More Evidence Emerges That Pope Benedict Helped Shield Pedophiles Before He Became Pope

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: The Huffington Post

The abuse cases of two priests in Arizona have cast further doubt on the Catholic church's insistence that Pope Benedict XVI played no role in shielding pedophiles before he became pope.

Documents reviewed by The Associated Press show that as a Vatican cardinal, the future pope took over the abuse case of the Rev. Michael Teta of Tucson, Ariz., then let it languish at the Vatican for years despite repeated pleas from the bishop for the man to be removed from the priesthood.

In another Tucson case, that of Msgr. Robert Trupia, the bishop wrote to then-Cardinal Ratzinger, who would become pope in 2005. Bishop Manuel Moreno called Trupia "a major risk factor to the children, adolescents and adults that he many have contact with." There is no indication in the case files that Ratzinger responded.

The details of the two cases come as other allegations emerge that Benedict – as a Vatican cardinal – was part of a culture of cover-up and confidentiality.



Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/03/more-evidence-emerges-tha_n_524192.html

[MineralMan]

1. This won't be well-received in Rome, I think.

More "petty gossip..."

[saigon68]

31. Anal Rape of 7 year old boys By Pedophile Priests

Here is your pope

[Warpy]

2. The point is that they all did!

This has been official Vatican policy since before the first buildings went up, that the church is the first estate and therefore exempt from temporal law. The church has always protected rogue priests and moved them from country to country, if necessary, to shield them from local authorities who complained about their habits of rape, theft, and general mayhem.

No one at the level of Bishop or above is untainted because of church policy that was set into stone over a thousand years ago.

[Democat]

3. Haven't you heard, the pope is the victim, not the children!

Didn't you hear what that priest said the other day - it is the pope, not any of the abused children, who is the victim here.

[Oregone]

4. No wonder he won his Pope spot

He did everyone a solid

[MetaTrope]

5. Oh, I thought this was about Ratzinger's one-time business partner Neil Bush

But I reckon the cardinal's association with Bush didn't take him to Thailand. Maybe.

[tanyev]

6. It's the media's fault for reporting it!

Stop it! Stop it right now!

[Stuart G]

23. Good Point...Let us not report the truth about the Dope Pope..

Naw...the truth aint no good for the dope pope..:sarcasm:

[Toasterlad]

7. Soon You Will Be Accused Of Catholic-Bashing.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

8. Well, if you read what I said in that other thread...and I can see you didn't...

...there's a big difference between condemning a person's faith and condemning an act.

And I AM Catholic.

That answer your question?

[Toasterlad]

11. What Question?

You being catholic won't stop the rest of you from yelling about how mentioning that your religion is run by a pro-pedophile nazi is anti-catholic.

And I DID read your post in the other thread; in fact, I responded to it. I thanked you for the bible quote.

[sulphurdunn]

13. The problem isn't with Catholics.

It's with the Vatican. It is legitimate to ask (not that our Constitution permits doing much about it) what level of political and economic influence (if any) a 2,000 year old foreign theocracy, worth unaccountable billions of dollars with an authoritarian, medieval hierarchy whose holdings are tax exempt, should have in a democracy and to what extent its leaders should be held accountable to the secular law for their actions.

[MichiganVote]

17. The hell it isn't. "Catholics" have been just as ignorant and uncaring as the very Bishops

who placed these bastards around the youth in the first place. "Catholics" monitarily and in other ways support this very criminal ponzi scheme.

For shame, where are the "Catholics" and their pitchforks? Nowhere as usual.

[Hosnon]

25. Exactly. The lack of outrage from the rank and file is extremely disturbing.

Church over Jesus...

[cap]

32. talk to the folks in Boston

look at the number of people who are leaving the church and the drop in church donations.

Yesterday, I saw a lot of $1 bills in the collection basket as opposed to the usual $20. A lot of people didn't put anything in the basket.

[Stuart G]

35. This is one way that people can protest..and they have..thanks for posting the above..nt

[hedgehog]

37. Yeah - where are the protests?!!?

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Demonstrators gathered Saturday in Providence to protest new allegations that Pope Benedict XVI covered up a child sex abuse case in Europe.

http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/wpri-providence-protest-condemns--popes-alleged-abuse-cover-up

Easter Sunday Mass at Dublin’s Pro Cathedral was briefly interrupted as protesters placed children’s shoes at the altar to represent the victims of clerical sex abuse.

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/abuse-protest-at-easter-sunday-mass-452646.html#ixzz0kEHvasv0

Four American campaigners for the victims of clerical sex abuse were this morning detained by police after holding an "unauthorised" demonstration on the edge of St Peter's Square to protest against decades of Church "silence".

