C
Catholic_Press
Guest
Benedict XVI and the Sexual Abuse Crisis
By Father John Flynn, LC
ROME, JUNE 6, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The ongoing revelations about sexual abuses by priests in the Catholic Church is bringing unprecedented attention on the role of the Vatican and particularly on the actions of Benedict XVI. Amidst the flurry of reports there is a danger, however, that the facts may be obscured by the intensity of the opinions being expressed.
A recent example of this is Time magazine’s June 7 cover story. Superimposed over a photo of the Pope with his back turned is the headline: “Why Being Pope Means Never Having to Say Sorry.” A quick glance at the section of the Vatican’s Web page dedicated to the sexual abuses, however, reveals that on repeated occasions Benedict XVI has expressed his remorse over the abuses of children and adolescents. In fact, the very top link is a video with a reading of paragraph 6 of the Pope’s March 19 letter to the Catholics of Ireland in which he states: “You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry.”
To help clear matters up Gregory Erlandson and Matthew Bunson have just published a book titled: “Pope Benedict XVI and the Sexual Abuse Crisis” (Our Sunday Visitor). The authors are well placed to comment on this issue. Erlandson is the president and publisher of Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Company, while Bunson is the editor of the Catholic Almanac and also the Catholic Answer magazine.
More…
By Father John Flynn, LC
ROME, JUNE 6, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The ongoing revelations about sexual abuses by priests in the Catholic Church is bringing unprecedented attention on the role of the Vatican and particularly on the actions of Benedict XVI. Amidst the flurry of reports there is a danger, however, that the facts may be obscured by the intensity of the opinions being expressed.
A recent example of this is Time magazine’s June 7 cover story. Superimposed over a photo of the Pope with his back turned is the headline: “Why Being Pope Means Never Having to Say Sorry.” A quick glance at the section of the Vatican’s Web page dedicated to the sexual abuses, however, reveals that on repeated occasions Benedict XVI has expressed his remorse over the abuses of children and adolescents. In fact, the very top link is a video with a reading of paragraph 6 of the Pope’s March 19 letter to the Catholics of Ireland in which he states: “You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry.”
To help clear matters up Gregory Erlandson and Matthew Bunson have just published a book titled: “Pope Benedict XVI and the Sexual Abuse Crisis” (Our Sunday Visitor). The authors are well placed to comment on this issue. Erlandson is the president and publisher of Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Company, while Bunson is the editor of the Catholic Almanac and also the Catholic Answer magazine.
More…