Posted on 03/11/2013 8:06:09 AM PDT by haffast
A victim of a paedophile priest has called for an Italian cardinal who will help elect the next Pope to step down, accusing him of covering up abuse.
Francesco Zanardi says he was abused by his local priest, father Nello Giraudo, when he was a young boy and is adamant Catholic Church chiefs knew of the case but failed to act.
At a press conference close to the Vatican, Mr Zanardi showed a letter dated 2003 which was written by the then Bishop of Savona in northwest Italy, Domenico Calcagno, who is now one of the 115 elector cardinals.
In the letter Bishop Calcagno wrote to Joseph Ratzinger, two years before he was elected Pope and while he was head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, outlining the case against Father Giraudo.
He asked Cardinal Ratzinger what he should do with Father Giraudo following numerous allegations of abuse against him, adding that the priest would continue his "pastoral duties".
But Bishop Calcagno went on to say: "As far as possible I intend to avoid him having any responsibilities that would see him in contact with children or adolescents."
Mr Zanardi told the press conference that no response was ever received from Cardinal Ratzinger and Fr Giraudo continued serving as a priest - although last year he was convicted of abusing a child and given a one-year suspended sentence after plea bargaining.
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Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said: "The is no foundation to these accusations against Cardinal Calcagno the former Bishop of Savona. He did all that he had to do. It's baseless."
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(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
ITALY- Francesco Zanardi case
Posted by David Clohessy on March 09, 2013
http://www.snapnetwork.org/italy_francesco_zanardi_case
Francesco Zanardi's Blog - Google translator on right side
http://www.francescozanardi.eu/
Continuing hardball against victims.
http://reform-network.net/?p=20355
Gee, a high-up in the Catholic church who hid a pedaphile? Who’d a thought?
I am not a Roman Catholic, but the RCC is massive and has more priests than many denominations have for members. That in no way excuses sexual misconduct or child molestation. Those that do such things, especially the latter, should be defrocked, prosecuted, and castrated. The law of averages would indicate that you are going to have some “bad” priests. My criticism is the lack of institutional control. You would think that in such a hierarchical structure that these matters would be dealt with in a timely manner.
Look at it like this. There were four players in this mess. The parents who kept it quiet, the legal system that kept it quiet, the church who kept it quiet, and the perpetrators themselves. Quiet as in kept from the public.
To me it wasn’t just the Catholic Church.
**Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said: “The is no foundation to these accusations against Cardinal Calcagno the former Bishop of Savona. He did all that he had to do. It’s baseless.”**
" Father Lombardi does not set policy for the Vatican, or make authoritative statements for the Catholic Church. "
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2980739/posts
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