Tuesday, February 16, 2010

…“the Vatican has accepted no responsibility for its role in facilitating the sexual abuse of children,” By ROBERT MACKEY – New York Times News

Updated 2/17/10

Vatican Statement on Sexual Abuse by Irish Clergy Disappoints Victims Groups

As my colleagues Elisabetta Povoledo and Alan Cowell report, after two days of closed-door meetings with Irish bishops, Pope Benedict XVI called the sexual abuse of children by Irish clergy members a “heinous crime,” in a statement released by the Vatican on Tuesday.

The complete text of the Vatican statement is embedded below.

Alison Healy of The Irish Times reports that victims of the abuse in Ireland said they were disappointed by the statement.

Maeve Lewis, a psychotherapist who is the director of One in Four, a support group for abuse survivors in Ireland, told the Irish newspaper that she had hoped that the Vatican would address the role the Irish church played in covering up the crimes. Read complete article - By ROBERT MACKEY – New York Times News


Anger as papal nuncio refuses to testify on child abuse - Sydney Morning Herald

February 17, 2010

DUBLIN: Irish politicians have denounced the refusal of the Pope's diplomat in Ireland to testify to a parliamentary panel probing the level of Catholic Church co-operation with investigations into the church's cover-up of child abuse.

News of the refusal came as the Vatican described the child sex abuse scandal in Ireland as ''humiliating'' for the church and 24 Irish bishops began unprecedented talks with the Pope.

The papal nuncio to Ireland, Cardinal Giuseppi Leanza, told MPs in a letter published on Monday that he would not answer questions from the parliament's foreign affairs committee.

Cardinal Leanza has faced heavy criticism in Ireland for ignoring letters from two state-ordered investigations into how the church for decades suppressed reports of child abuse by parish priests and in Catholic-run residences for poor children. The investigators said the cardinal did not reply to letters seeking the Vatican's assistance.

An Irish MP, Alan Shatter, said it was ''not only deeply regrettable but incomprehensible'' that Cardinal Leanza would not explain the Vatican's lack of co-operation with Irish investigations, given ''it is acknowledged in Rome that members of the clergy in Ireland are guilty of abominable sexual abuse of children''. Read complete article - Sydney Morning Herald


“You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.” Abraham Lincoln


Background links:

Report: Homosexuality No Factor in Abusive Priests - By RACHEL ZOLL - ABC News – 2009

Confidential letter reveals Ratzinger ordered bishops to keep allegations secret - by Jamie Doward – guardian.co.uk - The Observer - 2005

Pope 'led cover-up of child abuse by priests' – London Evening Standard – standard.co.uk - 2006 - KIDS ARE BEING HURT !!!

This about the reckless endangerment of children in a calculated, purposeful strategy to protect the institutional Church - By Jason Walsh - The Christian Science Monitor – CSMonitor.com - December 2, 2009

Facts About Homosexuality and Child Molestation, Dr. Gregory Herek, University of California at Davis & Yale University & City University of New York

What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality. "Interpreting the Bible" Daniel Helminiak, STL, PhD.

Kids Are Being Hurt!!!

Related links:

Irish lawmaker Alan Shatter said it was "not only deeply regrettable but incomprehensible" that Leanza would not explain the Vatican's noncooperation with Irish investigations, given that "it is acknowledged in Rome that members of the clergy in Ireland are guilty of abominable sexual abuse of children." Read more - By Frances D’Emilio (AP) - Forbes

"Does anyone honestly think that the very same men who ignored and concealed child sex crimes for decades will ... suddenly be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem?" Barbara Dorris of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests asked. Read more - Aljazeera.net

Pope should have invited abuse victims to Rome - Irish Times

Pope ignores demands to sack bishops - by Rachael Brown - ABC Online

Pope Benedict scolds Ireland's bishops over sex abuse scandal – Christian Science Monitor

Vatican summit a 'waste of time' – Madden – by Alison Healy - Irish Times

Pope condemns child abuse as 'heinous crime' - CNN

Victims fear whitewash in Irish abuse scandal - by Philip Pullella - Montreal Gazette

Pope tells Irish bishops to be honest over scandal - By Frances D’Emilio (AP) - Forbes

Andrew Madden: Let them never preach high standards to anyone again – Irish Independent

Anger as papal nuncio refuses to testify on child abuse - Sydney Morning Herald

Vatican-Irish summit ends amid anger papal envoy won't testify in parliament on sex abuse - TODAYonline

Pope has 'washed hands' of our abuse: victims - By John Cooney in Rome and Ciaran Byrne - Irish Independent

When sorry just isn't enough – by David Sharrock - The Australian

US abuse survivors group hits out at papal response - Ireland Online

Pope Doesn't Ask for Resignations in Abuse Talks - AOL News

Santa Marta: Bishops to stay far from prying media - Irish Times

John Cooney: Unholy ghosts of clerical sex abuse stalk Pope's homeland - Irish Independent


Kids Are Being Hurt!!!


WATERGATE (AGAIN)?

RC hierarchy child sexual abuse “cover-ups” ordered by Benedict XVI to avoid public outrage & criminal charges falsely accused gay priests, WATERGATE? –December 17, 2009 – Revised January 15, 2010

Ratzinger, Hurley, Maida & Accomplices – January 29, 2010

Benedict XVI & accomplices in Fear as -> “Obama signs hate-crimes bill” by Rex Wockner – Nov. 2009

“Watergate” Nixon -“Peter’s Gate” Benedict Behind Homosexual Smears Force Resignation Of Editor Criticized Italy’s PM’s Sexual Conduct Papal Supporter - February 2010


Kids Are Being Hurt!!!


"Someday, maybe, there will exist a well-informed, well-considered, and yet fervent public conviction that the most deadly of all possible sins is the mutilation of a child's spirit." Erik Erikson


Important note: I mean no disrespect to Pope Benedict XVI or the hierarchy, the one and only concern is the safety and well-being of children. Kids are being hurt!!!

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