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Credo Catholic
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| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
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| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Apr 22nd, 2008 03:57 pm |
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| Is there an article I could look up that tells completely and truthfully how much Pope Benedict XVI was or was not involved with the sex scandal cover-up? Out of all the coverage that was on TV on all the networks, the one thing my husband got out of it was the vast cover-up of the scandal. I don't know what he saw that I didn't see, or who he has been listening to, but I would like to tell him that our pope did not have an active part in it. But I want to know before I speak just what did happen. I believe it was all done by U.S. bishops, as they have the authority to make personnel changes here. My husband says he understands that it was a small percentage of priests who were guilty of this, and yes it happens in other organizations and denominations. But the cover-up is what bothers him. Help, anyone?
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Annie
Banned
| Joined: | Wed Feb 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Columbus, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 731 |
| First Name: | Annie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nothing, Quaker, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Apr 22nd, 2008 04:27 pm |
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| It was not then-Cardinal Ratzinger's job to deal with the sex abuse crisis. He was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly known as the Holy Office, which deals with matters of Church doctrine. He was asked by JPII to help with the crisis and was instrumental in bringing it out in the open and helping the bishops to come up with ways to deal with it.
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Annie
Ora et labora
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Credo Catholic
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | Greenville, South Carolina USA |
| Posts: | 1402 |
| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Apr 22nd, 2008 04:46 pm |
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| Thanks Annie. That's a start. I really want to clear his name, in my own mind and my husband's. So he was asked to help, and therefore he did have some sort of active role in bringing it out in the open, and in dealing with the bishops. I guess my next question would be, is any of that public record, or is it private dealings between the vatican and the bishops. I would like to be able to say to my husband or the next person who brings this up, (then Cardinal Ratzinger) Pope Benedict XVI did this, this, and this to bring an end to the cover-up and to begin to help the victims and ensure the problem would be dealt with appropriately in future. Specifics would be good if available. The pope himself brought the issue to the forefront during the entire trip, it is critically important for us to be able to counter the accusations, don't you think?
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Annie
Banned
| Joined: | Wed Feb 14th, 2007 |
| Location: | Columbus, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 731 |
| First Name: | Annie | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | nothing, Quaker, Mennonite, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anglican, Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Apr 22nd, 2008 05:08 pm |
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The Vatican is a huge bureaucracy and they have paperwork for everything. The Pope probably needs a hall pass to go to the Little Pontiff's Room.
I am sure it is all a matter of public record. There are also the various homilies and speeches the Popes and cardinals and bishops make. That is all on record too.
Try searching the EWTN web site. Also, the Boston Globe has a special section online about the scandal in Boston which, for example, contains a photostat of Humberto Cardinal Medeiros's letter to the Vatican about his decision to expel the homosexuals from the Boston archdiocese seminaries. The Globe is no fan of the Church but their coverage was excellent and this special section is very good. You may get some info. there.
It should be noted that the cover-ups were of individual bishops protecting individual priests, most notably the two big cases in Boston. They had an advantage of being an ocean away from Rome.
Last edited on Tue Apr 22nd, 2008 05:09 pm by Annie
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Annie
Ora et labora
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NanaR
Member
| Joined: | Sat Jun 2nd, 2007 |
| Location: | Kentucky USA |
| Posts: | 168 |
| First Name: | Ruth | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Born JW, born-again Catholic (Tiber Swim Team 2008) |
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Posted: Tue Apr 22nd, 2008 05:52 pm |
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Marsha:
Here's a write-up by Jimmy Aikin in response to a 2005 "news" article that claimed that Cardinal Ratzinger orchestrated the coverup:
http://jimmyakin.typepad.com/defensor_fidei/2005/04/observe_this.html
The very same 2005 article that Aikin tore to shreds has shown up on the web this week in statements against the Pope.
If the allegations were true, where is the evidence since 2005, since he became Pope?
My daughter also watched some special program that made the same sort of allegations. I call this stuff Trash Journalism.
