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Pope Benedict says Irish child sex abuse is a 'heinous crime'

Pontiff calls for improved preparation for Irish priesthood

DONAL THORNTON,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 8:28 AM

Updated Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 1:04 PM

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Pope Benedict XVI has issued a strong statement of condemnation of pedophilia following his two-day meeting with 24 Irish bishops in Rome. He has also called for better preparation for the priesthood. The following is his statement:

“On 15 and 16 February 2010, the Holy Father met the Irish Bishops and senior members of the Roman Curia to discuss the serious situation which has emerged in the Church in Ireland.

“Together they examined the failure of Irish Church authorities for many years to act effectively in dealing with cases involving the sexual abuse of young people by some Irish clergy and religious.

“All those present recognized that this grave crisis has led to a breakdown in trust in the Church's leadership and has damaged her witness to the Gospel and its moral teaching.

“The meeting took place in a spirit of prayer and collegial fraternity, and its frank and open atmosphere provided guidance and support to the Bishops in their efforts to address the situation in their respective Dioceses.

“On the morning of 15 February, following a brief introduction by the Holy Father, each of the Irish Bishops offered his own observations and suggestions.

“The Bishops spoke frankly of the sense of pain and anger, betrayal, scandal and shame expressed to them on numerous occasions by those who had been abused.

“There was a similar sense of outrage reflected by laity, priests and religious in this regard.

“The Bishops likewise described the support at present being provided by thousands of trained and dedicated lay volunteers at parish level to ensure the safety of children in all Church activities, and stressed that, while there is no doubt that errors of judgment and omissions stand at the heart of the crisis, significant measures have now been taken to ensure the safety of children and young people.

“They also emphasized their commitment to cooperation with the statutory authorities in Ireland - North and South - and with the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland to guarantee that the Church's standards, policies and procedures represent best practice in this area.

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2BorNot2B | Feb 21, 2010, 11:33 AM EST

It would be interesting to hear where this 'spiritwringer' gets his facts about the FBI being mainly staffed by Caths, sounds like he/she reads too many Chick tracts. But no need to go too far, all one has to do is google: "sexual abuse by protestant sects" - the findings are 'legion.' In fact, the proportion of protestant abusers is much higher than those they so gleefully acuse. This is documented by statistics. -- The problem is that because the prot churches are so insignificant and lacking in sensationalist and money-making possiblities for the press, the stories go, if not unreported, for sure quickly out of the press. -- So, spirityguy, do some research and cast the first stone when you have foud what your sweaty preacher goons are guilty of. -- As for the allegation that "Catholic theology puts clergy above secular law".. Listen Einstein, before you go spreading this kind of idiotic blather (along with the one about the FBI), try offering a credible source on 'Catholic theology'; perhaps even a direct quote from the Catechism of the CC which is a compendium of Cath doctrine, where the kind of stupidity you propose can be verified. Other than that, the only thing showing in your screed is your ignorant prot bias.

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2BorNot2B | Feb 21, 2010, 11:20 AM EST

Sez Spiritranger:~~The Catholic Church in the USA has never allowed the secular authorities to prosecute these pedophiles to the fullest extent of the law. Protestant, Mormon and Jewish clergy could never get away with these acts the way some priests have. It helps that the FBI is predominantly Catholic..~~ Just a shot in the dark here, but it sounds as though this guy might have a bit of a log blocking his view. It would be interesting, in the interest of fairness to hear about his incursions into real live news coming from every possible credible source detailing the sexual abuse perpetrated by protestant clergy, not only on women and children but on their entire congregations by the simple acts of fraud, deceit, self-enrichment at their expense through forced tithing... etc. etc. -- It'd be a long post but I can supply newspaper articles on cases of pastors, blackmailing children into submitting to them on the threat of them and their parents being delivered to the immigration authorities. Of church volunteers seduced, and the outrage goes on and on... -- Just look at the most notorious cases of Swaggart, Haggard, Bynum, Hinn, etc. then be so kind as to look carefully at hushed up homosexual and pedophilic abuse in the mormon chuch -which quickly gets hushed, since the mo's have a super efficient whitewash machine with legions of lawyers and PR people- More later...

