Victims disappointed by Pope abuse letter

Irish victims of clerical child sexual abuse are deeply disappointed by Pope Benedict's letter of apology as it fails to address the role of senior church leaders, a group representing victims said.

"My first response was deep disappointment in the letter," said Maeve Lewis, executive director of victims group One in Four.

She said the Pope's letter focused too narrowly on lower-rank Irish priests without recognising the responsibility of the Vatican and senior Irish clerics for protecting offenders and dealing with victims.

"There is nothing in this letter to suggest that any new vision of leadership in the Catholic church exists," she said.

The letter also does not refer to the resignation of the head of the church in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, which victims groups have demanded, she said.

Pope Benedict expressed his "shame and remorse" for episodes of child sex abuse, saying "serious mistakes" were made by Irish bishops in responding to allegations.

"You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry," the Pope said in the letter signed on Friday.

He said priests and religious workers guilty of child abuse "must answer" for their crimes "before properly constituted tribunals".

"Openly acknowledge your guilt, submit yourselves to the demands of justice, but do not despair of God's mercy," he said, addressing himself to offenders.

The Pope announced a mission to Irish dioceses rocked by sex scandals to assist "the local church on her path to renewal" and said he was ready to meet again with victims of child abuse.

Predominantly Catholic Ireland has been shocked by three judicial reports in the past five years that revealed ill-treatment, abuse and cruelty by clerics and a cover-up of their activities by church authorities.

New abuse scandals have also come to light in the Pope's native Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

You say;

I am reaffirming that you have chosen the same side in this struggle as the German Nazi Party.

Repeating a lie over and over, doesn't make it any more true.

You continue on with the baseless accusations;

Your statements and lack of fact in this clearly show that you are not motivated out of empathy or compassion for the victims, or even outrage at the individual perpetrators, but at the Catholic Church.

Lack of fact? WHAT lack of facts? The authorities in the Roman church have been covering up homosexuality amongst the priesthood, along with many instances of homo priests molesting adolescents, but perhaps more commonly teenagers, for DECADES. This began to come more clearly into the light, in regards to the lawsuits brought against the L.A. Diocese. It was shown to have shuffled more than one priest around, whom would later go on to re-offend.

That one of the "facts" I was speaking of, that I mentioned. Yet you claim I have no "facts"?
On the contrary, it is you who lack facts, or simply will not face them.

Spin it all you want, but there was enough of a cover-up mentality to justify criticism of the same.

1963 letter indicates former pope knew of abuse

Manuel Vega former Los Angeles Police officer
and alleged victim of clergy sex abuse speaks
during a news conference outside of the Cathedral
of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles
Wednesday March 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

You continue on with your false allegations;

If that were not the case you would be equally engaged and outraged at the even more prevalent abuses committed within your own church denominations and communities.

Who says I'm not "equally engaged" elsewhere? You? The difference you seem to be missing, is there isn't a "single", centralized hierarchy [partially] to blame for decades of cover-up, in regards to any other homo-sex predation upon teenagers --- that we know of!!! So your comparison fails.

Get back to me when you wish to speak truth, rather than hurl more lies and false analogy/accusation my way. Until then, don't bother. I've heard all, ALREADY.

Citing a 1963 letter, to accuse the current Pope only shows the lengths you will go to, or better the depts [sic] you will stoop to.

How much the current occupant of the papal office has to do with past cover-ups, I don't know, nor have I explicitly accused him, himself, as being responsible. But there HAVE BEEN cover-ups, in the Los Angeles Diocese, in the very least, which is one of the "facts" I spoke about.

The link I provided was towards re-establishing, providing additional, nearly up-to-the minute additional info, concerning THAT "fact".

Did you see the guy's picture?

Tell you what blewdragon, clean up your own denomination and then get back to me

What denomination is that? What needs to be "cleaned up", and why do "I" need to do that, then "get back to you"?

I've never demanded that you yourself go "clean up" any messes, now have I?

Besides, no denomination which I belong to, nor any other which I know of, has had a history of covering up such "messes" to the same extent as the Roman denomination appears to have had --- from multiple levels of authority & oversight. If there was other similar "messes, there'd be howls from so many quarters, I doubt that my own contributions would be necessary.

...But that wouldn't stop me from discussing it on the pages of FreeRepublic.

"...says the one who has been repeatedly and thoroughly rebutted (by several others, in addition to merely myself), on this very thread."

Its not about me. I have posted only the truth.

In spite of the lies and slander the Pope and the Church still stands as the greatest force for good in the history of the world. The Church has stood for nearly 2,000 years and has withstood many greater attaches from without and with in and not lost focus on its purpose, its mission, or its identity.

You may feel some sense of accomplishment in defaming and slandering the Pope, but I guarantee that 2,000 years from now the Church will still be standing as an instrument of good. Your spiritual fate is not so certain.

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