Vatican disses one of its own on sex abuse

Too little, too late!

They must be feeling the heat at the Vatican if they are willing to throw a cardinal under the bus. Castrillion Hoyos was touted as a candidate for the papacy in the 2005 conclave. In his book "Conclave," John Allen reports that Castrillion Hoyos sleeps in the deathbed of Pius XII. I think that tells us all we need to know about the cardinal.

Steve

Geesh, what next! Open the windows, fling open the doors. Now is the time for complete truth. The truth will set the church free and then to rebuild, without all the pomp, fancy dress, and flowery articles. Back to basics. Come, come Holy Spirit.

Is this not the limit?
If one can't trust a 'cardinal' then whom can we trust?.
Perhaps the 'Voices of the Faithful'.
This serious error of judgement, demonstates that the "People of God' need a voice in who is choosen to lead a diocese.
We need 'democracy' 'Vox Populi' in the nomination of Bishops.
Lets get rid of the 'old boys network'
If we had an election of a Shepherd, then he would not abandon his 'flock' to seek greener pastures in a 'more important diocese'; two and three time over

And then they put Cardinal Law in a position of power and influence at the Vatican, with the power to influence who becomes a bishop in the U.S. Message to all Vatican Bureaucrats: "I was born at night, but not last night."

Clear them out, it is time to deal with thsee people, and to recognise it is not the liberal wing of the Church that has covered up things but the Conservative groups!

Cardinal Hoyos: Another "legacy artifact" of the late JPII.

In the U.S. the actions of Bishop Pierre Pican of Bayeux-Lisieux, France and Colombian cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos would be described as obstructing justice, or impeding the investigation of felony sexual abuse or a host of other charges.

Perhaps this is the beginning of an investigation into the endemic and systemic causes of the church's present crisis. Let's hope so.

Many in the U.S. know that this was never an "American problem" as Castrillon Hoyos often mentioned, not during the Gilbert Gauthe affair in Lafayette, Louisiana in the 1980s,

http://natcath.org/NCR_Online/archives2/2002b/051702/051702a.htm

not when the reports were coming out about the rape of women religious in mission and home countries in the 1990s,

http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/documents/McDonaldAFRICAreport.htm

and not with the implosion of the church in Boston in 2002.

_________________

Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane WHYY in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Professor Marci Hamiton and Sister Maureen Paul Turlish

Holding clergy and church leaders legally accountable for child abuse
Monday, April 12th, 2010

Link to National Public Radio:

http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2010/04/12/holding-clergy-and-church-lead...

Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Victims' Advocate
New Castle, Delaware
maureenpaulturlish@yahoo.com

" Hoyos’s letter congratulates Pican for not repoting Bissey to the French police and civil authorities. In the version published by Golias, it reads: “I rejoice to have a colleague in the episcopate who,IN THE EYES OF HISTORY and all the others bishops of the world, preferred prison rather than denouncing one of his sons, a priest.” " Emphasis mine. Me thinks the idiot suffers allusions of grandure. The only eyes open to this misfit are those of the evil one.
" It was also Castrillón Hoyos who was informally assigned the blame when Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of four traditionalist bishops, including one who is a Holocaust-denier, in 2009. That decision was prepared by a Vatican commission led at the time by Castrillón Hoyos. " Now that's TWO strikes. Wonder if he'll be offered another pitch so as to Strike Out. Do they ever banish their misfits to Corsica?

And so, the spin goes on. The Vatican ought to be ashamed of itself. Now they are trying to make believe that Ratzinger was not part of the cover up. I guess they learned well from "1984" -- you just call something by the opposite name, and it becomes the truth ...

Wow! Did someone open a window at last on Vatican Hill?

The Hoyos letter is an embarrassment because it reveals so clearly the cult of the priesthood, the clericalism in the church, that considers itself more important than innocent children. This attitude runs deep in the church and it should be condemned. The Vatican statement might be a small step in the right direction, but it would be wonderful if Pope Benedict in the Year of the Priests condemns clericalism that has been raised to the level that priests are more important than laity in the church.

The whole reason this comes to light now is spin-control doctoring, to cast the present pontiff in a better light, one of valiant reformer rather than abuse enabler.

