Are there secrets the hierarchy knows and the laity doesn’t?

[Pax_Tibi]

In our diocese, the local newspaper ran an article speculating that our church is somehow dodging the truth in answering prosecutors’ questions in the pedophilia scandal. It has to do with a vow given to the Pope, by the hierarchy, about not causing scandal to the Church.

Is there such a vow?
Would it be a legitimate defense?
Is the vow widely known? If not, why not?
In addition, if not widely known, could that lead one to believe that there are “ranks” in the church and that Baptism does not confer full membership?

 

[Sandi]

I don’t know about the vow, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the case.

 

[Church_Militant]

Your paper sounds like a whack job conspiracy theorist rag.

There is no such vow…that is bunkum.

Stick to the funnies…

 

[cor]

In our diocese, the local newspaper ran an article speculating that our church is somehow dodging the truth in answering prosecutors’ questions in the pedophilia scandal. It has to do with a vow given to the Pope, by the hierarchy, about not causing scandal to the Church.

Is there such a vow?
Would it be a legitimate defense?
Is the vow widely known? If not, why not?
In addition, if not widely known, could that lead one to believe that there are “ranks” in the church and that Baptism does not confer full membership?

I don’t know anything about any vow. If there were one it would be part of the ordination ritual or something. But, it is the moral teaching of Catholicism that we should not give scandal to the Church. “scandal” means leading other people to sin such as by setting a bad example or something like that.

There are some secret Church documents like this one:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimen_sollicitationis

(It’s no longer a secret now I guess; you can find it online)

Secular local newspapers often get things wrong about the Church. The writers are often not knowledgable about Catholicism.