Pope named in sex abuse lawsuit

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Vatican City- Attorneys for Pope Benedict XVI have asked President Bush to declare the pontiff immune from liability in a lawsuit that accuses him of conspiring to cover up the molestation of three boys by a seminarian in Texas, court records show…
Joseph Ratzinger is named as a defendant in the civil lawsuit. Now Benedict XVI, he’s accused of conspiring with the Archdiocese of Gaveston-Houston to cover up the abuse during the mid-1990’s. …

Will this ever end???
 
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CatholicChef:
Will this ever end???
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I’d guess that’s probably the same question the kids who were being abused asked while it was happening.

Sure, someday this problem will end in the Church, but not a day before responsibility for the abuse is taken by those who co-authored it…not until those who are responsible for letting it continue virtually unabated for decades and decades actually assume responsibility. The question we SHOULD be asking is whether this will ever end for the kids. Even those who are no longer being abused will undoubtedly be scarred for life. Will it end for them? Ever? Settlement money and Church officials’ reputations come and go, but emotional scars created by something like this…well, that’s another story, isn’t it?

I have no desire to protect, by “immunity” or any other means, anyone who let this knowingly happen to innocent, helpless children. I don’t care who it is. Cardinal Ratzinger’s “study” is well-known. If he knew and covered it up, letting it continue, then let him answer for it.
 
You are correct mhansen. I was sexually abused as a child, so I have an idea how these kids feel and my heart does go out to them. I just hate to think our new pope had a hand in any of the cover ups :confused: Hopefully it’s not true!
 
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CatholicChef:
You are correct mhansen. I was sexually abused as a child, so I have an idea how these kids feel and my heart does go out to them. I just hate to think our new pope had a hand in any of the cover ups :confused: Hopefully it’s not true!
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What a tragedy it is that you have personally experienced a similar situation! I will keep you in my prayers, my friend.

I understand that you would hate to think he had a hand in this. I would, too. But, even the “best” human among us is still human, and thus, fully capable of making mistakes. The bigger mistake is made when we try to “sweep it under the rug.” It only makes things worse. When I sin against God, I confess it and ask for forgiveness. When I sin against God and my fellow man, I confess it to God, and my fellow man, and ask them both for forgiveness. That’s pretty much the “prescription” Jesus gave us in the Gospels, and it’s worked for me my whole life. I personally wouldn’t think less of a man for admitting he messed up, but rather I would think MORE of him.

On the other hand, I don’t want to assume anyone is guilty, even if their hand is caught in the proverbial “cookie jar.” Time will tell.

Again, I will keep you in my prayers.

Mike
 
Ratzinger while he was prefect for the CDF helped promulgate and enact by Pope John Paul II

sacramentum sanctitatis on April 30, 2001

Epistula ad Totius on May 18, 2001

sacramentum sanctatis tutela translated into English later on.

The secrecy relates to internal investigation only by the church. The idea that the Bishop be obligated to contact police in order to denounce a priest who has admitted the offense of paedophilia is unfounded.
 
It is one thing to get to the bottom of a problem, but I really don’t like that some folks think that bankrupting Catholic diocese will make anything better.

I don’t see how lots of $$$ would heal any emotional scars. :mad:
 
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bones_IV:
The secrecy relates to internal investigation only by the church. The idea that the Bishop be obligated to contact police in order to denounce a priest who has admitted the offense of paedophilia is unfounded.
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Nobody is “obligated” to report criminal acts, this is true. However, you would expect a higher standard from the Church that claims itself to be the “deposit of Faith” and the final word on moral teaching. Maybe we’re expecting too much of the Bride of Christ? Personally, I don’t think so. We’re talking criminal acts here and the potential cover-up of said criminal acts. Nobody is above the law…not you, not me, not the bishops, not the pope.

If you want to use “internal Church secrecy” as an excuse for hiding decades and decades of crimes, be my guest. It only discredits the Church and really doesn’t leave her a leg to stand on when it comes to moral issues, in my opinion. “Do as I say and not as I do” doesn’t sit too well with me, personally. In its attempt to protect “assets”, it seems to be GIVING away its soul. Tragic, indeed.

Maybe this will have a beneficial effect on the Church. Perhaps it was time that the Church be humbled, so it recognizes itself for what it is: a servant of God, not God Himself.
 
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mhansen:
Nobody is “obligated” to report criminal acts, this is true. However, you would expect a higher standard from the Church that claims itself to be the “deposit of Faith” and the final word on moral teaching. Maybe we’re expecting too much of the Bride of Christ? Personally, I don’t think so. We’re talking criminal acts here and the potential cover-up of said criminal acts. Nobody is above the law…not you, not me, not the bishops, not the pope.

If you want to use “internal Church secrecy” as an excuse for hiding decades and decades of crimes, be my guest. It only discredits the Church and really doesn’t leave her a leg to stand on when it comes to moral issues, in my opinion. “Do as I say and not as I do” doesn’t sit too well with me, personally. In its attempt to protect “assets”, it seems to be GIVING away its soul. Tragic, indeed.

