With much anticipation, Europe awaits papal sex abuse letter

The letter will be another "play with words" to wiggle out of responsibility. This Pope should resign. He juggled abuse for the last Pope and it is about time to clean house. This "old guard" should be ashamed.

As usual, Papa Ratzi will fail miserably in convincing people he is up to snuff and on top of this Church pedophile scandal.

What a disaster! Benedict XVI and his fellow bishops have been had decades of warning that this moment was coming. His response will define his papacy. His letter had better be a good one. If this is a business as usual moment--"mistakes were made"--it will take additional decades for the Church to recover. There is no wiggle room left. He needs to remove abusers and their enablers now. No more lies.

Steve

One has to ask why this behavior was not 'shameful and hateful' when it was discovered in the U.S. Instead, enabling U.S. bishops, like Cardinal Law have been defensive and obstructive at getting to the truth. And it is fairly obvious that the Vatican approves of this obstructive behavior. After all, Cardinal Law is still a Cardinal and was given a promotion to Rome.

Church was the one place where we expected to find honesty and safety in a world where honesty and safety is not otherwise always guaranteed. Now, one can only conclude that the church has not been a place of honesty and safety for some time.

These old men in fancy robes, living in fine palace-like homes with servants and underling priests to do their bidding, do not deserve our respect or our time, talent and treasure. They are corrupt and the non-transparent, closed-door process that chose them is corrupt.

Hope the letter reads that Papa Ratzinger is going to resign! Shame, shame shame on these men in the Church. Come Holy Spirit & renew us before our Church crumbles from within.

For the good of the Church and as an act of public contrition, the Pope should resign. His failure to effectively oversee and prevent sexual abuse while Archbishop of Munich, and his longstanding involvement in the Vatican cover-up of the sexual abuse crisis throughout the Church compromises his ability to be a credible leader.
It is not sufficient in this case to trot out the tired cliche which says
"We are all sinners". Yes we are, but there are some lapses in judgment that render a person unfit to lead, because he/she has lost the trust and confidence of their followers.
The Church has always been concerned, some might say obsessed, with scandal. By attempting to cover-up the sexual crisis rather than deal with it openly and honestly, the Vatican has only added to the scandal.
The Church needs a new leader who was not involved in the abuse crisis, has the respect and trust of both the laity and clergy, has the courage to remove immediately the cardinals and bishops who were involved, and can therefore begin the healing process. Unfortunately, Pope Benedict is not that man.

I do not understand why people are waiting for the papal letter addressed to Ireland with bated breath? Do we expect any more than the usual pretty language claiming how much he despises what has happened, how we must remember the good the church has done, and that sexual abuse occurs in all parts of society not just the Catholic church? It's a letter. That's more action than he has taken in the past, true, but it's a letter. He has stalled on this letter for months, just so his spin doctors can somehow help him save face. But we can be sure that in that letter there will - again - be no course of action, no apology, just nice words. If any actual action comes from this letter, well, I would be the first to eat my words.

I think that the headline is off the mark. It should read: "The Few Remaining Practicing Catholics in Post Christian Europe Await Papal Sex Abuse Letter". Words on a piece of paper are meaningless, particularly when the writer of these words is an integral part of the problem.

All we hear of are apologies, apologies, apologies, but no admission of guilt in the aiding, abetting, and covering up by the hierarchy of these crimes. Nor do we hear a word about their precious teaching on retributive justice for the victims. Until these two issues are firmly addressed by the pope, his curia and their bishops, their words are nothing but a lot of hot air!

Hope the letter reads that Papa Ratzinger is resigning! The Church needs a make-over ... starting at the top. Come Holy Spirit & renew the Church!

I do not understand how any sensible, intelligent person could listen to these continuing apologies from this Pope and still believe his sincerity. It is time for the Governments of the World to band together and demand that this Pope and the Catholic Church be brought before the Intenrational Court of the Hague to be tried for CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. For years, the Catholic Church Hierarchy have permitted the Sexual Victimization and Virtual Sexual Slavery of the the Children of This World. These Men of the Catholic Church have proven themselves GRACELESS TRAITORS, to their Sacred Vows, to the People of the Catholic Church and to Almighty GOD.

It is time for the Catholic faithful to revolt. It is obvious that the governmental body of the Church is not about the gospel but about self preservation and for what purpose? We must demand that new, faith filled, gospel centered people lead our church. It is time to end the cross dressing by clergy at our most sacred rituals. It is time to realize that sexuality is a gift and that God intended relationships to exist between the sexes-no more mandatory celibacy that leads people to abuse others which has caused so much devastation.
The priesthood of the laity must be recognized and the gift of leadership that brings with it must be utilized and encouraged in the Church. Enough to the sin-let us call for renewal beginning with the popel

More than contrition is need--how about natural and logical consequences for those abusive priests and consequences for the bishops who obstructed justice and let these priests roam and become predators many times...
And Rome wants to investigate women religious....how about investigating and punishing the numberous abusive priests and enabling bishops who let the sexual sins continue--not just in the United States!

A letter just won't cut it.

