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(sic) the effort to implicate the Pope [updated]
Catholic Culture.org ^ | March 12, 2010 | Phil Lawlwe

Posted on 03/13/2010 2:15:25 PM PST by Salvation

the effort to implicate the Pope [updated]   

By Phil Lawler | March 12, 2010 4:30 PM

Count on the London Times to offer the most sensational coverage of a news story involving the Catholic Church. The headline on today's report by Richard Owen screams: 

Pope knew priest was paedophile but allowed him to continue with ministry

That's grossly misleading, downright irresponsible. The reporter runs ahead of his evidence-- standard procedure for a Times journalist-- but even Richard Owen does not allege anything to justify the headline.

Here's what we know: While the Pope was Archbishop of Munich, a priest there was accused of sexual abuse. He was pulled out of ministry and sent off for counseling. Then-Cardinal Ratzinger was involved in the decision to remove the priest from his parish assignment-- got that? remove him. [Editor's note: The preceding sentences are not accurate. Actually the facts provide an even stronger defense of the Pontiff. See the update below. ] He also approved a decision to house the priest in a rectory while he was undergoing counseling. We don't know, at this point, whether the priest could have been sent to a residential facility, to take him out of circulation entirely. That might have been a more prudent move. We don't know whether he was kept under close observation. But we do know that he was not involved in active ministry. 

Then the vicar general of the Munich archdiocese made the decision to let the accused priest help out at a parish. That vicar general, Msgr. Gerhard Gruber, says that he made that decision on his own, without consulting the cardinal. The future Pope never knew about it, he testifies. Several years later, long after Cardinal Ratzinger had moved to a new assignment at the Vatican, the priest was again accused of sexual abuse.  

A grievous mistake was made in this case; that much is clear now, and the vicar general has sorrowfully taken responsibility for the error. Could you say that the future Pontiff should have been more vigilant? Perhaps. But to suggest that he made the decision to put a pedophile back in circulation is an outrageous distortion of the facts. The AP story carries a very different headline:

Pope's former diocese admits error over priest

 That's not so eye-catching. But the headline fits the facts. 

Update

After learning more about this case, I realize that the analysis above is not quite accurate, and the effort to implicate the Pope is even more far-fetched than I had received. The accused was not a priest of the Munich archdiocese, but a priest from the Diocese of Essen, who had been sent to a facility in Munich for counseling. So the then-Cardinal Ratzinger was not responsible for his treatment; his only connection with the case was his decision to let the priest stay in a rectory in the Munich archdiocese while he was undergoing treatment there. There is no evidence that the Pope was aware the accused priest was an accused pedophile; he was evidently informed only that the priest had been guilty of sexual improprieties, and probably concluded that he was engaged in homosexual activities with young men.



TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; History; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; papacy; popebenedictxvi
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Check out the update!
1 posted on 03/13/2010 2:15:25 PM PST by Salvation
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To: Salvation
Catholic Fury Over The Times's Coverage of Pope Benedict XVI

related article

2 posted on 03/13/2010 2:18:26 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: nickcarraway; Lady In Blue; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; Catholicguy; RobbyS; markomalley; ...
Catholic Discussion Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Catholic Discussion Ping List.

3 posted on 03/13/2010 2:19:26 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

The evil one’s minions, and useful idiots, work overtime to destroy Christ’s Church. The evidence is everywhere including many religion forum threads.


4 posted on 03/13/2010 2:22:40 PM PST by big'ol_freeper ("Anyone pushing Romney must love socialism...Piss on Romney and his enablers!!" ~ Jim Robinson)
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To: big'ol_freeper

Agreed.


5 posted on 03/13/2010 2:25:05 PM PST by Judith Anne (2012 Sarah Palin/Duncan Hunter 2012)
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To: Salvation
Another one ... Vatican 'fights' to distance Pope from abuse scandals

These titles are so bogus. It's not "fighting" and "fury" to state facts and correct the hysterical trumped up distortions that the MSM lives for.

First, the priest in question was merely given housing while "accused" (innocent until proven guilty?) but was NOT in ministry and the 'housing' was psychiatrically based. And then add this ...

After learning more about this case, I realize that the analysis above is not quite accurate, and the effort to implicate the Pope is even more far-fetched than I had received. The accused was not a priest of the Munich archdiocese, but a priest from the Diocese of Essen, who had been sent to a facility in Munich for counseling. So the then-Cardinal Ratzinger was not responsible for his treatment; his only connection with the case was his decision to let the priest stay in a rectory in the Munich archdiocese while he was undergoing treatment there. There is no evidence that the Pope was aware the accused priest was an accused pedophile; he was evidently informed only that the priest had been guilty of sexual improprieties, and probably concluded that he was engaged in homosexual activities with young men.

6 posted on 03/13/2010 2:35:45 PM PST by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: big'ol_freeper

It would be interesting to know what years these allegations happened. I am not making excuses for the pedophilia nor if there are ‘cover ups”, but not until fairly recently was there such focus on this problem...IN ANY CHURCH.

Moreover, for a long time, dealing with such problems were generally thought of very differently, even by the mental health field...ie, some counseling, etc..instead of arrests and removal from children, etc.

this Pope has gone out of his way to honestly and ernestly deal with the situation and should be commended for it.


7 posted on 03/13/2010 2:36:42 PM PST by Recovering Ex-hippie (Ok, joke's over....Bring back Bush !)
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To: Salvation

http://www.massnews.com/2003_Editions/3_March/031403_mn_boston_globe_one-sided_review.shtml


8 posted on 03/13/2010 2:37:59 PM PST by aSeattleConservative
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To: Salvation

The world will always be at war with the Church.


9 posted on 03/13/2010 3:07:03 PM PST by rbosque (11 year Freeper! Combat Economist.)
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To: rbosque
The world Satan will always be at war with the Church.
10 posted on 03/13/2010 3:14:18 PM PST by reg45
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To: Salvation

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703447104575118071623303944.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_world


11 posted on 03/13/2010 3:46:42 PM PST by GOP_Lady
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To: Salvation

Hey who cares what the facts are? The media will never pass up any opportunity to hurl mud at the Pope or any other orthodox religious leader, especially in the context of “sexual hypocrisy”. It’s what they do.

(sarcastic rant off)


12 posted on 03/13/2010 3:52:17 PM PST by Argus
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To: Salvation

Pray for the Holy Father: a good shepherd, surrounded by wolves.


13 posted on 03/13/2010 4:24:19 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (What does the LORD require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God)
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To: Salvation

Of course the Catholic Church is under attack. If the attackers succeed in further diminishing it, the rest of Christianity is in mortal danger.
There is evil in this world hard at work.


14 posted on 03/13/2010 4:39:23 PM PST by RedMDer (Recycle Congress in 2010, 2012... Forward with Confidence! Forward!)
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To: Salvation

A lot of attacks today.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2470527/posts


15 posted on 03/13/2010 7:16:47 PM PST by RedMDer (Recycle Congress in 2010, 2012... Forward with Confidence! Forward!)
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To: Servant of the Cross

Thanks, I missed that one.


16 posted on 03/13/2010 7:32:39 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: reg45

The world/Satam will always be at war with the Church

And with life in general.


17 posted on 03/13/2010 7:34:52 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Amen to your request.


18 posted on 03/13/2010 7:35:38 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

Not going to respell it — You all get the message I’m sure.


19 posted on 03/13/2010 7:37:22 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

Prayers for the Holy Father.


20 posted on 03/13/2010 7:39:08 PM PST by Bigg Red (Palin/Hunter 2012 -- Bolton their Secretary of State)
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