The Vatican cannot rescind a papal knighthood awarded to pedophile presenter Jimmy Savile.
British broadcaster BBC is in turmoil after it emerged that Savile was a serial child abuser.
Station bosses are reeling as police investigations uncover more evidence against Savile, the Top of the Pops and Jim’ll Fix It presenter.
Disgraced singer Gary Glitter was arrested on Sunday as part of the ongoing police enquiries into the Savile case.
Now the Vatican has confirmed to BBC news reporters that it has been asked to rescind a papal knighthood awarded to Savile in 1990.
As reports claim Savile abused some 300 people, a Vatican spokesman admitted: “The knighthood should not have been bestowed.”
The Catholic Church in England and Wales has also confirmed that it has written to the Holy See and asked for the honour to be posthumously removed.
Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, has called for an investigation and recognised the ‘deep distress’ of Savile’s alleged victims.
Saville was made a Knight Commander of St Gregory the Great, one of the highest awards the Pope can bestow, by Pope John Paul II for his charity work.
The Vatican’s official spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told the BBC:
“The Holy See firmly condemns the horrible crimes of sexual abuse of minors and considers the Savile revelations as very grave.
“It is deeply saddened that a person who has been soiled in this way could in his lifetime have been proposed for an honour by the Holy See, which in the light of recent information should certainly not have been bestowed.
“As there does not exist any permanent official list of persons who have received papal honours in the past, it is not possible to strike anyone off a list that does not exist.
“The names of recipients of papal honours do not appear in the Pontifical Year Book and the honour expires with the death of the individual.
“The most important thing, therefore, is to reaffirm the Church’s condemnation of all forms of sexual abuse, and particularly abuse of minors, as extremely grave crimes. The Holy See is adamant on this point.”
A spokesman for the Catholic Church in England and Wales also confirmed that Archbishop Nichols has written to the Holy See asking that Savile’s knighthood be posthumously removed and its effects nullified.
The spokesman said: “The Archbishop’s letter was written recognising the deep distress of all those who have suffered abuse and the disquiet at Mr Savile’s name remaining on papal honours lists.
“It is clearly an exceptional request. The Church invites all those who have suffered abuse to come forward to the appropriate authorities.”
The BBC has been criticised for failing to stop the alleged abuse during Savile’s long career at the corporation.
It is also under fire for axing a 2011 Newsnight report into the claims and its handling of the subsequent scandal.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seamus60 | Oct 31, 2012, 03:43 PM EDT
Mark. You`re being very extravegant with the churchs money there. A short bus trip to the next parish was suffice in most cases.
seamus60 | Oct 31, 2012, 03:32 PM EDT
Getting young victims and their parents to swear an oath of silence hardly lays credance that the church done everything or anything right. A spade is a spade.
KatieMurphy | Oct 31, 2012, 01:17 AM EDT
Hermit talker says " It never covered up or lied re t he abuse...He must be using the BS that comes from FAUX news from which the pope hired a spinmaster Everyone should read the bool "Our Fathers- the secretlie of the catholic church in an age of scandal" By David France. It goes into very deep detail of the horrors of what happened first revealed in boston in 2002. The church was totally silent on these crimes, totally unresponsive etc. You can buy books for about half price delivered by going to search engine bookfinder4u(dot)(usual ending).....Current price for this expose book is about 6$ used
markWalsh | Oct 30, 2012, 06:12 PM EDT
If saville was still alive, I dare say the Catholic Church would revert to their traditional stance on issues such as this - namely to move him from London to say, Manchester. Yep, that should do the trick, that should cure him...what?.....you say he has offended again? ok, get him a ticket for york. sorted. The catholic church, a shining beacon in a dark world.
irishamerica46 | Oct 30, 2012, 03:52 PM EDT
There's 3 stories related to sex and children and 1 of rape in the News from Ireland section today. None of the perps are priests.You gonna keep blaming them??? What about Boy Scout leaders, teachers, ministers, football coaches, police, doctors etc etc. Besides from what I've read on IC, criminals of all sorts basically get a slap in the hand in Ireland.
