In a discovery that is being called “the smoking gun,” Irish media is reporting that they have a 1997 letter from the Vatican warning Ireland’s Catholic bishops not to report all suspected child-abuse cases to police. This was from 1997 — less then 13 years ago in the midst of the scandal. This occurred during the tenure of Pope John Paul II.
The letter appears to contradict denials from Vatican officials that they ever discouraged reporting child abuse to the police.
The letter is from the late Archbishop Luciano Storero, who served as Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland (his top diplomat to that country). Storero warns that the policy of Irish bishops to report such crimes “gives rise to serious reservations of both a moral and canonical nature.” He reminds them that both allegations and punishment must be handled within the church and that this canon “must be meticulously followed.”
Source: Yahoo
Jonathan Turley
I agree with the sentiments of horror about the crimes of these individuals and especially with the reference to Dante (although I would not wish the center of hell on anyone). However, people need to know that the US Bishops have adopted the following policy calling for the removal of abusers from ministry and reporting of abuse allegations to civil authorities:
“Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons
Approved by the Congregation for Bishops, December 8, 2002
9. Because sexual abuse of a minor by a cleric is a crime in the universal law of the Church (CIC, c. 1395 §2; CCEO, c. 1453 §1) and is a crime in all jurisdictions in the United States, for the sake of the common good and observing the provisions of canon law, the diocesan bishop/eparch shall exercise this power of governance to ensure that any priest who has committed even one act of sexual abuse of a minor as described above shall not continue in active ministry.6
11. The diocese/eparchy will comply with all applicable civil laws with respect to the reporting of allegations of sexual abuse of minors to civil authorities and will cooperate in their investigation. In every instance, the diocese/eparchy will advise and support a person’s right to make a report to public authorities.7
12. No priest or deacon who has committed an act of sexual abuse of a minor may be transferred for ministerial assignment to another diocese/eparchy or religious province.”
We can also agree that this statement was overdue but there is no disputing that this is the policy of the US Catholic Bishops.
In the Pastoral Letter I mentioned above, the Holy Father said the following to the Irish Bishops:
“Certainly, among the contributing factors we can include: inadequate procedures for determining the suitability of candidates for the priesthood and the religious life; insufficient human, moral, intellectual and spiritual formation in seminaries and novitiates; a tendency in society to favour the clergy and other authority figures; and a misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church and the avoidance of scandal, resulting in failure to apply existing canonical penalties and to safeguard the dignity of every person.
Urgent action is needed to address these factors, which have had such tragic consequences in the lives of victims and their families, and have obscured the light of the Gospel to a degree that not even centuries of persecution succeeded in doing.
On several occasions since my election to the See of Peter, I have met with victims of sexual abuse, as indeed I am ready to do in the future. I have sat with them, I have listened to their stories, I have acknowledged their suffering, and I have prayed with them and for them. Earlier in my pontificate, in my concern to address this matter, I asked the bishops of Ireland, “to establish the truth of what happened in the past, to take whatever steps are necessary to prevent it from occurring again, to ensure that the principles of justice are fully respected, and above all, to bring healing to the victims and to all those affected by these egregious crimes” (Address to the Bishops of Ireland, 28 October 2006).
As much as we would like to be able to travel back in time to reverse the harm, all the Church can do now is move forward in humility recognizing the failings of its members,making reparations for their past sins and working to prevent any recurrence. I think the statements above, the meetings with the victims and the many hundreds of millions of dollars that the Church has paid to victims are all evidence of genuine reckoning with the truth and repentance. Yet, I fear that some may have an agenda to use this scandal and tragedy as a weapon to destroy the Church or an opportunity to indulge a personal prejudice against her teachings. I would urge these people to inform themselves about the contributions of the Church to our civilization over a period of more than 2000 years. For example, we are the largest charitable organization on the planet, bringing relief and comfort to those in need. See http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/14/Revenue_1.html. Most importantly, we are a worlwide community of faith that gathers every Sunday to worship – not the fallible men who lead us – but Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Universe, our Creator, who loved us so much He came to this earth and died for our sins so that we could avoid the center of hell. In Him, all things are made new.
Very good film about child abuse by the Catholic Church in Ireland [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hga3kqwuBSc&w=480&h=390]
Nate,
“The fact the pope asks forgiveness from the victims rubs me so very wrong. He can take his petition and shove it. I’ll stick to justice, we can deal with forgiveness afterwards. But that’s just me.”
It’s not just you.
Chris Bouquet:
Here’s the letter for all to see:
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/world/Ireland-Catholic-Abuse.pdf
That part about “…”mandatory reporting” gives rise to serious reservations of both a moral and canonical nature,” is a clear shot over the bow of bishops seeking to do the right thing and report the crimes.
That line about affording time to let the Vatican “stud[y] the complex question of sexual abuse of minors by clergy” turns out to be nothing more than a play for time. Complex question? Nothing complex about child abusers (or their apologists); nothing “questionable” about what to do.
No amount of love and sorrow and forgiveness will blot away that stain, and no half-hearted contrition will make up for the harm and pain caused by the abusers or their official protection by those charged with preventing their dastardly acts.
It should give all of these churchmen pause if they truly believe in divine justice (and Dante Alighieri who described it for us) that the ice cold center of Hell (Round 4 of the Ninth Circle) is reserved for those guilty of betrayal.
The Divine Comedy is surely myth, but I wish it true for this gang of vermin.
Some thought springs to mind along the lines of trouble happening to little ones, that it would be better for the wrongdoer to tie a rock to their neck and drown themselves.
My disdain for these priests knows no end.
And it spills over to the pope too for violating the scripture they hold so dearly in order to… well, whatever it was they were thinking.
