And you all could read the letter yourselves, if you had any interest in the truth.
The letter never tells the Irish bishops not to report the abuse, nor to fail to comply with civil law. It reminds the Irish bishops that by mandating reporting all suggestions of abuse to civil authorities, they could put the Catholic Church in the difficult position of having to reinstate a priest after reporting him to the authorities.
The Congregation for Divine Worship is acting here in the role of the District Attorney, which has to tell the cops sometimes that they have to make a clean bust if they want it to stick. Because guess what: Men who have sacrificed their lives for the priesthood are entitled to some legal protection, too.
Nothing in the letter instructs the bishops not to obey civil law. But the bishops’ proposal, which you could also have read for yourself if you had any interest in the truth, goes far beyond the requirements of civil law.
You know who merely advises congregation to report when civil law requires them to? The Southern Baptist Convention. And the Presbyterian Church, USA. Yeah, I know, PCUSA are the liberals. But then the PCA doesn’t have ANY guidelines.
Where is the actual text? I wasn’t able to read it in the linked page.
The copy at the link will not enlarge for me. Do you know where else I might find it?
Hey someone brought up Hitler already. Are we on schedule or not.
It must not be a sin for Protestants to lie.