Pax,
Ruth
____________________
When you bend down to help someone up, that is the best exercise for your heart. -- Fr. Noe, 2007
http://nanaruthann.blogspot.com
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Dave Armstrong
Network Apologist
| Joined: | Fri Nov 2nd, 2007 |
| Location: | Melvindale, Michigan USA |
| Posts: | 1666 |
| First Name: | Dave | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Evangelical (1977): Diverse Protestant Influences / Catholic in 1990 |
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Posted: Tue Apr 22nd, 2008 11:18 pm |
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Here is a collection of articles: some that I had on my website and blog since 2002, and others that I found today:
For general background information (but not from a specifically Catholic source), see;
Roman Catholic sex abuse cases (Wikipedia)
* * * * *
The Uses of Clerical Scandal (Philip Jenkins / First Things) [February 1996]
Entangled on the Web (James Hitchcock) [April 2001]
The Price of Priestly Pederasty (Dan Michalski / Crisis) [October 2001]
Lawlessness In Boston: On Bernard Cardinal Law (William F. Buckley, Jr.) [2-12-02]
Public Response to Those Who Left the Church Due to the Scandal (Mark Shea) [2-13-02]
More Viewer Reaction to the Boston Travesty (Letters and Reply by Mark Shea) [2-19-02]
Should Cardinal Law Step Down? (Two letters and Reply by Mark Shea) [2-21-02]
Wages of Relativism: A Catholic priest responds to an NR cover story (Benedict J. Groeschel) [2-28-02]
The Myth of the Pedophile Priest (Philip Jenkins) [3-3-02]
Catholics and Scandals: What is happening to the clergy? (William F. Buckley, Jr.) [3-15-02]
The Pope's First Statement (Peggy Noonan) [3-22-02]
Catholic bashing and pedophile priests (Michael Medved) [3-25-02]
How should the Church respond? (Alan Keyes) [3-25-02]
Dark Hour (Mark Shea) [3-29-02]
Can the Church Survive? (William F. Buckley, Jr.) [4-1-02]
Scandal Time (Fr. Richard John Neuhaus / First Things) [April 2002]
A Time for Redemption (David Reinhard) [May 2002]
Scandal Time (Continued) (Fr. Richard John Neuhaus / First Things) [July 2002]
Shaken by Scandals: Catholics Speak Out About Priests' Sexual Abuse (book edited by Paul Thigpen) [July 2002]
Scandal Time: What the Dallas Meeting of Bishops Was Really About (Fr. Richard John Neuhaus) [8-20-02]
Scandal Time III (Fr. Richard John Neuhaus / First Things) [September 2002]
Q&A: Understanding the Priest Scandal (Catholic Answers / This Rock) [November 2002]
Catholic Scandals: A Crisis for Celibacy?: The Real Story Behind Clerical "Pedophilia" & What It Really Means (Leon J. Podles / Touchstone) [2002]
Answering Scandal with Personal Holiness (Fr. Roger J. Landry) [2002]
10 Myths about Priestly Pedophilia (Crisis) [2002]
Don't Get Mad, Get Holy: Overcoming Evil with Good (Leon J. Suprenant, Jr.) [2002]
Courage in Scandal (George Weigel) [2002]
Editorial Says Cases of Priest Pedophilia Exaggerated (Catholic Exchange) [2-27-03]
Loving the Church in a Time of Scandal (Tom Allen) [4-17-03]
Lay vs. Clergy Perceptions of the Scandal (Mark Shea) [5-28-03]
Dissecting the Anatomy of the Sexual Scandal (Joseph A. Varacalli / Homiletic & Pastoral Review) [January 2004]
Golden Opportunity (Russell Shaw) [2-23-04]
Something I've Been Puzzling Over For Some Time (Mark Shea) [7-1-04]
Reply to Allegations That Then-Cardinal Ratzinger "Obstructed" a Sex Abuse Inquiry (Jimmy Akin) [4-29-05]
Truth and Tolerance, Again (Fr. Richard John Neuhaus / First Things) [November 2005]
All in the Family: Responding to the USCCB Call to Prevent Child Abuse (Heidi Hess Saxton) [4-11-08]
Pope Benedict among Americans (Russell Shaw) [4-17-08]
My old argument with Rod [Dreher] (Mark Shea) [4-17-08]
Pope Benedict XVI's Remarks on the Scandal to US Bishops: 16 April 2008 (source)
Among the countersigns to the Gospel of life found in America and elsewhere is one that causes deep shame: the sexual abuse of minors. Many of you have spoken to me of the enormous pain that your communities have suffered when clerics have betrayed their priestly obligations and duties by such gravely immoral behavior. As you strive to eliminate this evil wherever it occurs, you may be assured of the prayerful support of God’s people throughout the world. Rightly, you attach priority to showing compassion and care to the victims. It is your God-given responsibility as pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust, to foster healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to those so seriously wronged.