Maybe this will have a beneficial effect on the Church. Perhaps it was time that the Church be humbled, so it recognizes itself for what it is: a servant of God, not God Himself.
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Who ever said running the church was easy? I don’t think the Pope is morally responsible. Its not Ratzinger’s fault that Bishops didn’t listen to what Pope John Paul II said. You are entitled to your opinions but in my view I think the Pope has immunity in this case. I don’t see what your problem with Pope Benedict XVI is, don’t look for trouble where there’s not trouble.
 
The Pope is a head of state and has immunity…not even President Bush or Congress can do anything about it…his immunity is not questionable and I don’t know why a request was made to the President to grant him immunity that he already has.
 
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bones_IV:
[The idea that the Bishop be obligated to contact police in order to denounce a priest who has admitted the offense of paedophilia is unfounded.
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I completely disagree. In my opinion, EVERYBODY is obligated to report a case of sexual abuse of another person.

This includes, bishops, priests, nuns, teachers, parents, siblings, school custodians, neighbors, or any child who is molested or knows of someone being molested.

What I want to know is why the police are never involved. When a child is molested, should not the parent report this to the police? And should not the police file a case in this matter, not hand it over to a bishop? I have asked this question before: how does it happen that the police are not doing their job? Did all these parents go directly to the bishop? It seems unlikely. Are priests granted immunity from crimes automatically? :mad:
 
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Olympia:
I completely disagree. In my opinion, EVERYBODY is obligated to report a case of sexual abuse of another person.

This includes, bishops, priests, nuns, teachers, parents, siblings, school custodians, neighbors, or any child who is molested or knows of someone being molested.

What I want to know is why the police are never involved. When a child is molested, should not the parent report this to the police? And should not the police file a case in this matter, not hand it over to a bishop? I have asked this question before: how does it happen that the police are not doing their job? Did all these parents go directly to the bishop? It seems unlikely. Are priests granted immunity from crimes automatically? :mad:
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What about admissions of abuse in the Sacrament of confession?

Scott
 
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Olympia:
I completely disagree. In my opinion, EVERYBODY is obligated to report a case of sexual abuse of another person.

This includes, bishops, priests, nuns, teachers, parents, siblings, school custodians, neighbors, or any child who is molested or knows of someone being molested.

What I want to know is why the police are never involved. When a child is molested, should not the parent report this to the police? And should not the police file a case in this matter, not hand it over to a bishop? I have asked this question before: how does it happen that the police are not doing their job? Did all these parents go directly to the bishop? It seems unlikely. Are priests granted immunity from crimes automatically? :mad:
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I have always wondered why anyone would even go to the bishop for something like this.
 
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Olympia:
I completely disagree. In my opinion, EVERYBODY is obligated to report a case of sexual abuse of another person.

This includes, bishops, priests, nuns, teachers, parents, siblings, school custodians, neighbors, or any child who is molested or knows of someone being molested.

What I want to know is why the police are never involved. When a child is molested, should not the parent report this to the police? And should not the police file a case in this matter, not hand it over to a bishop? I have asked this question before: how does it happen that the police are not doing their job? Did all these parents go directly to the bishop? It seems unlikely. Are priests granted immunity from crimes automatically? :mad:
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Read the sources above which I cited.
 
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dumspirospero:
The Pope is a head of state and has immunity…not even President Bush or Congress can do anything about it…his immunity is not questionable and I don’t know why a request was made to the President to grant him immunity that he already has.
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I don’t claim to know the law on this, but I think the dispute stems from the fact that he was NOT Pope at the time, so therefore not head of state when the alleged indiscretions took place. Perhaps someone better versed in law can clear this up.
 
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bones_IV:
Who ever said running the church was easy? I don’t think the Pope is morally responsible. Its not Ratzinger’s fault that Bishops didn’t listen to what Pope John Paul II said. You are entitled to your opinions but in my view I think the Pope has immunity in this case. I don’t see what your problem with Pope Benedict XVI is, don’t look for trouble where there’s not trouble.
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Like you said, I’m entitled to my opinion, and you are entitled to yours. Personally, I think anybody that had knowledge that this was going on and let it, or perhaps even worse, covered it up, is morally responsible to some degree.

My problem is not with the Pope himself as an individual, so much as it is with anyone who would condone acts of abuse against kids by remaining silent and allowing it to continue. If it seems that I “have a problem with Pope Benedict”, perhaps it’s because he fits this description.
 
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mhansen:
I’d guess that’s probably the same question the kids who were being abused asked while it was happening.

Sure, someday this problem will end in the Church, but not a day before responsibility for the abuse is taken by those who co-authored it…not until those who are responsible for letting it continue virtually unabated for decades and decades actually assume responsibility. The question we SHOULD be asking is whether this will ever end for the kids. Even those who are no longer being abused will undoubtedly be scarred for life. Will it end for them? Ever? Settlement money and Church officials’ reputations come and go, but emotional scars created by something like this…well, that’s another story, isn’t it?

I have no desire to protect, by “immunity” or any other means, anyone who let this knowingly happen to innocent, helpless children. I don’t care who it is. Cardinal Ratzinger’s “study” is well-known. If he knew and covered it up, letting it continue, then let him answer for it.
Click to expand...
👍 You are so right! No one is above the law. Responsibility and accountability goes along with office. I must be insisted upon.
 
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