WHERE DOES THE BUCK STOP?

In a press release from the Holy See on March 9, 2010, "concerning cases of the sexual abuse of minors in ecclesiastical institutions," Director Fr. Federico Lombardi simply repeats some of the more clichéd responses and predictable excuses to the church's ever widening problems of sexual abuse, particularly that of minor children.

http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/EN1/Articolo.asp?c=362995

The institutional Roman Catholic Church has reacted to the continuing sexual abuse debacle neither rapidly nor decisively, contrary to what Lombardi states. The Vatican has attempted to distance itself from what has happened in country after country, first categorizing it as an "American problem," then as a "homosexual problem."

What was done by church leadership in the United States, for example, it was forced to do by the pressure of public opinion after records, files and correspondence were forced into the public venue in 2002 by Judge Constance M. Sweeney, a very brave, grounded and principled Catholic woman in Boston, Massachusetts.

The church's response continues to be reactive rather than pro-active while minimizing the systemic and endemic abuse of power and authority which has enabled and exacerbated it on the one hand while covering it up whenever and wherever possible on the other.

The "wide-ranging context" is that in countries from the United States, Canada, Australia and Ireland to Austria, the Netherlands and Germany church authorities have repeatedly and consistently disregarded its own moral and Canon laws as well as the existing laws of the countries' in which these horrific crimes against humanity occurred.

The church has lost its way.

Lombardi does not mention nor does he admit to the well documented widespread cover-up of the sexual abuse of children by bishops and other church officials in many countries like the United States, that makes the church's sexual abuse problems particularly egregious. If church authorities had done the morally right thing initially, one wonders how many children would have escaped being sexually abused by a particular priest?

As Patrick Wall, a former priest himself, states:

"The Roman Catholic Church has the largest body of knowledge of non-incarcerated sexual offenders in the world."

Who, one has to ask, would have more knowledge of the internal machinations to cover-up and protect sexual predators from public scrutiny than Pope Benedict in his former position as Head of the Holy Office?

When are people of good will going to say, enough!

When are state legislators going to change the laws so that justice can be pursued for the thousands upon thousands of victims of childhood sexual abuse who have been unable to access let alone obtain justice?

In most states and probably in most countries, existing criminal as well as civil laws give more protection to sexual predators and their enablers then they do to victims of childhood sexual abuse by anyone. The problems with statutes of limitation which have expired are probably much the same in Germany and other European countries as they have been is in so many jurisdictions in the United States. This is deplorable and should not be the case.

The removal of all statutes of limitation in regard to the sexual abuse of children is the single, most effective way to hold predators and enabling institutions accountable before the law. More than that, window legislation which allows a set time frame for previously time barred cases of sexual abuse, by anyone. It is possible to change the laws in order to give some semblance of justice to those ravaged at so tender an age. What is needed to effect that change is the will to hold all sexual predators of children accountable along with any enabling individuals or institutions.

The state of Delaware in the United States is one of a very few states in the U.S. which have removed all criminal and civil statutes of limitation in regard to the sexual abuse of children by anyone. It also legislated a two year civil window for previously time barred cases, again, by anyone. That window closed in July of 2009.

In a civil suit, unlike a criminal suit, the burden of proof that any sexual abuse took place is on the plaintiff. The burden is not on the accused individual or institution to prove innocence, at least not in the United States.

Every victim of childhood sexual abuse should have a right to the pursuit of justice at the very least!

What people seem to forget is that children’s rights are human rights, that children’s rights are civil rights and that the hierarchy, the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, has violated those children’s rights in the most profane of ways, not only by covering up for sexual abusers, mostly priests, but also by enabling the further abuse of untold numbers of children by these particular individuals who were known to be dangerous predators.

If Delaware can do it other states and other countries should be able to do it and hold sexual predators and any enabling institutions responsible, especially when those institutions choose to ignore their own internal laws.

I was privileged to testify before the Senate and House Judiciary Committees in support of the 2007 Child Victims Law in Delaware.

No rules and no laws of any religious organization or denomination should be allowed to trump the laws of a civilized society where the protection of children is concerned.

Not only should the institutional Roman Catholic Church be held to the highest standard as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, it should be leading by example and showing what can and should be done to protect children from sexual exploitation, from what really is just another example of trafficking in individuals for purposes of sexual exploitation, nothing less.

By any objective standard this church has for decades grossly violated the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Perhaps it is time to formalize those violations as the crimes against humanity they truly are?

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

Let's wait for the letter before we make a judgement. We seem to want to condemn someone because of our natural anger at what happened to our children. Do any of us want to be condemned for something we did not do? I don't thinks so.

Are we to believe that any letter will heal the wounds of those abused by priests and bishops? We are no longer blindly obedient and uneducated masses of people who need to be hearded by "Shepherds".

When are we, the laity, ever going to muster enough courage to defy and deny this sick leadership in our church? Money talks. If we would stip the church of OUR money and send it to men and women within our Church who are doing the works of Jesus then maybe the old men would listen. This crowd of perverted male celibates need to be denied, rejected and ignored.