Responding to this situation has not been easy and, as the President of your Episcopal Conference has indicated, it was “sometimes very badly handled”. Now that the scale and gravity of the problem is more clearly understood, you have been able to adopt more focused remedial and disciplinary measures and to promote a safe environment that gives greater protection to young people. While it must be remembered that the overwhelming majority of clergy and religious in America do outstanding work in bringing the liberating message of the Gospel to the people entrusted to their care, it is vitally important that the vulnerable always be shielded from those who would cause harm. In this regard, your efforts to heal and protect are bearing great fruit not only for those directly under your pastoral care, but for all of society.
If they are to achieve their full purpose, however, the policies and programs you have adopted need to be placed in a wider context. Children deserve to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships. They should be spared the degrading manifestations and the crude manipulation of sexuality so prevalent today. They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person. This brings us back to our consideration of the centrality of the family and the need to promote the Gospel of life. What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today? We need to reassess urgently the values underpinning society, so that a sound moral formation can be offered to young people and adults alike. All have a part to play in this task - not only parents, religious leaders, teachers and catechists, but the media and entertainment industries as well. Indeed, every member of society can contribute to this moral renewal and benefit from it. Truly caring about young people and the future of our civilization means recognizing our responsibility to promote and live by the authentic moral values which alone enable the human person to flourish. It falls to you, as pastors modelled upon Christ, the Good Shepherd, to proclaim this message loud and clear, and thus to address the sin of abuse within the wider context of sexual mores. Moreover, by acknowledging and confronting the problem when it occurs in an ecclesial setting, you can give a lead to others, since this scourge is found not only within your Dioceses, but in every sector of society. It calls for a determined, collective response.
Priests, too, need your guidance and closeness during this difficult time. They have experienced shame over what has occurred, and there are those who feel they have lost some of the trust and esteem they once enjoyed. Not a few are experiencing a closeness to Christ in his Passion as they struggle to come to terms with the consequences of the crisis. The Bishop, as father, brother and friend of his priests, can help them to draw spiritual fruit from this union with Christ by making them aware of the Lord’s consoling presence in the midst of their suffering, and by encouraging them to walk with the Lord along the path of hope (cf. Spe Salvi, 39). As Pope John Paul II observed six years ago, “we must be confident that this time of trial will bring a purification of the entire Catholic community”, leading to “a holier priesthood, a holier episcopate and a holier Church” (Address to the Cardinals of the United States, 23 April 2002, 4). There are many signs that, during the intervening period, such purification has indeed been taking place. Christ’s abiding presence in the midst of our suffering is gradually transforming our darkness into light: all things are indeed being made new in Christ Jesus our hope.
At this stage a vital part of your task is to strengthen relationships with your clergy, especially in those cases where tension has arisen between priests and their bishops in the wake of the crisis. It is important that you continue to show them your concern, to support them, and to lead by example. In this way you will surely help them to encounter the living God, and point them towards the life-transforming hope of which the Gospel speaks. If you yourselves live in a manner closely configured to Christ, the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep, you will inspire your brother priests to rededicate themselves to the service of their flocks with Christ-like generosity. Indeed a clearer focus upon the imitation of Christ in holiness of life is exactly what is needed in order for us to move forward. We need to rediscover the joy of living a Christ-centred life, cultivating the virtues, and immersing ourselves in prayer. When the faithful know that their pastor is a man who prays and who dedicates his life to serving them, they respond with warmth and affection which nourishes and sustains the life of the whole community.
Related Papers
Scandalous Sexual Misconduct Committed by Protestant Clergy (edited by Dave Armstrong)
"It Ain't Just Catholic Priests": More Resources on Shocking Statistics of Sexual Abuse and Molestation by Protestant (and Orthodox & Jewish) Clergy
Has the Clergy Sexual Scandal in the US Caused a Huge Drop or "Crisis" in Vocations?