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irishathens | Feb 19, 2010, 09:02 AM EST

Too little and maybe too late.

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Intercessor | Feb 18, 2010, 10:17 AM EST

If the Vatican were smart, and that's really up for debate, She would bring in Father Thomas Doyle, an honest American Priest who was FIRED from his job as a MIlitary Chaplain a few short years from retirement, solely because he revealed the inner-workings of the Vatican and Hierarchy regarding issues of covering-up cases of Paedophilia. Since then, Father Doyle has appeared as "an expert witness on the inner=workings of Church Coverups" in court cases all over the Globe.

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Temerity | Feb 17, 2010, 05:06 PM EST

It is a horrible horrible mess.But in one form or another it is rife in the world today.Go onto the Internet and you find there the underbelly of the world thriving.( but you can block it out.)>:-( Yes it is terrible to think those who preached the moral high ground and Jesus Christ's suffer the little children to come unto me and the mill stone around their neck.ect.Used that trust so abominably. But what an awful task for poor Benedict.How is the male sex drive to be kept under control regulated and directed?It is such a subversive thing isn't it? I actually heard a serious debate on TV. as to wether it was permissable to teach little girls the way of whores early and to dress like them.There are fashion designers already doing it and marketing their wares. In other words Freud's idea of sexual repression being such a bad thing has so warped the minds of high class intellectual individuals like the woman defending this and the rights of those who wish to indulge in pornography.As a democratic right of the individual? Oh shite! Dont these people understand anything? Anyway before the world gets too carried away with this witch hunt,it might do well to remember the majority in the church do not condone nor follow these praciices.they do continue to strive after the ideal. I doubt that married clergy will do the trick. I have had experience of non Catholic clergy. Being married with children did nothing to make their fidelity to Church teaching a fore gone conclusion either. Whats to be done about it "cull the male babies at birth and halve their numbers perhaps?" No that wouldn't work either then the females would be in even more of frenzy to find a man. dunno people too much for me. You go figure it out!

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Spiritranger | Feb 17, 2010, 11:54 AM EST

The Catholic Church in the USA has never allowed the secular authorities to prosecute these pedophiles to the fullest extent of the law. Protestant, Mormon and Jewish clergy could never get away with these acts the way some priests have. It helps that the FBI is predominantly Catholic. Catholic theology puts Catholic clergy above secular law. This is the real problem that has led to a culture of abuse and perversion in the church. And my Bible still tells me that a Bishop is the husband of one wife (I Timothy 3:2) -- a married clergy would be more "normal" and more Biblically spiritual than the current celibate priest system.

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Realist | Feb 17, 2010, 06:11 AM EST

"Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven" - Matthew Chapter 19 Verse 14. I think "suffer" is the right word, don't you?

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kickstar | Feb 16, 2010, 02:53 PM EST

Well it's official.... Sexually abusing Children is a Crime ...Who'd thunk it.

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bcoc1124 | Feb 16, 2010, 11:27 AM EST

Like the reaction to the "Boston Cover-Up" (promoting Law, the enabler) the Vatican once again shows us that they just don't get it. It's the cover-up that allowed the second, third, and following incident(s) of sexual abuse. Had the bishops done their job, abusers would have been stopped in their tracks. As Jesus said, " Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto Me." From the pope down responsibility has to be taken for the HENIOUS CRIME of ABETTING ABUSERS through the CHURCH"S COVER-UP.

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hyattsville | Feb 16, 2010, 11:19 AM EST

But still nothing on resignations. Not good enough I'm afraid!

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figtirish | Feb 16, 2010, 09:58 AM EST

well said benny

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