Pope pressured to act on abuse after UN rebuke

[No Elephants]

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Francis came under new pressure Wednesday to punish bishops who covered up for pedophile priests when a U.N. human rights panel accused the Vatican of systematically protecting its reputation instead of looking out for the safety of children.

In a scathing report that thrilled victims and stunned the Vatican, the United Nations committee said the Holy See maintained a "code of silence" that enabled priests to sexually abuse tens of thousands of children worldwide over decades with impunity.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_VATICAN_UN_ABUSE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-02-05-19-14-32

[Enthusiast]

1. I suspect Pope Francis

would just like this issue to go away. You know, start over as if nothing untoward had happened in the past, while at the same time clamping down on today's errant clergy.

[No Elephants]

2. I imagine the whole Church would like that, especially

those most at risk for getting punished.

I wonder if anything has been done to re-educate the laity.

As you know, Massachusetts had a huge problem, especially. While the Boston Globe was exposing it, Cardinal Law was calling down the judgment of God on the Globe, as if the Globe were lying, or sinning by exposing the abuse. (Of course, he had majorly participated in the cover ups; and he got "kicked upstairs" to the Vatican for his trouble.) At the Fall River offices newsletters were going out with cartoons mocking the victims. Parishoners were told that it was the fault of the victims--and not just in Fall River. A woman told me that 11 and 12 year olds knew what they were doing.

It was heinous. The victims were getting abused all over again, but at least this time, they had support from their families and the public, lawyers, etc. Still, one who was, I think 22 killed himself as soon as the litigation was settled.

[Enthusiast]

3. I watched a program about it some time back.

It seems much of it centered around Massachusetts. The program I mean.

Have you ever watched this one? I watched it then my wife watched it. Of course we grew up during this period, but not in Ireland or France. The same thing was going on here on a smaller scale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xdSmjIvJ8Dc

[No Elephants]

4. The class action suit in Massachusetts included well over 200 victims.

Mostly male, but more than a few females. Hearbreaking.


Thanks. I will have to check out the video another time. is it about the nuns?

[Enthusiast]

5. It is about how the Catholic Church

clergy, with the help from parents, sequestered young ladies they felt overstepped the boundaries of decorum by engaging in premarital sex or becoming pregnant. They were promiscuous, sort of. Actually some of the girls merely had "impure thoughts" or health hormone levels. It is well done and historically accurate.