the Pope is visiting Glasgow, it’s possible Scottish authorities could take similar action — Scotland has a different legal system from England. 
Christopher Hitchens said: “This man is not above or outside the law. The institutionalised concealment of child rape is a crime under any law, and demands not private ceremonies of repentance or church-funded payoffs, but justice and punishment.” 
If the legal plan goes ahead, it is believed that Pope Benedict would not be able to claim diplomatic immunity as he is not the head of a state recognised by the United Nations. 
Richard Dawkins said: “Even if the Pope doesn’t end up in the dock, and even if the Vatican doesn’t cancel the visit, I am optimistic that we shall raise public consciousness to the point where the British Government will find it very awkward indeed to go ahead with the Pope’s visit, let alone pay for it.” 
Last week a letter emerged from 1985 in which the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger urged that a paedophile priest in the US not be defrocked for the “good of the universal church”. 
Neither the Vatican nor Buckingham Palace — who are hosting the Pope’s state visit — would comment on the matter. 
■ There is a precedent for the threat of legal action derailing international visits. 
In 2009 proPalestinian activists succeeded in getting a British judge to issue an arrest warrant for Tzipi Livni, the Israeli politician, for alleged offences committed during the 2008-2009 conflict. Livni was foreign minister at the time. 
She promptly cancelled her planned visit, and the warrant was withdrawn.




__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Should the Pope be arrested for crimes against humanity?

Pope_and_Condom_by_BenHeine

This might seem like an media-stunt-extremist bridge too far along the long and winding path of repercussions for the way in which priests and churchmen have been covering up the systematic sexual abuse of young children by men of their frock, but the people behind legal maneuvering to have the Pope arrested like a Balkan war-criminal when he visits the UK later this year are none other than author Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) and celebrated lawyer Geoffrey Robertson.

Dawkins and another atheist author, Christopher Hitchens, have contacted Robertson to see if a water-stiff legal case can be presented for Pope Benedict’s arrest under the same legal principle which saw Augusto Pinochet taken into comfortable custody a few years back. The Times reports:

 

Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, said: “This is a man whose first instinct when his priests are caught with their pants down is to cover up the scandal and damn the young victims to silence.”

Hitchens, author of God Is Not Great, said: “This man is not above or outside the law. The institutionalised concealment of child rape is a crime under any law and demands not private ceremonies of repentance or church-funded payoffs, but justice and punishment.

What a sight it would make to see the Pope handcuffed and led in a walk of shame and his head is pushed down as he’s shoved in the back of the divie van. Something tells me he wouldn’t survive too many night in Pentonville prison. Which gang could the Pope join in the common room after breakfast? Who would offer him protection? I guess there are a few Catholic crooks doing time at the moment but can’t imagine they are a tough group of hardened members of the criminal classes.

Still, it does make for a fine image, the Pope in his flowing white robes and pontifical cap rolling with his Catholic crew into the common room at Pentonville.

All the same, if Dawkins and Hitchens are looking to exploit the same legal framework that saw Pinochet arrested, they might do well to consider the denouement of that particular case, which was Augusto getting on a plane and flying home to die in his sleep.

Having been brought up Catholic and slowly reformed my beliefs outside the institution of the church itself I do not have a horse trough of sympathy for the Church, but taking legal proceedings against the Pope and charging him with crimes against humanity like general who had thousands of people summarily executed for their political beliefs will be viewed as a disgrace to the sanctity of the law itself. Without wanting to diminish the suffering that thousands, or tens of thousands of children have suffered at the protrudations of pedo parish priests, the chances of survival when you have been abused is far greater than the chance of survival if you have been shot in the head and had your legs cut off.

What do you think, is this just a twee publicity stunt, or should the Pope go down?



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

The Catholic Church is diseased right now. Amid the mounting global scandal over pedophilia, it’s suffering from epidemic proportions of denial and enabling. It seems to care more about protecting its own image and interests than the faithful innocents it’s been called to serve under God. Perched atop this mess is Pope Benedict XVI. And if it is ultimately proven that he was negligent in turning a blind eye to years of sexual abuse by priests under his charge — when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and as head of the oversight body, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, from 1981 to 2005 — then he must step down or be removed from the papacy. The corner office of the Vatican is certainly no place for sexual abuse cover-ups.

