Doctrine allows clerics to avoid truth when protecting Catholic Church

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An elderly nun, under questioning by a lawyer, recently said she could remember almost nothing about his client, a child who had been sexually molested by a Roman Catholic priest.

Lawyer Irwin Zalkin was puzzled because church records showed she had heard several complaints about the San Diego priest, and the file noted that she had reported them to higher authority.

Finally, Zalkin asked whether she was familiar with "mental reservation’’ – a 700-year-old doctrine by which clerics can avoid telling the truth to protect the Catholic Church.

…Full Story
 
Is this an official Doctrine of the Catholic Church? I’ve never heard of it until now.
 
Cam-masta said:
Is this an official Doctrine of the Catholic Church? I’ve never heard of it until now.
Click to expand...
no it is not, and the article makes the point several times that it is not official Catholic doctrine, but that some witnesses have tried to use it as an excuse for not testifying.
 
Cam-masta said:
Is this an official Doctrine of the Catholic Church? I’ve never heard of it until now.
Click to expand...
As Annie points out, the article mentions several times that this is NOT a doctrine. Nonetheless, they used the word doctrine in the headline, and thus I was forced to use it for this posting.
 
They should be dealing with the honesty itself, not with how unprofessional it is to imply that the Cardinal might have used mental reservation. That kind of approach may well cast a shadow on some very actual and real honesty.

Protecting the church is not the same as protecting child abusers. It’s one thing when they torture a priest to give away the hidden location of his flock in a time of persecution and a different one when someone’s shielding child abusers. Omitting things is not the same as direct and positive lying, either.
 
Frankly, I see no difference between “mental reservation” and “lying” in most cases. If utilized in Court by a witness under oath, the witness should be prosecuted for perjury Church member or otherwise. No one should expect that calling a “lie” a “mental reservation” should somehow exclude them from the consequences of perjury.
 
I just wish the Church would turn over all these priests who molested children to the authorities and let them deal with it. It would be much better than a continual coverup.
 
I work in a state penitentiary with high risk inmates and one of the traits they most vociferously defend is that of “no snitching”. This is nothing less than a criminal code which neutralizes and minimizes the crimes committed. It is beyond belief that our Church hierarchy cannot see this whole situation for what it is, and allow the truth to unfold. This is what will most benefit our reputation and allow us to defend the morality our Lord wants us all to uphold. Concealing the incredible evil perpetrated by these unholy men does nothing whatsoever to help our Church, and this foolishness has cost her thousands of followers who just cannot abide by it.
 
You know…In my mom’s prayer book there is a command from God to never judge or persicute priests, but rather to pray for them when they have done wrong because God himself will be their only judge.
 
As one who has several elderly relatives and friends, I have first hand experience that the elderly quite often, and quite without ‘undertones of conspiracy, or questionable so-called doctrine’, simply do not remember a lot of things, especially things which are more ‘short term’ (often called recent, or in the very short term, immediate, recall).

I think that things have come to a pretty pass when lawyers (and others), when confronted with an answer that someone does not remember, automatically assume the person is lying. . . especially when it is an older person. Good grief.

Do none of these people know anything about gerontology? Are they so pathologically intent on making every person into a conspirator? I would love to have them asked about some event and have them stutter something about ‘needing to consult notes’ etc.
 
Mental Reservation is not supported by Canon Law and the article admits that. A lie is just that a lie. To claim that you don’t remember when you do, is a lie.

Iowa Mike
 
As I recall, there are different kinds of “mental reservation”. Would I be obliged to tell a NAZI at the door who asks if I’ve seen any Jews lately that I’m hiding some of those children of Abraham in my attic?
It is one thing to knowingly give false information to those who have the right to know the truth, and another thing entirely to avoid giving any information at all to those who have NO right to it.
Priests are forbidden, even when threatened with death or torture, to tell what they have heard from penitents who confess to them. A priest would have to refuse to tell in court what he has heard from a penitent in the sacrament of reconciliation.
For more information on “mental reservation”, you might try the online Catholic Encyclopedia (Google “New Advent”).
 
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