This article shows how 'bent' the media has been in its reporting on

[Joe Chi Minh]

Benedict's putative role in the Church's paedophilia cover-up:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/apr/15/pope-mob-benedict-misreading-abuse

If some of you who post here had a modicum of integrity, you'd be very pleased to read this. But we all know you won't. The usual miscreants.

[hedgehog]

1. From the article:

"Suspension and defrocking are two separate actions. The first can be done by a bishop, with immediate effect; the second is a lengthy process that involves Rome. Suspension – meaning a priest is no longer able to function as a priest – say mass, hear confession, act as chaplain etc – is the key action that a bishop has to take against an abusive priest to prevent him having contact with minors. If, in any of these "smoking gun" cases, the bishop failed to suspend an abusive priest immediately, he did wrong. "

From a different source:

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope and archbishop in Munich at the time, was copied on a memo that informed him that a priest, whom he had approved sending to therapy in 1980 to overcome pedophilia, would be returned to pastoral work within days of beginning psychiatric treatment. The priest was later convicted of molesting boys in another parish.

An initial statement on the matter issued earlier this month by the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising placed full responsibility for the decision to allow the priest to resume his duties on Cardinal Ratzinger’s deputy, the Rev. Gerhard Gruber. But the memo, whose existence was confirmed by two church officials, shows that the future pope not only led a meeting on Jan. 15, 1980, approving the transfer of the priest, but was also kept informed about the priest’s reassignment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/world/europe/26church.html



In general, i think the phrase "you break it, you bought it " applies in the sense that having taken all authority, Rome must also take all responsibility.


The defense in the Munich case seems to be a claim that although he was archbishop, he was unaware of what was happening in his diocese. If that is the case, then it points up how flawed our current system is.

[Matilda]

2. The media will always go for cheap shots, whatever the case.

Anybody who doesn't try to discover for themselves the other side of any story is foolish. And that's probably
about 80% of the population. We've become conditioned to quick grabs, and many never look beyond the doorstep
quote.

I think the Catholic Church makes a good target because there is already a perception in people's minds that priests
live an unnatural life that most of us can't understand. That's true enough, but the "unnaturalness" makes them
such an easy mark.

It is also a fact that abuse is definitely not confined to the Catholics - Imams in Britain have been accused of
abusing children sent to them to study the Koran, and Protestant churchmen have also had fingers pointed at them.
There are also many documented cases of abuses, sexual and non-sexual, of children placed in orphanages. But the
old celibacy bogey makes the Catholic Church a convenient scapegoat.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure that the Church does really get it, even now. Recent comments from highly-placed
churchmen who ought to know better, blaming Jews and homosexuals for the unwelcome publicity, make them appear
uncaring and stupid. The Vatican needs to disown any such gratuitous comments very smartly.

It's also not enough that the Pope apologises for those individuals who are proved to be at fault. The errant
priests could never have got away with their actions if they had not been protected by their bishops, and the
bishops would not have covered up if they didn't know they were protected by their cardinals. And the cardinals
are ultimately responsible to the Pope who, as an autocratic ruler, must take the ultimate responsibility. When
the Pople apologises on behalf of the whole Church and takes the blame on his own shoulders, then we might begin
to see something like true contrition.

Until then, to the victims, it's just a lot of hot air.

[hedgehog]

3. I think the key is any situation in which there is unchecked authority is

dangerous for the powerless: boys, girls and women. Here in the US there is a minor scandal involving swim coaches and teenage girls. The coach is an autocrat who determines who takes the next step to the Olympics. Bad things ensued.

Instead of arguing over whether what happened in the Church was better or worse or the same as what happened elsewhere, we need to determine how to keep it from happening again, ever. If as I said, the key is unchecked power, then the prevention is a balance of power. As long as the Church is ruled rather than served by the clergy, we're going to be in trouble. It goes beyond the pedophile crisis. Healthy, solid faith communities are being destroyed here because of an artificial priest shortage. Rather than admit that the Holy Spirit might be calling married men and women to Holy Order, our bishops are closing parishes. Every time a parish closes, about 40% of the people just walk away.

[Matilda]

5. Indeed - sexual abuse is generally more about power than lust.

And in an institution that shuns democratic rule, it is the pope of
the day who must bear responsibility for the wrongdoings of those
in his charge.

[hedgehog]

4. It occurs to me, the real "bent" in the US is due to laziness,

and results in the inordinate attention given to the blatherings of Bill Donohue!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_A._Donohue

[Angry Dragon]

6. If the church has done nothing wrong

then let them open "ALL" their records, books, memos. everything since the church was founded.

[Matilda]

7. Unthinkable.

The hierarchy believe they are not accountable, not to anyone for anything.

That, I think, is their great failing. They preach humility, but they don't practise it. Many wrongs come from
their stubborn belief in their own infallibility.