2010-04-07-Church2.png

There are now unconscionable abuse cases arising out of Ireland, Germany, Minneapolis, and Wisconsin, where over 200 deaf boys were sexually molested over a span of perhaps 25 years by then-Father Lawrence C. Murphy. The charges are beyond shocking, and the acts they describe are heinous. And these are just the cases made public and over the last few weeks. To be sure, this is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg.

Despite being plagued by years of sexual scandal, the Church remains cavalier in its denial and arrogant defense of itself and of its failed self-policing mechanisms. It acts as if it’s above the law and shrouds itself in secrecy, and its predatory monsters are afforded leniency and forgiveness no other common criminal would receive. For example, Murphy, in a letter to the CDF, begged, "I am seventy-two years of age, your Eminence, and am in poor health. I have just recently suffered another stroke which has left me in a weakened state. I have followed all the directives of both Archbishop Cousins and now Archbishop Weakland. I have repented of any of my past transgressions, and have been living peaceably in northern Wisconsin for twenty-four years. I simply want to live out the time that I have left in the dignity of my priesthood. I ask your kind assistance in this matter." He died in 1998, still a priest. After his death, Archbishop Weakland appealed to the Vatican to close the case: "This Discastery commends Father Murphy to the mercy of God. And shares with you the hope that the Church will be spared any undue publicity from this matter."

What’s infuriating here was Murphy’s unbridled arrogance; after sexually violating over 200 young boys, he felt confident enough in the Church’s tolerance of these despicable crimes to ask to live out his years with the "dignity of my priesthood." Were the 200 boys left with any dignity? And it’s nice to know that the Church apparently cared more about bad PR than deaf kids being attacked by this "dignified priest." As an aside, rule number one of effective PR is this: first admit the problem, then describe the aggressive measures being taken to fix the problem, and then assure that the problem won’t ever happen again. That’s what the Church should be doing if it’s truly concerned about PR.

Upsetting as well is the excuse-making and bait-and-switching coming from the lay community. Case in point: William McGurn’s op-ed piece in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal in which he writes that Jeff Anderson, a victims’ lawyer in the Milwaukee abuse case, has a history of suing the Church in other abuses cases: "[I]t’s hard to think of anyone with a greater financial interest in promoting the public narrative of a church that takes zero action against abuser priests, with Pope Benedict XVI personally culpable." McGurn clearly finds it more relevant to assassinate the character of the lawyer in this abuse case rather than be outraged over the abuses, and the abusers, themselves. His position is symbolic of the overall unwillingness of the Church, and its supporters, to directly address its sexual abuse problem while blaming others.

There’s also this preposterous notion that priests will not molest little children if we simply allowed them to marry and have opposite-sex relationships. The ridiculousness of this supposition is just another example of the colossal denial in religious circles. Let’s be very clear about one thing: heterosexual marriage does not cure homosexuality and pedophilia. Our prisons are filled with lots of "normal" married folk who just also happen to sexually abuse children. We’ve got to stop looking for reasons to justify and excuse this vile behavior and instead focus on implementing real reforms that will identify, prosecute and punish the abusers.

Perhaps most infuriating is how Church officials have vociferously defended the Pope, who they claim has been a harsh and outspoken critic of the "filth" that infests the Church, citing him as an architect and promoter of reform. But it’s gonna take a helluva lot more than mere words or public outcries from the Holy See to end the rampant molestation of children by its priests. We can no longer live with the double-standard that currently exists and which protects priests from punishment for their disgusting crimes and does so in a shameful covert cover-up manner. Repentance, demotions to desk duty, and other meaningless slaps on the wrist are inexcusable. These undeserved courtesies are an outrageous insult to victims, and do nothing but perpetuate the circle of horrific abuse. One thing must change immediately: whether your white collar comes from JC Penney or the Vatican, if you sexually abuse children, you should rot in jail. Period.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Church: Norway Bishop Resigned over Sex Abuse

 

  • In this Jan 15 2005 photo made available Wednesday April 7 2010, Trondheim Bishop Georg Muller addresses a congregation in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. (AP Photo/Gorm Kallestad)