The fact the pope asks forgiveness from the victims rubs me so very wrong. He can take his petition and shove it. I’ll stick to justice, we can deal with forgiveness afterwards. But that’s just me.
i’m wondering if the guy who wrote the recent pedophile how to book is having to pay royalties to the catholic church.
Jill: “JP was just beatified. This revelation is very bad timing for him. He should break off sucking at the bosom of Abraham and talk to god about it. He was a great man and he should not be dragged through the mud like this. Forward to sainthood!”
—
LOL.
Somehow “sucking at the bosom of Abraham” sounds sorta’ like got the Church in trouble to begin with. 🙂
In other words:
“I’m sorry some priest buggered you. Please don’t sue us or have our employees arrested. Instead, trust us that we are only concerned for the good of the flock. Jesus saves and He’ll save you from your suffering too . . . but He should save us from prison first! Be sure to tithe on the way out.”
If he was “concerned for the good of all God’s children” instead of the civil liability of the RCC?
Herr Pope would turn over every known or suspected pedophile priest to the authorities for prosecution – immediately and without exception.
I wonder whether any one reporting or commenting on Storero’s 1997 letter has actually read it or spent any time trying to understand the Vatican’s explanation but given the gravity of the offenses by these priests the most important words on this issue are the following words from Pope Benedict:
“You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry. I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured. Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated. Many of you found that, when you were courageous enough to speak of what happened to you, no-one would listen. Those of you who were abused in residential institutions must have felt that there was no escape from your sufferings. It is understandable that you find it hard to forgive or be reconciled with the Church. In her name, I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel. At the same time, I ask you not to lose hope. It is in the communion of the Church that we encounter the person of Jesus Christ, who was himself a victim of injustice and sin. Like you, he still bears the wounds of his own unjust suffering. He understands the depths of your pain and its enduring effect upon your lives and your relationships, including your relationship with the Church. I know some of you find it difficult even to enter the doors of a church after all that has occurred. Yet Christ’s own wounds, transformed by his redemptive sufferings, are the very means by which the power of evil is broken and we are reborn to life and hope. I believe deeply in the healing power of his self-sacrificing love – even in the darkest and most hopeless situations – to bring liberation and the promise of a new beginning.
Speaking to you as a pastor concerned for the good of all God’s children, I humbly ask you to consider what I have said. I pray that, by drawing nearer to Christ and by participating in the life of his Church – a Church purified by penance and renewed in pastoral charity – you will come to rediscover Christ’s infinite love for each one of you. I am confident that in this way you will be able to find reconciliation, deep inner healing and peace.”
From Pope Benedict’s March 2010 Pastoral Letter to Irish Bishops and Victims of Clergy Abuse
Paripatrick,
I would also have to take exception to your listing. Priests should be much higher than attorneys!
Paripatrick:
Come on now, we lawyers deserve better than a “4” rating!
By the way, if anyone is truly surprised by this seedy revelation, drop me an email. I’ll send you an indulgence at half-price.
While I might disagree with your rankings I would note that the top 5 all have one thing in common – a tight-knit cadre of institutionalized power brokers who will do whatever is necessary to protect their own. That will always make them more dangerous than a lone wolf.
But the fact that they have, practically, a 1600 year or more head start on every one of the other 4 I would tend to say the total amount of damage done sweepstakes goes to the priests hands down.
In my research, professional misbehavior’s “bad boy” ranking looks like this:
1. Physicians
2. Law Enforcement
3. Politicians
4. Attorneys (including judges)
5. Priests
6. Celebrities*
The basis of my rankings is in measurable societal damage. I don’t believe it’s accurate or useful to say, for example, “okay, a bad pilot equals a bad carpenter equals a bad writer.” By virtue of the profession itself, some bad guys are in a position to do enormous damage to many people. A criminal surgeon, for example, performing thousands of unwarranted operations over decades, before being convicted.
And a bad priest certainly fits the bill.
I once sat in on a trial where the judge found a corporation guilty of negligence. (Ford Motor Company) He awarded the injured party $1 for the incident, and $90,000 for the way Ford behaved after the fact.
And certainly the manner in which the Catholic Church has shucked & jived in child abuse cases underscores the judge’s sentiment.
* Celebrity flub-ups are considerably less dangerous, although, it’s possible there is a measurable psychological impact on young people.
JBH:
“Is not authoritarianism its greatest enemy?”
*****************
I would say reason is its greatest enemy or maybe a tough cop.
rafflaw
1, January 19, 2011 at 11:47 am
Sainthood for someone who authorized the withholding of evidence of child molestation and rape? Wow. With that threshold even Jack the Ripper is next on the beatification list. …
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Yep … the excuses offered for this guy are hilarious
Is not authoritarianism its greatest enemy?
Sainthood for someone who authorized the withholding of evidence of child molestation and rape? Wow. With that threshold even Jack the Ripper is next on the beatification list.
The Vatican was simply covering their backsides by telling their employees to keep quiet and let this all blow over. Unfortunately for the Vatican they forgot to destroy all documents relating to their criminal acts.
Jill, I have one question for you. WWJD?
JP was just beatified. This revelation is very bad timing for him. He should break off sucking at the bosom of Abraham and talk to god about it. He was a great man and he should not be dragged through the mud like this. Forward to sainthood!
After all, you wouldn’t want people to get the impression the RCC was being ethically and legally responsible in reporting crimes against children.
Especially when it opens them to civil liability for their employees bad acts.
Hmmmm….and where was the 16th apologist……oh yeah dope in waiting…..then just like chiffon…it butter….but in Vatican land its pope….but everything’s better with butter on it…