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’m not even Catholic and I hang my head over this.
They should be turned over to law enforcement for prosecution.
Disgusting. No excuse.
“We’re still trying to get to the bottom of it. A decision now would be immature, but is being groomed.”
It would be like if the Boy Scouts let homosexuals take your sons camping in the woods.
Oh, wait...
They have so many cases because they shuffled pedophile priests around instead of locking them up.
So, THIS(!) is what the man named Paul lost his head for, and the man named Peter was hung upside down?
Somehow I get the feeling this is not on the Pope’s “Must Do” list.
But it might be on his “Delay Until Everybody Forgets About It” list.
I am Catholic and these priests should be convicted, in whatever form required, then taken out and shot. All 2,000 or more of them.
In many instances I agree with you.
Of course, there are acts that are crimes under church law, but not under civil law. (E.g., where minors are not involved.)
The state doesn't have the authority to remove a man from the priesthood; only to put him in prison. Similarly, the church (outside of the Vatican) doesn't have the authority to put a man in prison, but only to remove him from the priesthood. I think you and I probably both want it that way.
’to create a tribunal to judge bishops who covered up for pedophile priests.’
Start with Bernard Cardinal Law. Make a breathtaking example out of one or two of the most egregious offenders, and the problem is solved.
When the Church was performing inquisitions, they began legal norms so folks wouldn’t be as unfairly found guilty. Centuries later critics want the accused lynched and shot immediately. Legal process takes time...too long for the true victim, be it the claimant or the accused. More staff should be had. Problem is the Church’s job is offering forgiveness to sinners...inhibits investigation ruthlessness that is needed. Immoral clerics in the beauracracy compounds every failing.
Whenever I read articles like this, I can’t help but remember a priest I knew in high school. He went on to be in charge of all the Catholic schools for the local diocese. i only heard this story many years later after he died and knowing him and some of the details, I believe it to be true.
He was a former Marine, and when he got a few reports that a younger priest (who we all suspected was queer) had some questionable approaches or comments to some young men, after investigating, he approached the priest privately and told him: “If I hear one more report like this, I will come after you and personally beat the sh** out of you.”
The priest in question later left the priesthood and indeed came out as as a homosexual. Also, there have been no public complaints or lawsuits against any of the schools in the diocese - for many years, especially in the worst years of these revelations against the Church.
Handled properly? Handled too roughly?
anyway, the Church has lost such spine now.
Whenever I read articles like this, I can’t help but remember a priest I knew in high school. He went on to be in charge of all the Catholic schools for the local diocese. i only heard this story many years later after he died and knowing him and some of the details, I believe it to be true.
He was a former Marine, and when he got a few reports that a younger priest (who we all suspected was queer) had some questionable approaches or comments to some young men, after investigating, he approached the priest privately and told him: “If I hear one more report like this, I will come after you and personally beat the sh** out of you.”
The priest in question later left the priesthood and indeed came out as as a homosexual. Also, there have been no public complaints or lawsuits against any of the schools in the diocese - for many years, especially in the worst years of these revelations against the Church.
Handled properly? Handled too roughly?
anyway, the Church has lost such spine now.
I appreciate the mention.
The story is powerful. I agree with your take on it.
Seems there is hardly every a guy that has to pay for what he has done along these lines in the church.
That’s where I really fault the church.
I also fault it for merely transferring priests without telling the new location what he was involved in.
Thus these people got to start off all over again, doing the same things until caught years later.
Meanwhile, more kids’ and families lives are destroyed.
Who was it that said, “Who am I to judge?”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.