(AP) Norway’s Catholic Church revealed Wednesday that a bishop who resigned last year did so after admitting he had molested a child years earlier, when he was a priest. 
Georg Mueller stepped down as bishop in the western city of Trondheim in June 2009. The church said it had not previously disclosed the reason for his resignation at the request of the victim. 
Mueller’s successor, Bishop Bernt Eidsvig, said in a statement Wednesday that the 58-year-old German had been removed from all pastoral duties and undergone therapy after he admitted the abuse. Mueller admitted to only one case – before he became a bishop in 1997 – and no other allegations have come to light, church officials said. 
"Mueller has been divested of his authority, and he won’t be allowed to work in a church again," Eidsvig told Adresseavisen, the Trondheim daily newspaper that broke the story. "He will never again be given a position in the church." 
Sex abuse allegations, as well as accusations of cover-ups by bishops and Vatican officials, have swept across Europe in recent weeks. The church in Norway had previously said it had investigated two separate claims of abuse from the 1950s. 
Eidsvig did not give details on when Mueller committed the abuse, but said the victim is now "well over age." It’s too late for the case to be tried in civil court because the statute of limitations in Norway has passed, Eidsvig said. 
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said the abuse occurred at "the beginning of the 90s." Mueller was a diocesan priest in Trondheim before being ordained a bishop in 1997. 
Lombardi said church authorities learned about the case in January last year. 
Eidsvig said he was making the case public at the request of Cardinal William Levada, who oversees the office that handles cases of alleged abuse by priests.
Eidsvig said The Vatican assigned the Apostolic Nunciature in Stockholm to investigate the allegations and whether they should be reported to civil authorities. 
Monsignor Rolandas Makrickas, a spokesman for the nunciature, said he had nothing to add to the Norwegian statement "except confirming that it is true." 
Adresseavisen said that, before Wednesday’s admission, it had made repeated requests for details on Mueller’s unexpected resignation, which the church explained at the time only in vague terms. 
The paper reported that the church paid the victim between 400,000 and 500,000 kroner ($67,000-$84,000) in reparations. Andreas Dingstad, a spokesman for Norway’s Catholic Church, told The Associated Press he didn’t know whether the church had paid reparations. 
Mueller, who first took up a post in Trondheim in 1981, quit his post on June 8, 2009, and relocated to Rome, according to the Web site of his order. The Web site said his resignation cited a section of canon law that allows a bishop to quit early if he is unable to carry out his duties for health or other reasons. 
Church officials estimate there are more than 100,000 Catholics in Norway, a mostly Lutheran country of 4.9 million people. 
In neighboring Denmark, also predominantly Lutheran, the Catholic Church launched an investigation this week into claims of clerical abuse dating back several decades. The panel is looking into 17 cases mostly dating to the 1960s and 70s.

CBS News



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Cardinal denounces "petty gossip" against Church

25416_374609933411_348381053411_3817505_8024702_n

A leading cardinal, addressing Pope Benedict at the start of an Easter Sunday ceremony, said the Church would not be influenced by what he called "petty gossip" about sexual abuse of children by priests.Skip related content

"Holy Father, the people of God are with you and will not let themselves be influenced by the petty gossip of the moment, by the trials that sometimes assail the community of believers," said Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals.

The words by Sodano were believed to be the first time in recent memory that the ritual of a papal Easter Mass was changed to allow someone to address the pope at the start.

The change indicated just how much the Vatican is feeling the pressure from a growing scandal concerning sexual abuse of children by priests and reports of a possible cover-up that have inched closer to the pope himself.

Sodano, a former secretary of state, praised the pope as the "solid rock" that holds up the Church.

"The Church is with you," Sodano told the pope to the cheers of thousands of people in a rainy St Peter’s Square.

The pope was due to deliver his twice-yearly "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) address at the end of the ceremony. It was not yet clear if he would address the abuse issue.

The celebrations leading up to Easter Sunday have been clouded by accusations the Church in several countries mishandled and covered up episodes of sexual abuse of children by priests, some dating back decades.

Shaken by the crisis, the Vatican has accused the media of attempting to smear the pope. Some reports have accused him of negligence in handling abuse cases in previous roles as a cardinal in his native Germany and in Rome.