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7075598.ece

This morning I joined approximately fifteen LGBT advocates who protested in front of St. Patrick’s cathedral in New York City. Demonstrators urged the Pope to tell the truth and hold those accountable who sexually molested youth in the church.

http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/2010/03/7809/


Because I'm not talking about the hierarchy here; nor am I talking about the recent critiques of the Church in the public square. I'm talking about something else, something more fundamental: the "People of God," to use a striking image from the Second Vatican Council, which transformed Catholics thinking about the church. Despite the common parlance, "the church" is not simply the hierarchy -- the bishops, archbishops, cardinals and popes -- but the men, women and children in the pews, particularly those who are poor or suffering in any way.

Thus the primary and greatest suffering in the Catholic Church in past decades has been among the victims of the crimes of sexual abuse, which destroys lives and entire families. It is a scourging for them, as surely as Jesus was scourged at the pillar. These are the victims; these are the crucified ones; these are the Christ-figures in our midst.

Moreover, like the nails pounded into Christ's hands and feet, and the lance that pierced his side, the wounds of sexual abuse permanently scar the victims. When Christ presents himself to the disciples following the Resurrection, he bears on his body the wounds of his torture; they remain. (This is how St. Thomas, "Doubting Thomas" is able to recognize Jesus after the resurrection.) The victims of abuse and their families will always carry those wounds.
So the church itself suffers: that is, the People of God suffer. For abuse victims, Good Friday has lasted many years, sometimes decades.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-james-martin-sj/the-churchs-easter-what-n_b_524349.html



Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Primate of Ireland, told priests and laity at a Holy Thursday celebration April 1 that the church in Ireland cannot “proclaim closure and move on.”

Martin criticized Catholics who say their church should move on from grief about the child abuse scandals. He said that there was "no way" his diocese could "impose fast-track healing" on victims.

http://ncronline.org/news/two-european-prelates-take-clergy-abuse-issue

[sulphurdunn]

29. Hmmm.

Catholics comprise the largest religious denomination in America: 25% of the population. That's about 80 million people here and proximately 1.5 billion world wide. I doubt you really meant to make such a sweeping generalization about so many people because of their religious beliefs or because their leadership is corrupt. Allah Akbar.

[MichiganVote]

39. You be sure and clue us all in when that 1.5 billion world wide do more

about this problem than excuse their Bishops and Pope through inaction.

[fascisthunter]

9. My Question Now: Is the Pope a Pedophile too?

He seems to want to protect pedophilia rather than punish it... funny who he chooses to punish.

[dipsydoodle]

10. its called

aiding and abetting and no one is above the law.

[Stuart G]

24. Well...the Dope Pope thinks he is...yea..really...

[naaman fletcher]

14. Probably. I can't imagine anyone who wasn't acting that way. nt.

[lobodons]

12. It's not pedophilia

It's about homosexuality. That's what I heard on CNN the other night.

[JerseygirlCT]

16. Yeah, that's been their line for a while now. I suppose they see it as

two birds, one stone: continue to neglect abused children and their abusers, and blame the gays at the same time.

[totodeinhere]

26. That's ridiculous. Gays are no more likely to be pedophiles than straights are.

Are there some gay pedophiles? Of course there are. But the percentage of gays who are pedophiles is certainly not higher than the percentage in the straight population and in fact might be lower. This is not about gay vs straight. It's about pedophilia in the Catholic Church.

[izquierdista]

28. Need you ask?

If I was on a treasure hunt and needed to find a gay pedophile, a Catholic Church is the first place I would look.

[totodeinhere]

34. But there is no need to bring gay into it.

Pedophilia is wrong whether the perpetrator is gay or straight. Too many times homophobes try to use this issue to bash gays, and it's not fair. (I'm not saying that you are a homophobe.)

[NashVegas]

40. Bringing "Gay" Into It Is Nothing More Than a Demonstration of Ignorance and Agenda-pushing

Idiots who want to attribute this business to closeted gays have no freaking clue how many women were sexually abused in their childhoods by priests. Or maybe they just don't think it matters so much.

I expect the other idiots, who try to use the scandal to push their agenda to allow priests to marry, will also pipe in soon enough, conveniently forgetting how many married men also abuse children.

[hedgehog]

36. The worst part is that for centuries, the hierarchy taught that

all homosexuals were pedophiles. To many, this menat that it was dangerous for children to be around homosexuals. When people finally realized that homosexuals are interested in other adults, they stopped caring about sexual orientation.

[JerseygirlCT]

15. Then there's that freak who started the cult group=

what is it, legionaries of Christ or something? They have a "seminary" or something here in CT. Lots of physical rough stuff on the kids who get sucked in, and sucking the families out of every dollar... But the founder is a hard-righty, so apparently, he was ok with the Vatican, regardless of years of abuse.

