The Vatican sex scandal has officially gone global, forcing Pope Francis to summon the world's top bishops to Rome with the very specific goal of protecting minors. The pontiff called the extraordinary and unprecedented meeting of more than 100 bishops for late February in the wake of both a rolling global clerical sexual abuse crisis and explosive accusations of a cover-up, which now threaten both his papacy and the long-term reputation of the Roman Catholic Church.
The meeting marks a severe Vatican about-face after nearly three decades of denial and laying blame on cultural issues and "bad apple" priests. It also comes on the heels of a leaked study commissioned by the church in Germany that is set to reveal the decades-long abuse of thousands of children by more than a thousand clergymen there, something the bishop of Trier, Stephan Ackermann, has called "depressing and shameful." It follows a similar grand jury report that exposed the victimizing of more than 1,000 children over decades in Pennsylvania, all under the supervision of a cardinal the Pope once defended.
Decades of Playing Dumb
The Catholic Church has been anything but straightforward when it comes to addressing the abuse.
When the scandal first surfaced in this country in the mid-1980s, Vatican officials dismissed it as an American phenomenon. When it spread to Canada, Ireland, England and Australia, they framed it as an English-speaking country problem. When cases erupted in Germany, Belgium, France and Austria around 2010, it became a 'developed world issue' borne out of liberal attitudes toward sex. Now that Chile and the Philippines have been added to the toxic mix, there's no longer any more room for excuses.
"The subject has to be tackled globally," declared Marie Collins, an Irish abuse survivor whoresigned in frustration from a similar Vatican commission on protecting minors created by Pope Francis just last year. She's tired of talk. The meeting in question needs to produce concrete actions. Heads need to roll. "There are bishops in parts of the world who don't even accept that abuse could happen in their dioceses."
Knocking Down the Wall of Silence
The Commission for the Protection of Minors is supposed to train bishops to spot abuse, listen to victims, intervene and hold each other accountable when necessary. The plan is to apply these standards globally, whether local bishops like it or not.
While current US church policy demands that any sexual abuse allegation be reported to civil authorities, and that abusive priests be permanently removed from ministry, other countries have been allowed to set their own standards. Even the Vatican commission on child sex abuseguidelines for safeguarding children have not been reinforced worldwide.
Although Pope Benedict personally read many of the files about clerical abuse and eventually cracked down on hundreds of priests after the scandal first erupted in 2002, there were high hopes that Pope Francis would tackle the issue systemically, including holding those bishops who covered it up accountable.
However, his special commission's call for the creation of a tribunal to discipline these very bishops ultimately met with Vatican resistance. "We saw this wasn't practical and it also wasn't convenient for the different cultures of the bishops that had to be judged," declared Pope Francis back then. The proposal was later dropped and explained away in a papal edict entitled "As a Loving Mother," which only enraged abuse survivors weary of the Catholic Church attempting to police itself.
Will the Abuse Ever Stop?
It remains to be seen whether this is the global meeting and response that finally corrects three decades worth of Vatican denials, missteps and cover-ups. Victims and Catholic Church critics have every right to be cynical. There are only so many meetings, commissions and documents that can be created before the people have a right to demand real, tangible results.
Only once disgraced bishops are exposed for their crimes, removed from the church, and sent to prison will the Vatican be able to begin rebuilding the trust it has lost. It's time the Catholic Church air its dirty laundry - all of it - for the world to see.
48 comments
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John Owens
Just going by years of observation here: Every bit of overt repentance being shown here is just for appearances and is damage control only. it should not be considered real or lasting. This church claims to be one, holy, and apostolic. It seems divided, unholy, and apostate.
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Rev. M. Dash
John Owens, you are taking the statement out of context. There are 7 rites of the Catholic Church, the one you are most familiar with is the Roman Catholic Rite. When the church claims to be one, holy, and apostolic, it is as far as the 7 rites of the Catholic Church and has little to do with the congregation outside of knowing that if you attend any of the other rites, it is the same as if you attended your own rite. If you attended the Coptic Rite or Byzantine Rite, it is the same as if you attended the Roman Catholic Rite.
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John Owens
Yes, Rev. If Satan cast out Satan, how then shall his kingdom stand? My points stand. It is not one, nor holy, nor apostolic. Yes, it dates to apostolic times, but does not follow the teachings of the apostles.
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Ben
Anyone who helped hide these crimes should be charged with aiding and abetting. Everyone involved should also be defrocked, if not excommunicated.
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Carl Elfstrom
I just wish we had suckers in the clergy at St.Patrick's in Galveston when I was an altarboy in the nineteen-seventies. Believe it or not, we only had straight priests.
