Posted on 02/10/2016 8:01:48 PM PST by MarchonDC09122009
Bishops do not have to report child abuse, Vatican says
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Bishops do not have to report child abuse, Vatican says
The document emphasises that bishops' only duty is to address such allegations internally
   Samuel Osborne    Wednesday 10 February 2016 21:01 BST
The document explaining how senior clergy members ought to deal with allegations of abuse suggests only victoms or their families should make the decision to report abuse to police FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images
The Catholic Church is telling newly appointed bishops it is "not necessarily" their duty to report accusations of clerical child abuse to authorities.
A document explaining how senior clergy members ought to deal with allegations of abuse suggests only victims or their families should make the decision to report abuse to police.
The document, recently released by the Vatican, emphasises that bishops' only duty is to address such allegations internally - though it says they must be aware of local laws.
Details were reported by John Allen, associate editor of the Catholic News Site Cruxnow.com.
“According to the state of civil laws of each country where reporting is obligatory, it is not necessarily the duty of the bishop to report suspects to authorities, the police or state prosecutors in the moment when they are made aware of crimes or sinful deeds,†the document states. Read more
   Sex and blackmail allegations at heart of Vatican leaks scandal    Vatican properties ‘used as brothels and massage parlours’    Vatican scandal book exposes secret saint-making machine and break-in    Vatican priest arrested in hunt for the Holy See’s enemy within
The guidelines were written by the controversial monsignor and psychotherapist Tony Anatrella, who is serving as consultant to the Pontifical Council for the Family.
Although the guide acknowledges "the church has been particularly affected by sexual crimes committed against children," it emphasises statistics showing the vast majority of sexual assaults against children are committed within the family and by friends and neighbours, The Guardian reports.
Pope Francis previously declared a "zero tolerance" policy for members of the clergy who abuse children.
   More about:    Child Abuse    clergy sex abuse    Child Sex Abuse    Catholic Church    Pope Francis
Sounds like this is sayin ol’ Bernie was doing the right thing. Disturbing!
The article is about the crimes of the Catholic Church, chief among them molesting and raping boys. So-called celibacy excludes normal men from Catholic clergy and goes a long way toward filling the ranks with deviants, whose crimes are the subject of the article.
Other branches of Christianity manage to have married clergy despite what Apostle Paul may have supported. The Catholics can too.
Agreed, and, you may not be aware, but the Catholic Church does now have some married priests. They are already clergy and are coming over from other religions, married and with children.
But here’s the problem with married priests, or current seminarians getting married, having children, etc., it’s expensive, and most parish’s have trouble meeting expenses with just Priests to support. I could get real specific with expenses, but not sure you may really be interested.
Of course you are correct and this is completely in accord with both Vatican and USCCB decrees. There is no disharmony between the sovereign nation of the Holy See and U.S. law on this matter. Any discrepancies from old bits on the books have been rectified 10 years past. Every diocese in this nation has in place strict rules and procedures for any legally-defined mandatory reporter to alert police or CPS (if CPS is the first referral agency in a State) incidents of abuse or reported abuse or suspected abuse. Priests and bishops err on the side of children, now more than ever in history. Keep in mind the Vatican panel in this article is addressing bishops in every country with the variety of laws involved, many of which are outright bizarre compared to the USA.
Frankie the idiot pope strikes again. What a useless douchebag. Hide the problem and/or move the problem along. Little boys will pay dearly for this. The catholic church is nothing more than NAMBLA front group and an affront to humanity and anyone who remains committed to this abomination is part of the problem.
Very good. I’m just used to people misusing that phrase to mean children are suffering.
Pope Francis keeping the worst of Catholic History. How soon will the Spanish Inquisition return?
If you child is sexually abused by your church, report it to the police, not the church! Sue the church to help them be more responsible and accountable for what happens in their churches.
Sara, I couldn’t agree with you more!
However there was an earlier poster that actually had the audacity to state bishops and other RC clergy are primarily sovereign to the Vatican, first and foremost.
Eff’ing UNbelievable...
That’s the mindset of the incense addled brains of those so numbed & dumbed down by the RC Club for Rome, that blinds them to God’s word, decency, and justice.
The RC racket:
Domino go stick’em up
Domino go frisk’em
RE: “If you child is sexually abused by your church, report it to the police, not the church! Sue the church to help them be more responsible and accountable for what happens in their churches.”
This is so anal. These bishops force all lay staff to go through all sorts or ‘safe environment’ crap including 100% background checks and fingerprinting, etc. And they can non-report the religious for the same offenses.
Hell has frozen over I presume.
Okay, here’s your argument.
“Celibacy excludes normal men”
Ergo, “celibacy” implies “not normal.”
“Requiring celibacy” implies “a greater number of deviants,” in your eyes.
In the eyes of the world, celibacy is abnormal, true. To the world, it doesn’t make sense for men to sacrifice the act of sexual congress for the sake of a consecrated life. But why is that a bad thing? Was Paul an abnormal deviant for advocating (and living) the consecrated life? Was he wrong to say that if one could handle it, one should aspire to it (that “if” is very important; celibacy is not for everyone)?
Christ Himself was celibate, fully human despite his equally Divine nature, tempted in all the ways that humans can be, and yet He emerged sinless; are those who aspire faithfully to the priesthood not called to emulate Christ in all things? Is the celibate life inherently unnatural if Christ lived it?
Secondly, you implicitly assume that “Married clergy” implies “less deviants”. The data for Catholicism - given its centralized, global nature - makes it an easier target whenever a priest falls prey to temptation, but you cannot then make the assumption that other denominations have fewer problems amongst their own clergy. Consider that the position of clergy, regardless of denomination, places one in a position of authority with ready access to vulnerable people. Married or not married, that access is a constant, and will attract predators regardless of denomination or their marital status.
The crimes of those who have donned the priestly vestments must indeed be condemned and rectified, absolutely. But to make the argument that the requirement for celibacy actively invites abnormal deviants - indeed, that to aspire for consecrated celibacy implies that you are “not normal” - is not only ludicrous, but illogical as well.
**“Celibacy excludes normal menâ€**
This is not true. There are priests who go hunting, fishing, enjoy science detail, etc.
Where are you getting this strange idea?
**In the eyes of the world,**
The devil owns the world.
Priests are focused on leading their congregations to Christ and eternal life.
**U.S. priests are subject to U.S. law, period.**
Flawed thinking, for priests of all countries are concerned with God’s law and are subject to it.
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