How can they not see what they're doing? If they care about the institution, this is NOT the way to handle it.

[havocmom]

18. Am beginning to wonder if his shielding of pedophiles is HOW he became Pope

Have enough dirt on enough Cardinals' dirty clerics and you probably get lots of votes to be boss. If one wants to know about the dirt, one method is to help others hide it... then call in the markers.

[TorchTheWitch]

30. a lot of us here were already certain that was why as soon as he became Pope

He knew where all the bodies were buried so to speak.

I think it was more like it was his reward for keeping the secrets... they ALL believe in protecting the church at all costs.

[NashVegas]

41. It Made Him Very Blackmailable, IMO

We discussed his part in the cover-up here on DU when the voting was going on. Bush even lobbied for the bastard.

I expect the power players of the world loved having someone in that chair that they could hold over a barrel at any time.

[havocmom]

19. Late 90s saw the diocese of Tucson trying to shift assets

to protect them from lawsuits. They fucking KNEW the suits had merit and that they were gonna get a big hit.

They protected bad priests. They hid them, moved them and let them prey on unsuspecting young people. Then they tried to hide the church's wealth so they could screw the victims again.

Such nice people, those church leaders. One hopes they get everything they are so deserving of receiving.

[IndianaGreen]

20. It is the same as anti-Semitism to accuse the Pope of failing to protect children

That's the Vatican's last line of defence!

The Pope must resign, and a new Pope should clean house!

[woodsprite]

21. Well, wasn't he supposed to be the short reigning Pope?

Now maybe we know why.

This world is soooo messed up.

[Lost4words]

22. the church must believe they are doing these children a favor! nt

[TorchTheWitch]

33. the church has never cared about the children

All they ever care about is protecting the church... always... about everything.

[flyarm]

27. just Google "Neil Bush and the Pope"

www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-wochar214226829apr21,0,2092802,print.story
NEWSDAY, Thursday, April 21, 2005
THE NEW POPE BENEDICT XVI
Neil Bush, Ratzinger co-founders
President's younger brother served with then-cardinal on board of relatively unknown ecumenical foundation

BY KNUT ROYCE AND TOM BRUNE
WASHINGTON BUREAU
April 21, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Neil Bush, the president's controversial younger brother, six years ago joined the cardinal who this week became Pope Benedict XVI as a founding board member of a little known Swiss ecumenical foundation.
The charter members of the board were all well-known international religious figures, except for Bush and his close friend and business partner, Jamal Daniel, whose family has extensive holdings in the United States and Switzerland, public records show.
The Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1999 to promote ecumenical understanding and publish original religious texts, said a foundation official.
Besides then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, founding board members included Rene-Samuel Sirat, the former chief rabbi of France; Jordan's Prince Hassan, a Muslim dedicated to religious dialogue; the late Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, another prominent Muslim; Olivier Fatio, director of the Institute of the History of the Reformation; and foundation president Metropolitan Damaskinos, a Greek Orthodox leader.
Gary Vachicouras, a theologian and foundation official in Geneva, would not explain in a telephone interview yesterday why Bush, who has no clear public connection to religious causes, was on the first board.
"He was interested at that particular time," said Vachicouras of Bush. But like some other initial board members, Bush is no longer involved, Vachicouras said. Ratzinger also left a few years ago and was replaced by Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, who is responsible for ecumenical relations for the Vatican, said Vachicouras.
Still active is Daniel, a Syrian American who has family active in the Orthodox Church in Geneva, said Vachicouras. "This is an Orthodox lay person," he said.
Neither Bush, now president of the educational software company Ignite! Learning, based in Austin, Texas, nor Daniel returned calls for comment.
In his highly publicized divorce last year, Bush revealed he and Daniel are co-chairs of Texas-based Crest Investment Co., which pays him $60,000 a year for consulting. Recently, Crest Investment officials used Bush's name as a reference in cutting an exclusive deal with Texas officials on construction of a liquid natural gas storage facility that will guarantee Crest payments of at least $2 million a year, according to the Los Angeles Times.



edit to add; this article you can't find now it was in my files.............

[ChairmanAgnostic]

38. Those poor priests, harassed, sexually attacked by evil 6 yr olds,

using their tender thighs, innocent faces, and sweet bottoms to seduce poor innocent priests. Priests are only human, and after such unrelenting, constant, sexual harassment by toddlers, what choice did the poor innocent priests have? So, they succumbed to the wily, sexual predators, given the kids the very reward they begged for, in what was little more than a momentary lapse by the priests. It was the fault of those kids, AND their terrible parents, who did it for money. and to attack the church that loves them deeply, and cherishes them more tenderly and closer than any civilian lover.