Kevin Johnson Argues (Amazingly) That Episcopal Ecclesiology is a Key Explanation of the Allegedly "Systemic" Tragedy of Molesting Priests (+ Discussion)
Kevin Johnson's Latest Slander: Catholic Apologists Care Little -- If At All -- About Children Who Have Been Molested by Evil Priests (+ Discussion)
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I'm happy to offer whatever theological & personal assistance I can. My blog, Biblical Evidence for Catholicism, contains 2000+ papers & web pages (absolutely free) & 16 apologetic books (for sale):
http://www.biblicalcatholic.com/
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Steven Barrett
Member
| Joined: | Tue Nov 14th, 2006 |
| Location: | Hadley, Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 979 |
| First Name: | Steven | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Catholic, Episcopal communicant, Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Tue Apr 22nd, 2008 11:18 pm |
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Annie,
You're not kidding about the Pope having to deal with a vast bureaucracy. And yes, you'd think that being German might give him an edge with the papal household, but the Heile Vater is a Bavarian, and that's a big difference by itself. If he was a Prussian, the whole Vatican City would probably be run more like George Steinbrenner's Yankees.
Also , remember, this a very mild-mannered scholar who loved cats and had a helluva fight with the nuns running his household to get one or two in. So much for the "absolute monarchy" claptrap the media loves to throw at the Holy See. 
On a more serious note, however, the whole notion that then-Cardinal Ratzinger was orchestrating things during the worst days of the pedophile scandal ought to be a scandal in and of itself for outlandishly bad examples of the worst imaginations of any cockamamie conspiracy theories one could hatch. Joseph Ratzinger was tired, and wanted out of the place, and getting into this kind of a quicksand swamp would be the very last thing any sensible man seeking to retire to his beloved Bavaria would be doing.
God had other plans for Joseph Ratzinger, and even if He hadn't, I can't imagine the Lord inspiring the Cardinal to take on such a thankless task best suited for a younger prelate, especially one who specializes in threshing through the most vexing kinds of moral, legal and administrative challenges any church official could face in any era.
Then-Cardinal Ratzinger's "administrative gifts" dealt specifically with making sure all members of the Magisterium, canonical universities, parish priests, Church publications, etc. were speaking from the "same page" so-to-speak. He had enough on his hands making sure that the CHurch's doctrines were being properly taught and that the so-called dissidents were also given a fair hearing. And, despite all the crybabies who were so far outside the foul lines to begin with, Joseph Ratzinger was said by some of the people he had to query or "call on the carpet" to be extremely fair and eager to fulfill his duties without humiliating people he had to call in for consultations. Contrast that picture with what the Conn. Episcopal bishop did to six of his pastors immediately after they protested the consecration of that imposter as "bishop" in New Hampshire. Stalin would've smiled.
Also, contrast whatever "slowness" or "deliberateness" laid at the feet of Joseph Ratzinger or any other Vatican official to the immediate blast of scorn, shame, and full imputation of guilt the media never fails in providing its readers, watchers and listeners. 
And to think he had to fight to have a cat or two! (Now, that's one catfight I'd have loved to watch, the Pope versus his household over a few pet housecats. Off to the Castel D'San Angelo!
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For anybody interested in reading commentary from a Catholic's socially conservative/fiscally liberal viewpoint, go to my new blog at http://www.politicsramble.com/ .
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Credo Catholic
Member
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| First Name: | Marsha | | Gender: | Female | | Faith History: | Baptist, Catholic |
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Posted: Wed Apr 23rd, 2008 03:32 am |
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Thank you Dave, that will keep me busy for a few days! I had time tonight to read through the article by Peggy Noonan, a favorite writer of mine. It was encouraging because she is devoutly catholic and wants only the truth and best outcome possible for the church. I don't mean to stir up trouble or harsh feelings by this thread. I want to be equipped to deal with a subject that is going to haunt us for years to come. Whatever covering up was done, I want to know, as well as what procedures will be taken in the future, like, will accused sex offenders be turned over to law enforcement? The public, catholic and non-catholic alike must be able to trust the church. Like, I trust you to have extensive information about whatever questions we come up with! Thanks! 
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