Posted on 09/17/2017 12:46:23 PM PDT by Jyotishi
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) -- Pope Francis acknowledged Saturday that the Vatican has a 2,000-case backlog in processing clerical sex abuse cases and says criticism of the slow pace was justified. But he says more staff are being added and insists the Vatican is "on the right path."
Francis was making his first comments about the criticism leveled at the Vatican's handling of sex abuse cases by Marie Collins, an Irish abuse survivor who resigned from Francis' sex abuse advisory commission in March. Collins quit because of what she said was the "unacceptable" level of resistance within the Vatican to implementing the group's proposals to better care for victims and protect children from priests who rape and molest them.
READ MORE: Pope's sex abuse advisory board to go on without abuse survivor member
Speaking to reporters while flying home Saturday from a trip to Portugal, Francis called Collins "a great woman" and said she was "a bit right" to complain about the slow pace in processing cases.
"Marie Collins was right on that point. But we are on the right path, as there were 2,000 cases backlogged," he said.
Francis didn't respond to the other issues raised by Collins, including the refusal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith -- which handles abuse cases -- to create a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for pedophile priests. Instead, he focused on explaining why cases can take so long to process.
(Excerpt) Read more at globalnews.ca ...
I know it doesn’t jibe. There has been a widespread disinformation campaign to inflate the ages of the victims. Abuse of 8-10 yos is simply horrific. If the mantra can be sold that the kids were older, it’s not so nightmarish.
‘Majority of priests’ victims were male
American Catholic priests were shown to have a distinct pattern of sexual abuse, with 64 percent of all allegations of abuse made against a priest by a male only, according to a detailed report by the John Jay Institute investigating child abuse in the Catholic Church from 1950 to 2002. Those males were young: more than 85 percent of them were 8 to 10 years old.’
http://www.vocativ.com/235015/by-the-numbers-the-catholic-churchs-sex-abuse-scandals/
The requirement for celibacy was the beginning of the nest of homosexuals in the Roman Catholic priesthood. It gave them a socially acceptable reason to remain unmarried, a status in which they had zero interest. Removing the celibacy requirement, which several other churches in communion with Rome do not observe, would at least begin to undo that situation and begin to bring males with a normal, healthy marriage to a woman into the fold.
I know of two.
If they shuffle them and delay hearings long enough, the sickos will eventually die in good standing and the church doesn’t have to admit it.
The largest group of alleged victims (50.9%) was between the ages of 11 and 14, 27.3% were 15-17, 16% were 8-10 and nearly 6% were under age 7. Overall, 81% of victims were male and 19% female. Male victims tended to be older than female victims. Over 40% of all victims were males between the ages of 11 and 14.
Here is what I can tell you firsthand. I lived in MA at the height of the clergy abuse scandal. The papers carried multiple stories per day on it. I never saw an older victim referenced. They were all little children. Every single one.
What I would like to know is why the only stats available come from a study sponsored by the bishops. Where are the independent numbers?
No, I don’t trust the bishops. I saw what Cardinal Law did to cover all this up. It was unconscionable. He should be in prison for ruining countless lives.
Let me know if you find any law enforcement/non-bishop related stats. Then we can compare them to the other numbers. That would be interesting.
That is likely not available because the matter was handled as if priests had diplomatic immunity or something, law enforcement is seldom involved. I don’t know how that’s even legal myself, but some groups get a pass as always.
You’re probably right for the most part. But why didn’t law enforcement investigate after the scandal broke? Some of the victims had committed suicide, but most were still alive. They could have been interviewed.
Just fyi, pedophilia encompasses children through the age of 13. The next category up starts at 15. 14 yos are unclassified.
Agree.
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