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MONIQUE L PROULX
Being Gay and being a pedophile are two very different things.
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Iconoclast
But it IS possible to be both. Just saying.
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Rev. John D. Partin
It is certainly possible to be Straight and a pedophile, too, since most pedophiles are straight or, at least, not homosexuals with other adult men because they prefer little boys or girls. Just saying.
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Rev. Rene
Call me a cynic, I have done a number of studies of small, medium, and very large companies: the result is almost universally the same. Small and medium companies will typically address a problem by finding a solution before pointing fingers at a guilty party; large companies hire a PR firm to address the public perception and usually leave it at that!!! Internally no changes are made, or a scapegoat is fired and that is that. ( Why do you think the German Pope left so quickly? He was aware of the problem and was known for being guilty of a cover-up) Here we see a large corporation head, the Pope, going through the motions of trying to alter perception: What can we do to make the church of Rome more likeable, more acceptable to the faithful? For decades this abuse has been covered up, the problem for the church is not the victims but the perception and face of the church!
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Rev. Rene
It has been said: A mirror when soiled can be wiped clean with work and effort, a mirror once broken can never be repaired!!!
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Gary Hynous
This problem can never be wiped clean. Two of our daughters were molested by two members of our family and 40 years later they still bear the mental and physical scars. Sorry Rev. Rene, but this mirror is not only dirty but also irreparably broken. Ask any victim of a pedophile. These priests should be defrocked, publicly humiliated and sent to prison. Granted they will be ultimately judged by the powers of heaven, whoever and whatever they might be but their immediate judgment should come here on earth. As a former Catholic, this whole issue really saddens me.
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Carl Elfstrom
Broken mirrors don't have to be repaired, for you can see yourself just as well through every fragment of it. However, that's nothing like taking personal inventory. Those pedophile priests ought to join Sexaholics Anonymous and work the twelve steps.
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Carl Elfstrom
P.S. And they have twelve step meetings in prison, so I've heard.
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Rev. M. Dash
Rev. Rene, I addressed some of this in my reply to Catherine Ohrin-Greipp, below and John Owens above. This problem did not pop up overnight and had been swept under the rug for so long that now it is a mountain that one cannot avoid. You are correct about the German Pope, except he knew he was not the one to do that. It was time for a Jesuit--"the black Pope." It has to do with changing the culture that exists in Rome and has permeated the Roman Catholic Church practiced in the west and how many of the priests/bishops/cardinals drank the Kool-Aid of power. The problem is very complex, and prior solutions were inadequate and in some instances band aids on open trauma.
"The German Pope" is handling the corruption in the Vatican Bank as well as assisting Francis wherever he can. This is not an easy task, but I have confidence in the Jesuits being able to handle it as they are the realists within the church.
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Tom
Francis is NOT the "black pope". The term "black pope" refers to the head of the Jesuit order. Too many people think they are experts concerning things they haven't the slightest clue. I may not agree with the various religions and philosophies, but I always take the time to investigate and study everything I can find on those subjects.
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Barry
All involved parties should be removed From their positions and prosecuted.
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Jean
I agree and I am catholic!
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Carl Elfstrom
They tried to raise me Catholic, but I knew better. Blessed be !
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Catherine Ohrin-Greipp, MSW, ADS, OM
First off, this is not a "sex scandal" so stop trying to equate it with such ULC. It is a sexual abuse and is hardly about sex. It is about pedophilia,and predatory behavior by priests. Enough talking Catholics I wish to say to these useless bishops and the pope:. All allegations of sexual abuse should be referred to state child protective services, law enforcement, including interviewing the victims followed by referral to state or county DA's for charges and criminal court, conviction and incarceration. These creepy men in long dresses are disgusting to hide behind their so called "His Holiness" garbage. I know the damage these criminals have done to their victims. I have treated hundreds of them over many years, both male and female, adult survivors of sexual abuse as well as children as young as 5. I have also treated convicted pedophiles including Pastors and Christian youth pastors. These "religious" pedophiles hide behind their silky robes, and white collars and commit soul murder of victims. Lock them up, stop wringing your hands Mr Pope, Mr Bishops and make rules that mirror society.
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MONIQUE L PROULX
Catherine. Why do they get to make their own rules? These crimes happen on US soil, so US laws should prevail. Should they not?
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Catherine Ohrin-Greipp, MSW, ADS, OM
Of course, that is what I said. State laws define child sexual abuse and state make laws determine the parameters of investigation, trials, convictions, sentencing and lifetime probation. Priests should be treated the same as any other sexual predator/criminal. How the RC church gets away with it is disgraceful. They should all be incarcerated to protect society..