Like he was in Munich.

Or in that deaf boys affair, when he urged "restraint" and secrecy for the "good of the universal church."

Now show us the Executive Order from either JPII or BXVI dated 2001 condemning Hoyes' action..can't find what doesn't exist????? Those Executive Orders are 'Worthless pieses of paper' anyway???

Castrillion-Hoyos is a natural to throw under the bus.

He's been kept at arms' length by Benedict XVI with his dealings with the SSPX. Since the SSPX "reunion" is going nowhere, Darios is expendable.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

"Castrillón Hoyos’s letter congratulates Pican for not repoting Bissey to the French police and civil authorities. In the version published by Golias, it reads: “I rejoice to have a colleague in the episcopate who, in the eyes of history and all the others bishops of the world, preferred prison rather than denouncing one of his sons, a priest.”
The above quote shows the muddled thinking that helped the evil of abuse to fester and grow in the darkness.It is quite clear this Colombian Cardinal was confusing compassion for the sinner with failing to condemn the sin and recognising that the due pennance of admission by reporting the matter to the police making sure the victims received pastoral care and support and making sure the abuser was never in a position where his activities could not be monitored to ensure there could be no repeat of his actions took place.
It is also abundantly clear that Cardinal Ratzinger does not share such muddled thinking and through the bitter and sorrowful experience of learning of more and more abuse cases has begun to take steps to end this muddled thinking.
Instead of being influenced by the section of the media joining in the call for his dismissal we should be grateful we have such a strong clear thinker in the chair of Peter who will lead us out of this darl period guided by the Holy Spirit.

"Castrillón Hoyos’s letter congratulates Pican for not repoting Bissey to the French police and civil authorities. In the version published by Golias, it reads: “I rejoice to have a colleague in the episcopate who, in the eyes of history and all the others bishops of the world, preferred prison rather than denouncing one of his sons, a priest.”
The above quote shows the muddled thinking that helped the evil of abuse to fester and grow in the darkness.It is quite clear this Colombian Cardinal was confusing compassion for the sinner with failing to condemn the sin and recognising that the due pennance of admission by reporting the matter to the police making sure the victims received pastoral care and support and making sure the abuser was never in a position where his activities could not be monitored to ensure there could be no repeat of his actions took place.
It is also abundantly clear that Cardinal Ratzinger does not share such muddled thinking and through the bitter and sorrowful experience of learning of more and more abuse cases has begun to take steps to end this muddled thinking.
Instead of being influenced by the section of the media joining in the call for his dismissal we should be grateful we have such a strong clear thinker in the chair of Peter who will lead us out of this dark period guided by the Holy Spirit.

Saint Therese of Lisieux said she would spend her heaven doing good on earth. She is keeping her word so the Bishop Pierre Pican of Bayeux-Lisieux is sent to jail. Ma chere Therese va a Rome.

"The real 'smoking guns' may be in any paper trail that Castrillon Hoyos left behind before (and apparently at least slightly after) the future pope took charge of the most explosive cases."
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/news/67678
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/article/5114
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE63E2H420100415
"I congratulate you for not denouncing a priest to the civil administration," Castrillon Hoyos said. "You have acted well and I am pleased to have a colleague in the episcopate who, in the eyes of history and of all other bishops in the world, preferred prison to denouncing his son and priest."
http://www.golias.fr/spip.php?article3794
http://www.golias.fr/spip.php?action=acceder_document&arg=297&cle=c654ca...

Memo to Castrillon-Hoyos:
I'm not quite sure THIS kind of MESS is what the author had in mind when writing Phil.1:13-14.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible/passage.aspx?q=Philippians+1:13;Phi...

Memo to Vatican:
You're gonna need a much bigger BUS!
http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/jpii-under-bus

How horrible! The Vatican is more concerned about "the church" than anyone else. this may seem to favor the "victim", but it really deals with protecting the "church". i'm so glad that i have decided to no longer participate in this corrupt organization. I'm a very spiritual person, but hate this type of behavior. i was taught to never lie, but yet the Vatican and the bishops of this corrupt organization have done nothing but lie. how sad!