irishamerica46 | Oct 30, 2012, 03:34 PM EDT
There's nothing in the story anti-Catholic, only in some of the ignorant comments.
historynw | Oct 30, 2012, 10:27 AM EDT
Bullfeathers Nothing is impossible if you want it. The real reason is the Pope is suppose to be infallible to admit a screwup changes things doesn't.
hermitTalker | Oct 30, 2012, 10:01 AM EDT
Nothing anti-Catholic on this topic or on any IC site! Back in your shell pecos kid we shall wake you up after your hibernation! This is October 2012 and there is an ideological war on for which you seem un-armed and under-equipped.
Frosty38 | Oct 30, 2012, 09:17 AM EDT
Frist od all I don't know who posted on the cost of attending catholic schools. Not in my city the tuition was very high and I went to public school. Second we did not have this problem as for the priest we play basetball with them and did not have anything out of place. Maybe because they were all old Irish priest
misneac | Oct 29, 2012, 08:32 PM EDT
Portia 777 states " the Roman Catholic Church looks after its own " . Please explain ,what point are you trying to make ? The Catholic Church position is clearly ststed in this case ,and is totally correct .
Pecos Kid | Oct 29, 2012, 03:36 PM EDT
Go back into your hermit shell, thou protesteth too much. There isn' t anything anti-catholic in this story. Are ya just alittle paranoid?
Parents | Oct 29, 2012, 11:36 AM EDT
The award by the Church was just an additional "stab" to the victims. It also makes them feel no one would believe them and often awards are given just for that specific purpose. With at kind of scess to kids one would think somebody would have the responsibility to make sure all is on the up and up. Interview the kids to make sure, give them a chance to tell the truth of what happened to them. It is hard to believe that this man was doing that for yrs and yrs and no one suspected anything wrong. Even seeing one boy leaving his dressingroom should have been a red flag. Evil happens when good people do nothing.
handsome68 | Oct 29, 2012, 10:42 AM EDT
Never knew of this man before these pedophile allegations, but one look at him should have indicated that he might be a trifle more than just eccentric. As someone mentioned, many of his teenage viewers knew well before the adults did. Not knowing at this moment all of the facts, i.e., who knew what, when, how, etc., I suspect that the Roman Catholic Church will eventually rescind his Award if he is found lawfully culpable.
hermitTalker | Oct 29, 2012, 10:24 AM EDT
headline belies the story, the honour dies with the person, said so in the story, As for the two (ignorant/biased/anti-Catholic/ you know which yor are) posters; papal infallibility has nothing to do with anything other than doctrine or the Natural Law and the Vatican had canon law in effect against child abuse and has God's Law against adultery, and rape in the Commandments. It never covered up or lied about any abuse. That piece of fake crud is poured out on this site and general media regularly. Facts are so readily available but refused so easily and so often by those with axes to grind.
irishamerica46 | Oct 28, 2012, 04:07 PM EDT
What don't a couple of you get? There is no list and this honor expires with the death of the person. Go after the BBC like you do the Church.Ignorance must be bliss!!
irishamerica46 | Oct 28, 2012, 12:59 PM EDT
Unfortunately some will use this to attack the Church, ironic considering it was the great liberal leftie BBC which made many of the same mistakes the Church has made in relation to suspected abusers. The papal knighthood cannot be rescinded because it does not exist anymore, it dies with the recipient.
saraindc | Oct 28, 2012, 12:10 PM EDT
its unclear from this article, has he been convicted? i know some irish people who used to watch his jim will fix it show and they said even as teenagers he creeped them out as he was too "weird" the way he was with kids - how can teenagers spot something and adults not!! how has it only come to light now so many years later? some of those kids would be in their 50's going on the age of the people i know who knew that tv show and thought he was too odd with kids
thetint | Oct 28, 2012, 12:01 PM EDT
Of course they can. The nonsense of Papal Infallibility is the reason they won’t.
thetint | Oct 28, 2012, 11:35 AM EDT
The Roman Catholic church looks after its own,