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Rev. M. Dash
So true Catherine Ohrin-Greipp. People do not get it. It is about the power one exerts, the domination over someone helpless. It was my understanding that the current Pope wants them to be prosecuted locally in the communities where they have committed their crimes. He is getting a lot of blowback from the old guard cardinals, that is why they are saying he knew about this 5 years ago. Yes, he did, but he was unsure as to who to trust. He is a Jesuit--a "black Pope." The old cardinal guards never wanted a Jesuit to become Pope because they are the ones who would do just that, kick them out and let them be prosecuted like the criminals that they are.
The Cardinals needed a Jesuit to handle the situation because they knew how out of control it was and saw they were losing membership. The previous Pope could not handle it, he had enough with the finances of the Vatican Bank being corrupt and most definitely declared it was time for a Jesuit Pope. Ever wonder why there has never been a Jesuit Pope? They are the conscience of the church, they are also the ones who take on the most difficult problems of the church.
Remember, the Roman Catholic is just one of many rites/sects under the Catholic Church and the one with the biggest headaches! It has to do with all the freedoms in the western world, the same way they seeped into the political system and would have even made comments in favor of Kavanaugh. That's why Pope Francis has told them to dial it back regarding statements on abortions and gays; the church was the whipping boy of the public. He has stated already what his view is and it is now the answer the cardinals must give. He does not believe if you are miserable in a marriage you have to stick it out--so much so, he wants annulments done at the local level because it is not fair for children to grow up in a house that is full of hate. Women should not have to stay in abusive marriages. He also says an annulment does not cost thousands of dollars, I think he says $250 the tops. If they cannot afford it, the cardinal should work with them. Now you can begin to understand why the old guard cardinals and many old school Roman Catholics are doing their best to fight him. When asked about abortion, Francis did state: if a woman has no husband, no way of supporting herself, no way to take care of her children, or homeless, does she really need another child? Regarding people being gay, he has said, "God made them. God loves them. There is nothing wrong with God's creations." You can see why there is such turmoil in the church!
The Jesuits are closer to the Eastern Catholic Rite although their traditions are more within the Roman Catholic rite.. Under the Jesuits, they defrock you and want you to face your accusers and "be treated as the common criminal you are." Most Jesuits are not only PhD in philosophy but also attorneys, doctors, educators--unlike the other orders. They are the ones to deal with the modern day problems and as such, not well liked by the sitting cardinals who want the status quo. That is why when Francis took over, he made a lot of the older bishops and cardinals retire and appointed many of his own. If he is not satisfied with the way things are handled, he will not be quiet about it. He is well aware of what is happening and has a mess of centuries to clean up.
There is a possibility that he will be the last Pope and the church will return to its previous administrative structure with each sect having a major seat at the table as a governing body. The Roman Catholics have gotten too out of sorts and have to be reined in. They are almost like a cancer within the Catholic Church--yet I would not want to say it as a blanket statement, because there are some parishes that are above average. I think Francis will do a good job, but there are so many cardinals against him undermining him, second guessing him, because they are unhappy with his decisions to address these problems and the way in which he addresses them.
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Colleen
It’s not a Catholic Church issue it’s widespread through all religions and highly covered up worldwide such a shame!
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flugo
Colleen: You know better than that. It IS largely a Catholic Church problem. The Catholic 'celibacy' issue is NOT normal, nor is it Biblically advocated.
There is a greater temptation/opportunity for sexual abuse to take place when a bunch of 'intimacy -starved' males are in the private company of the vulnerable.
NO way is this tragedy to be excused. AND, NO way is this tragedy to have been ignored/excused/covered up! There must be severe legal consequences for these crimes.
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Catherine Ohrin-Greipp, MSW, ADS, OM
I am sorry to inform you that celibacy has nothing to do with pedophilia. A lot of people think that with no evidence. What this mistaken belief does is to let these pedophile priests off the hook. It is not about :"temptation." It is about specific men who are attracted to children and adolescents and they choose an occupation where they have free access to children who are taught to revere them. I have treated enough pedophiles and they go through a process of :grooming children and their parents to trust them and then threaten victims to maintain secrecy. Pedophilia is not about "intimacy starved males" because "intimacy" is not part of the equation. Attraction to children begins in adolescence. I have treated pedophiles who admit becoming aroused just watching children eat hamburgers in McDonald's.
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Carl Elfstrom
Maybe those priests aren't as intimacy starved as they are protein deficient. They can't survive on communion wafers and wine alone, even if it is the body and blood of a man named Jesus (which also sounds queer, and cannibalistic). They need to have their pudding too, but as all rock and rollers know "You can't have your pudding before you eat your meat." And for them that means little weinies.
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Iconoclast
LOL!, Carl!