This communication is only the beginning of the cracks that are about to occur in a leadership imploding from its highest ranks. Mr. Ratzinger is in a position that he either comes clean and admits to structural problems or he and the People of God must endure a continued investigation of this extremely unwise leadership. The respect for the leadership in our church is currently at an all time low and will continue down unless and until The Holy Father does his job. The real question is if he has the depth and width of personality strength to deal in an ethical way with this crisis of leadership. The Sexual scandal is but a part of this crisis. He must deal with the financial scandal that John Paul I declared a primary problem in our church- this problem was completely ignored by Benedict's predecessor- as were so many other problems. He must deal with a loss of communication with the scientific community; He must deal with misogyny so prominent in the clerical mind set; He must deal with a homophobia that this leadership is trying to blame everything on; He must deal with one issue politics that are tearing the organization apart. Nothing less will help!

There is a real question of weather a man of his age is up to understanding the ethical challenge of taking responsibility for a leadership that is crumbling. Yes, he does need our prayers, but he and a revised structure of leadership must earn the respect of the People of God that is vanishing because of the idea that Clerics, particularly Bishops, are above critique or truth--They can manufacture their own truth by the use of something they call mental reservations. (This comes down to the childish idea that it is my ball my yard and you must do it my way or get out.)

May we all seek God's grace through asking for an open and repentfull leadership that is willing to become the humble servants of God's people rather than the arrogant tyrants these men have made of themselves.

R. Dennis Porch, MD .

Where is Castrillon Hoyos now?

It's a small start. One bishop/cardinal has been reprimanded and has relinquished (some of?) his high profile positions, although it would appear that he's still part of the clergy. The heirarchy still needs to improve it's response rate and to become more proactive in dealing with problems. I'm trying to find a silver lining, but it is very small and the cloud is very large.

According to this story, the 2001 Motu Proprio was approved by the Pope & diseminated to the Bishops in May of 2001 & this Cardinal's letter was written in Sept 2001, several months later...

So evidently, if a high ranking Curial Cardinal felt that he was not obliged by that decree to report matters to secular authorities, then why does the Church say that mandatory reporting has been the norm in effect since 2001???

The actions of their own deny their claims.

Just another example of empty puffery to excuse irresponsible lazy leadership by the Hierarchs...

I have often seen it stated in comments to NCR, that it was the liberal Vatican II priests that committed these horrible crimes of abuse. Well it is clear that the majority of these crimes in Ireland were committed from the 1940's to the 1970's (ie priests who were at least trained prior to Vatican II) and now we know that the cover-up, which is worse than the abuse IMHO, is the responsibilty of the traditional bishops who think much more highly of priests than they do of children. I guess you can't blame Vatican II anymore. In fact it appears that you can blame the sentiment of idolatry of priests, bishops, and the pope that exists within the Church. When it is stated that those who do not believe everything out of the mouth of the pope should leave the Catholic Church, then you have idolized the pope to the level of a god. This just doesn't fit with scripture (all of it, not just Mat 16:18). Idolatry is surely at work.

David Lorenz

I am saddened to hear that a Cardinal would praise a Bishop for, in essense, condoning sin (a very serious sin) by refusing to denounce "one of his sons, a priests"! It would be very interesting to hear Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos's views on Jesus saying "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me". How many such Cardinals and Bishops are there?

"In effect, the Vatican statement suggests that Castrillón Hoyos was part of the problem which then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, eventually solved." Now, let's see if this makes sense. Hoyos sent a congratulatory letter to a Bishop who went to prison for hiding a sexual predator priest. That happened in September of 2001. The previous May of that year: "....... gave the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger responsibility for handling the sexual abuse crisis in May 2001." So, as of May, Ratzinger now had the power to act. The question is "What did he [Ratzinger] do to punish Hoyos for aiding and abetting a sex abuser with a letter of support?" If Ratzinger thought the congratulatory letter was so out-of-line with Vatican policy, he surely must have done something to reprimand/punish the man who wrote it. Was Hoyos demoted, sent to a far-off assignment never to be heard of again, or perhaps ordered to teach in a seminary? Apparently not, "Castrillón Hoyos stepped down as prefect of the Congregation for Clergy in 2006, and as head of the "Ecclesia Dei" Commission, dealing with traditionalist Catholics attached to the Latin Mass, in 2009." Quite active for a good many more years! Gives us some true idea of how upset Ratzinger was with him! Indeed, this does give us proof of what Ratzinger did, once he was given the power to act. That shoots down yesterday's argument that Ratzinger never had the power until 2001 to do anything about the sexual predators!

