[MNDude]

How can the pope even have power to give penalties for such a thing?

[Socon-Econ]

Does this decision by the supposed Vicar of Christ mean that God has changed his mind about pedophila?

[Cowgirl of Justice]

This is beyond anything I can even understand or accept.

I formally renounce being Catholic.

[boycott]

How can the pope even have power to give penalties for such a thing?

—

The so-called priests that abused the children should live the rest of their lives behind bars.

[detective]

“Pope cuts penalties for paedophile priests”

Without getting into the problems with Pope Francis let me say that this a false and dishonest story.

1. There are almost no “pedophile priests”. There are almost no priests that have sexually assaulted young children. The pedophiles in the priesthood are almost nonexistent and far fewer than in any other part of society.

2. In the recent past there was a small network of homosexual priests and bishops. They were a very small percentage of the total priesthood, but they worked together and promoted and protected each other. Pope John Paul II and Bishop Ratzinger worked diligently to remove these priests wherever possible.

3. The vast majority of priests are good and holy men who sacrifice for others and do much good.

4. The media creates the myth of pedophile priests because the media is strongly anti-Catholic and anti-Christian. The media hate people of faith and do everything they can to attack people of faith and religions.

5. The media almost never report honestly on the work done by good priests. They frequently spread lies about Christians and Christianity and do all they can to make Christians look bad. The false stories about pedophile priests is just one small part of this overall strategy.

[SkyDancer]

because he thinks he’s the godpope? Where is this pope in the scheme of Revelation?

[Mrs. Don-o]

The only punishments a pope can give are ecclesiastical penalties, which means the suspension of an abuser's priestly faculties, assignment to a penitential site (monastery or hermitage for example), laicization, excommunication. (This article stupidly uses the term "defrocking" meaning God-knows-what. It is not a term used in Catholicism.)

This does not take the place of exposure to the secular criminal justice system.

I personally think the abusers should first be tried and imprisoned. After they're behind bars --- and throw away the key --- we can talk about "mercy".

[stevem]

Rev Inzoli was then convicted by an Italian criminal court for his sex crimes against five children as young as 12.

What was the sentence?

[stevem]

How can the pope even have power to give penalties for such a thing?

I don't think there are checks and balances in Church hierarchy. My guess is the Pope's authority in Church penalties is absolute.

Civil authorities, on the other hand, report to people who report to the public or report directly to the public. Civil penalties include such things as prison.

This story doesn't tell if this convicted felonious pervert wound up in prison.