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Lea Weisenbach
The church has always had dirty laundry. Way back..the burning of witches..to the not saying a word about the Jews marching by to their death. This church is a crime...Why do you think so many other churches through the years have broken away from the pope..
Some laundry is so so soiled it can't get clean...Just trash it.
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Pastora Wanda
The urge to have sex for pleasure and/or propagation is an inherant act of being human. To deny this inherant act or pleasure is not normal for any human/animal. Why does the catholic church want to deny their clergy both male and female this fundamental/basic need and desire. This is not natural and most certainly is contributory to the long time sexual abuse associated with the catholic church. Solution to the catholic churches sex scandal/dilemma is to allow all its clergy to marry and propagate. Stop this nonsense now. What is the reason/purpose of such a regulation prohibiting marriage and sex to begin with. Maybe this should be explored. There are perverts and deviants everywhere, and they all need to be delt with in a most severe form.
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Bro. Chas
Intelligently worded Pastor Wanda. I'm not sure it would solve the problem if they would allow them to marry and propagate, but it surely would have a positive impact on lessening the occurrences.
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Iconoclast
I thought that was why they kept the vestal virgins around.
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Bill Fox
Lower the age of consent to twelve. That will solve the problem. If the child is offended, he/she can file an assault charge with the police.
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Carl Elfstrom
Snap out of it, you dirty old man. Few twelve year olds are interested in sex, and ought to still be enjoying their childhoods, without having to confront such adult behavior, or should I say misbehavior, as sex can be considered when love isn't present. Leave those twelve year olds alone, old Bill, and only flirt with the old ladies there, at the home.
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Carl Elfstrom
Why would a mature, sensible adult think about lowering the age of consent to twelve years old, unless he was having perverted desires?
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Daniel
Lowering the age of consent does not equate with raising the capacity to give consent. Medical studies have shown that a child’s brain (including adolescents) is not fully developed physically and it tends to make a child behave more impulsively without considering the risks involved. Thus a lower age of consent does NOT remedy the exploitation by abusive, predatory, scared, and insecure offenders. I don’t see WHY there needs to be some big conference on the issue. All the Catholics need to do is institute a firm policy that ALL minors are to be under constant and direct supervision of a RESPOSIBLE parent or legal guardian at all times AND that the responsible adult CAN NOT be a Catholic priest OR someone who works/volunteers for the Catholic Church. And - yes, other churches should do the same to prevent the same types of abuse.
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Gene
Stop pissin around and let Priest and all get married or get hookers, and then there won't be any problems..
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Catherine Ohrin-Greipp, MSW, ADS, OM
"Allow them to marry and propagate." Does anyone actually believe that men and women who are not attracted to children don't engage in masturbation or affairs within the clergy? Come on, these are adults and adults who are not pedophiles have secret relationships. Nuns and priests who do find it too difficult to not engage in close interpersonal relationships eventually leave. Stop blaming pedophilia on being starved for sex. Many pedophiles outside of the RC clergy are married, have kids and still sexually abuse children. I can attest to that from my work as a therapist over many years and running a program for a county probation department for adjudicated offenders in AZ. Wake up. If you are concerned about the celibacy mandate that is a different story. I think it is absurd for clergy in the RC church to have to take an oath of celibacy to be priests and nuns. But it does not cause priests to sexually abuse children. Why don't we hear about lots of nuns sexually abusing children. Pedophilia is about power and control as well as these men being attracted to kids.
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Tom
Just compare Christianity to Islam. Christianity won't seem so bad after that. Smearing campaigns almost always work.
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Carl Elfstrom
Personally, I don't care anything about the religions of others, no matter what they happen to be. At least they believe in a higher power, and know that they aren't it.
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Carl Elfstrom
Oh yeah, Tom, I almost forgot. Peace...love...
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Carl Elfstrom
Christianity doesnt seem bad at all to me. I just don't believe in it
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Joann
I sometimes wonder if a lot of these men become priest because they can't handle that fact that they are gay. If the church would accept gays as a fact of nature, instead of running it down, or saying it's a sin, perhaps we can avoid bad priest,
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Carl Elfstrom
It is a way for them to wear a dress, and perform on a stage.
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Iconoclast
Like Rue Paul? LOL! You crack me up, Carl!
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flugo
Joann: Yeah . . . . . being 'gay' and living that life style IS 'a fact of nature'. The SIN NATURE!
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Rev. John D. Partin
What about the "SIN NATURE" of straight adulterers and fornicators and religious bigots and others such as yourself, b0blf?! Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone!!
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The last paragraph in the above post says it all!
Any church who thinks it had nothing to do with this kind of pratices should isssue a certificate of NO MISCONDUCT