Pope directly involved in Arizona abuse case (church, priest, bishop)

[kevxu]

Yesterday several European TV channels were carrying this story, and I see today it is appearing in American news media. The gist of the report is that the future Pope Benedict XVI took over the abuse case of an Arizona priest, then let it languish for years despite repeated pleas from the bishop for the man to be removed from the priesthood, according to church correspondence. During the twelve years when then Cardinal Ratzinger had control of the case the priest was at liberty to continue his sexual predation. The Portuguese media were showing photos of signed correspondence involving the case from then Cardinal Ratzinger.

This, in my estimation, lends more weight to a church reform requiring church authorities to report their suspicions to secular law enforcement first, and for RC church considerations to proceed at their leisurely pace afterward. Perhaps law enforcement authorities around the world need to emphatically clarify their superior authority in matters of child abuse over Vatican claims.

Given that Cardinal Sodano today publicly and directly addressed the Pope at the papal Easter mass, declaring that the Roman church would not be intimidated by the "petty gossip" over the child molesting scandal would makes it clear that the RC church cannot be counted on to be honest in this matter.

[ted08721]

Heard about that, as my priest said during his homily today the hierarchy should come clean.

I was wondering if any other Catholics had their priests mention the sexual abuse scandal today and if so was it a call for the hierarchy to come clean or was it one of circling the wagons to protect the hierarchy?