"Disses"? Could you return to professional writing and journalism please? The immaturity of journalists gives away the professionalism of a news organizations. Grow up please.

With no other place to deflect blame, Vatican officials are now turning on one another. Quite amazing to see the internal politics become public in this fashion. Given the pressures of the abuse crisis, it was unavoidable. Also noteworthy in this article is the information that a French bishop was sentenced to 3 months in prison for refusing to report a child abuser! Cardinal Law got promoted to the Basilica di Santa Maria in Rome for making essentially the same decision.

Thank God for even very small things. May this be a first step to confessing that Bishops in all parts of the world helped stoke the fires of this gigantic scandal leading to waves and waves of distrust, both within and without RC boundaries.

But when will they dump Cardinal Law?

It's too little too late.

I think part of the problem is that due to the mass exodus of priests and religious at the time of Vatican II, the Church had to rely on a lower caliber clergy to fill the breach.

And given the attitude of the LCWR to allegations of sexual abuse in their ranks, I have little confidence that solutions like "women priests" will improve matters.

Men and women in the Church are too interested in power.

Has this week's events at the Vatican torpedoed the Vatican investigation of the LCWR?

http://www.richardsipe.com/Doyle/2009/sexual_abuse_by_nuns.htm

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/feature/2009/08/17/nuns

A mild milestone. That ultra-CONservative Colombian cardinal hasn't been defrocked, has he, as Ratzinger's 2001 guidelines require?

Its disturbing that Cardinal Hoyos was in the process of appointing Bishops world-wide, as well as dressing up in CapaMagna for Ecclesia Dei, while congratulating a Bishop for protecting an abuser. I'm sorry it all goes together. Its a clerical culture mindset. Clerical abuse, clerical protection, clerical liturgy.

Unfortunately, the "spin" continues, the Vatican is still trying to keep the scandal from the top. This scandal will not go away until the complete truth comes from the hierachy. This may be the beginning of a crack in the wall, let us hope that the Holy Spirit helps to clean the filth out of the Church. God will forgive them if they confess, but it is still time to change the organizational structure of the present church.

This is an overdue, but welcome, first step in the right direction. It is an immense change of policy for the Vatican to go transparent on this issue and one that should be encouraged. That transparency, which is no doubt difficult to the point of being painful for Rome, is crucial for healing and reformation to take place.

The experts tell us that the sexual abuse scandal within the church is considered endemic and systemic. Interestingly, and certainly not surprisingly Catholic teaching on sexuality has a very strong basis focused on sin. The development of Catholic moral theology, points especially to the legacy of Augustine and this saint’s preoccupation with sin. Augustine who struggled with lust throughout his life has come under increasing criticism in recent times for his excessive sexual pessimism. Augustine, a favourite of Benedict XVI, linked sex so strictly with procreation that he held as sinful all sexual activity by married couples that was not consciously ordained to procreation. To quote James Carroll "The sexual body now became an “occasion of sin” to be subdued". Among his many teachings such as ‘original sin’ he believed that people tend toward evil. This theology especially on sexuality continues to influence the Church’s position on such matters as celibacy, contraception, abortion, masturbation, premarital sex, and homosexual relations.

When a church is so negatively inclined about human sexuality, it cannot possibly be expected to find a solution internally to the sexual abuse crisis it now faces. A healthier approach to sexuality must be found. But first the church will have to shed it pessimistic views on sexuality it has held as sacrosanct for so long. And that will require a brand new theology – one that rejects what was pronounced by St. Augustine and begun with Vatican II. Perhaps we should all learn to re-read and absorb one of the greatest and sensuous chapters ever written about human sexuality – The Song of Songs. It would be interesting to learn how other religions view sexuality.