No wonder so much stupidity is forthcoming from those in "power". Let's bicker over liturgical language, reject Vatican II, investigate nuns, return to latin and cassocks and turn your backs on the people during litugry. Actually, turning your backs on people is a very appropriate symbol for the way this all male crowd relates to the people of God.

"Holy" Father I suggest you fire Cardinal Law, dismiss every person involved in this MORTAL sin of sexual abuse and you resign. When, this is done, maybe some of the abused will believe your empty words. All of you are IN-CREDIBLE!

Well, the letter is out and the reactions bouncing across the world. I spent a good part of yesterday reading the NYT, Washington Post, the National Post (Canada), and from the UK: the Guardian, Times, and Daily Telegraph. (By later this evening I will have posted links on my blog).

The articles seemed to link facts with subtle negative commentary. The comments by readers there, like here, were almost universally of disappointment or anger. Many of the comments in the Brit papers went beyond the letter or the sex abuse scandal itself to sometimes virulent anti-Catholicism.

It seems clear that at least those in Europe, UK, North America, and other parts of the industrialized world (E.g. Australia), will demand at least greater transparency, the resignation of some bishops, and, perhaps the pope (whether or not he was individually involved)

Whether Benedict was really "converted," as John Allen has suggested, he has been the first pope in modern times to have at least broached the issue. Who knows what the next pope would do? I do not say that Benedict should not resign. We just have to assess the options for the sake of the victims and the People of God.

The Vatican must be built like a brick ....house, if the cops won't even go in. It is due, it is time. Clean out the whole mess.

HOLY WEEK REFLECTION, The Divine and the Satanic: Change has to come from the bottom up. What is needed is self-conversion and change in Church leadership, not more excuses and self-justification. Like Adam in The Garden, the hierarchy blames Eve and Satan for conspiring; the pattern of response by the celibate hierarchy is more of the same. If we the laity do nothing more than talk, nothing changes.

What is more frustrating? Self-justified ignorance or self-justified arrogance? Frustrated ignorance and arrogance foment anger and together are violence-prone. Over-heated ignorance and arrogance cooks the angry stew; celibates and non-celibates alike coke the violence of overheated ignorance and arrogance. The mind of fidelity, of human compassion, is the altruistic outlet for taming frustration and anger. The abnegation of self and the affirmation of other is the humane face of the “Divine Persona.”

The self-justified anger of ignorance and arrogance is a violent infection; ignorance and arrogance have no place in religion for individually they are antithetical to The Divine, but together define the “Satanic Persona.” Celibates and non-celibates are equally prone to the infection of mindlessness; but the encouraging “other face” is that holiness is equally accessible to celibates and non-celibates; it’s the dichotomy of polarity, one set against the other, that antagonizes and frustrates. The Divine Persona is pro-sexuality, the Satanic Persona is anti-sexuality.

There is an unnaturally perverse aspect to the exclusive male hierarchical mind; it is an arrogance which in effect snubs the wisdom of divinity which sustains humankind two-in-one-flesh. It’s as if males are saying, “Thank you God but we males are quite sufficient ourselves.” God made humankind in divine likeness, female and male, one flesh. Male clericalism dismisses the essential grace-sense of the female otherness of humankind.

In Christian cultures, the Godhead harmony of Trinitarian Community is the model for human family. The resonance of family culture, of community, is a universal sensibility open to every religious aspiration, every cultural need. True civility, true religion serves in common the physical needs and spiritual longings of life from the lowliest forms to the highest. Faith is emotional intelligence, the deep well of self-reflectivity, of mutuality, of other-concern, sensitive to social/ individual necessity. Reason is rational intelligence, the day-to-day communication of commonsense with reality-at-hand and accommodation to faith’s inspiration.

The cult of bachelorhood, as in hierarchical clericalism, puts the individual person and the social community at risk from deviant culture, that is, from dominion by one sex and suppression of the other. If clericalism cannot self-correct its defect, and it cannot, it needs to be corrected from the outside, that is, by social reflectivity that recognizes the immorality of the alienation of the sexes. Jesus means for his imitators to be altruistic, in service to others without self-advantaging and expectation of personal privilege. Life’s global updating is a continuous process of change, of evolution. Evolution happens spiritually/ physically, one person, one family, one community at a time and in the global community for all time.

Given here is a program that aspires to Godlikeness in response to the personal Voice calling everyone from the Deep Within. Learning is the energy of change; change begins with education; but education needs to be free of the frustrations of religious ideologies. For example, all people of faith should see beyond fractured denominationalism and find faith in common that joins, not divides. Each community might take up the task of renewing religion and education at the same time and thereby advance the common faith of natural inheritance, and by so doing be One Humanity, One Church enlightening truths in common. A New Era is dawning, but its full light depends on the social enlightenment of Humanity in common, of Church in common. Each of us is a point of light; may we join in the illumination of fidelity.
http://www.secondenlightenment.org/EASTER%20SUNDAY%202010%20CULTURAL%20U... Sylvester L. Steffen, Holy Week 2010