The Vatican has denied any cover-up over the abuse of 200 deaf boys in the United States by Reverend Lawrence Murphy from 1950 to 1974. The New York Times reported the Vatican and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, were warned about Murphy but he was not defrocked.

On Saturday, the Vatican’s newspaper continued its campaign against the media for reports on alleged cover-ups of sexual abuse of children by priests, saying the pope had become the target of "despicable campaign of defamation."

It also denounced what it called a "crude campaign against the pope and Catholics."

(Writing by Philip Pullella; Yahoo!

In this Jan 15 2005 photo made available Wednesday April 7 2010, Trondheim Bishop Georg Muller addresses a congregation in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.Norway’s Catholic Bishop Georg Muller



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 9863
Date:
Permalink  
 

Pope ‘obstructed’ sex abuse inquiry

PopeBenedictXVIinBrazil

Confidential letter reveals Ratzinger ordered bishops to keep allegations secret

Pope Benedict XVI faced claims last night he had ‘obstructed justice’ after it emerged he issued an order ensuring the church’s investigations into child sex abuse claims be carried out in secret.

The order was made in a confidential letter, obtained by The Observer, which was sent to every Catholic bishop in May 2001.

It asserted the church’s right to hold its inquiries behind closed doors and keep the evidence confidential for up to 10 years after the victims reached adulthood. The letter was signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was elected as John Paul II’s successor last week.

Lawyers acting for abuse victims claim it was designed to prevent the allegations from becoming public knowledge or being investigated by the police. They accuse Ratzinger of committing a ‘clear obstruction of justice’.

The letter, ‘concerning very grave sins’, was sent from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican office that once presided over the Inquisition and was overseen by Ratzinger.

It spells out to bishops the church’s position on a number of matters ranging from celebrating the eucharist with a non-Catholic to sexual abuse by a cleric ‘with a minor below the age of 18 years’. Ratzinger’s letter states that the church can claim jurisdiction in cases where abuse has been ‘perpetrated with a minor by a cleric’.

The letter states that the church’s jurisdiction ‘begins to run from the day when the minor has completed the 18th year of age’ and lasts for 10 years.

It orders that ‘preliminary investigations’ into any claims of abuse should be sent to Ratzinger’s office, which has the option of referring them back to private tribunals in which the ‘functions of judge, promoter of justice, notary and legal representative can validly be performed for these cases only by priests’.

‘Cases of this kind are subject to the pontifical secret,’ Ratzinger’s letter concludes. Breaching the pontifical secret at any time while the 10-year jurisdiction order is operating carries penalties, including the threat of excommunication.

The letter is referred to in documents relating to a lawsuit filed earlier this year against a church in Texas and Ratzinger on behalf of two alleged abuse victims. By sending the letter, lawyers acting for the alleged victims claim the cardinal conspired to obstruct justice.

Daniel Shea, the lawyer for the two alleged victims who discovered the letter, said: ‘It speaks for itself. You have to ask: why do you not start the clock ticking until the kid turns 18? It’s an obstruction of justice.’

Father John Beal, professor of canon law at the Catholic University of America, gave an oral deposition under oath on 8 April last year in which he admitted to Shea that the letter extended the church’s jurisdiction and control over sexual assault crimes.

The Ratzinger letter was co-signed by Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone who gave an interview two years ago in which he hinted at the church’s opposition to allowing outside agencies to investigate abuse claims.

‘In my opinion, the demand that a bishop be obligated to contact the police in order to denounce a priest who has admitted the offence of paedophilia is unfounded,’ Bertone said.

Shea criticised the order that abuse allegations should be investigated only in secret tribunals. ‘They are imposing procedures and secrecy on these cases. If law enforcement agencies find out about the case, they can deal with it. But you can’t investigate a case if you never find out about it. If you can manage to keep it secret for 18 years plus 10 the priest will get away with it,’ Shea added.

A spokeswoman in the Vatican press office declined to comment when told about the contents of the letter. ‘This is not a public document, so we would not talk about it,’ she said.

Guardian News and Media



__________________
«First  <  1 2 3 4  >  Last»  | Page of 4  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse
Powered by ActiveBoard