Which Cardinal or bishop is going to be the first to admit that the Church’s theology on sexuality is at the root of the problem. After all it took the Church nearly four hundred years to admit Galileo was right.

The second hurdle to be overcome by the Church, in regards to the sexual abuse crisis, is its hierarchical leadership structure and the theological basis which supports it. This structure is clearly visible when members of the clergy view themselves as elevated rather than integrated with the laity. Jesus taught equality not superiority. Jesus clearly denounced earthly kingdoms during his time in the dessert. The Church seems more interested in protecting a religious kingdom with a power that reaches beyond that of the people and nations it serves. The theology of ‘apostolic succession’ along with the claim that Jesus came to found a separate church not only denies Jesus’ Jewish heritage but also his call to EVERYONE to bring about a worldwide community based on God’s kingdom values. As long as the Church sees itself as special and separate from the world it cannot be expected to look inwardly. Hence the required changes will not take place. Which Cardinal and which Bishop is prepared to accept this challenge?

The Vatican, through the spokesman Mons. Lombardi, manages to make it appear that Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos opposed the "new policy" inaugurated by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, with the approval of Pope John Paul II, respectively with the documments De delictis gravioribus of May 18, 2001, and Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela of April 30, 2001.

To call this Vatican bluff, all that the author of the article, John L Allen Jr., had to do was to link to two not-so-old NCR online articles of his ...

• "Cover story: Curia official blasts U.S. media coverage" of May 17, 2002
• "Vatican prelates oppose move to report priests" of May 31, 2002

... with public statements issued by Vatican officials including Julian Cardinal Herranz, Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone and Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlando, S.J., to the effect that bishops should not be obliged to cooperate with secular legal authorities in cases involving sexual abuse by clerics.

The Vatican continues to deny responsiblility for its own DOCUMENTED actions to conceal crimes from the civilian authorities. An organization that makes bous excuses and continually rejects responsibility (with its actions not its words)for its well documented criminal behavior is an organization that is telling the public that it is incapable, incompetent, and functionally impotent.

Hoyos now claims he had JPII approval for the congrats letter to the French bishop who hid the abuse priest. Now that these Curia rats will rat out even JPII I ask when will silent bishops and cardinals stop this farce?.Can at least one call for resignations of these inept old men? Have they no shame?.. Have they no love for the gospel message?.. are their stupid miters so important to them? Everyone is laughing at a Mafia Church.. massive resignations are the only answer, The Curia smells .What disgraceful story will be told next week?

Isn't the Cardinal meaning that priests should be sentenced in ecclesiastical courts and not in secular ones. I do not think he wants to cover up the prists sins. And I don't think he disregards the suffering of the victims either.

St Thomas Becket was martyred for upholding the rights of the Church in this matter, but that was in medieaval times. Perhaps it's time for the Vatican to restore the prisons of Castel Sant'Angelo and put away the abusers for good. It's time to restore the glourious Inquisition.

How absurd, too little, too late. These cases are decades old and procedures are in place now to deal with allegations of abuse, which have dwindled to insignificance since the 90s. Those to blame are the libertine-loving Jadot bishops who were the cover-up artists and protectors of the perverts.

The "glorious Inquistition;" when will the insanity stop.

To all of you commentors who still refuse to forgive remember your Scripture...

Jesus told us to forgive 70 times 7... unless, of course, we just choose not to because we're too stubborn. Oops, wrong Bible.

Those of you without sin cast the first stone.

If our Catholic Church is ever to regainb its stature as a teacher of moral standards it must clean house. The Pope needs to defrock all the priests he knows have abused children and then force the resignation of all bishops and cardinals who have covered up their priests' crimes of pedophiolia. Then Mr. Ratzinger, Pontifex Maximus, needs to resign and call a new conclave. Maybe, just maybe, we might get a real leader. One who could build a bridge from the RCC to the people of the 21st centuiry. For too long we have been prisnoner to the past with its exaggerated reverence for clerics in medieval garb who wee things with antiquated minds.
Mike in KY

Yeh Brett,We forgive alright but the sinner has to stop sinning right in front of your face. 'no soup for you ..come back next year'

pope-kings and bishops (agents of the vatican) should be tried as accomplices after the fact