Posted on 03/22/2010 6:21:30 AM PDT by Gamecock
Pope Benedict's weekend apology to Ireland went further than any other papal statement on child-sex abuse by priests, but still fell too short for many victims of the scandals shaking the Catholic Church across Europe.
Following are details of some of the major abuse scandals in various countries:
SWITZERLAND: The Swiss Catholic Church is investigating allegations of abuse by clergy. The Diocese of Chur, in eastern Switzerland, said Saturday it was investigating about 10 complaints. The abbot of a monastery in the diocese said at least three of the 77 monks at Einsiedeln had committed acts of abuse since he took up office in December 2001, but no legal action had been taken.
NETHERLANDS: More than 200 Catholics have reported abuse after Radio Netherlands Worldwide and newspaper NRC Handelsblad revealed that three priests from the Salesian order abused pupils decades ago at a boarding school. The church there has set up an independent inquiry headed by a Protestant politician.
GERMANY: A Jesuit high school in Berlin reported cases of sexual abuse there in January, starting a series of revelations at other Catholic boarding schools and non-religious schools.
- The Regensburg diocese admitted physical and sexual abuse cases at a boarding school for its famous Domspatzen (cathedral sparrows) boys choir. Its director, Pope Benedict's brother, Rev. Georg Ratzinger, admitted to slapping boys to discipline them but denied knowledge of sexual abuse. The ensuing wave of abuse charges from previously silent victims has since reached about 250.
IRELAND: In April 2002, Bishop Brendan Comiskey of Ferns resigned over his handling of charges against a priest who committed suicide in 1999 while facing 66 charges of abuse.
- May 2009 - The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse issued a five-volume report that took nine years to compile. It said priests beat and raped children during decades of abuse in Catholic-run institutions.
- Nov. 2009 - The Murphy report, a government-commissioned inquiry into abuse in Dublin from 1975 to 2004 said church authorities covered up widespread cases of child sexual abuse until the mid-1990s.
- Dec. 2009 - After meeting two Irish church leaders, Pope Benedict said he shared the "outrage, betrayal and shame" over the scandal in Ireland.
- Feb. 2010 - Benedict held crisis talks with 24 Irish bishops at the Vatican. The bishops promised him they were committed to cooperating with authorities. Four bishops have offered their resignations and the pope has so far accepted one.
UNITED STATES: June 2002 - The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops agreed on a new policy that would forbid pedophile priests from ever again acting as clerics - but not necessarily expel them from the priesthood.
BRITAIN: July 2000 - London Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor acknowledged making a mistake in a previous post in the 1980s by allowing a pedophile priest to continue working. The priest was jailed in 1997 for abusing nine boys over a 20-year period.
AUSTRIA: July 2004 - Austrian News magazine Profil ran pictures of priests kissing and groping seminarians at a Catholic seminary in the St. Poelten diocese.
AUSTRALIA: July 2008 - On a visit to Australia, Pope Benedict apologized for sexual abuse by clergy. At that time there had been 107 convictions for sexual abuse in the church there.
MEXICO: March 2009 - Pope Benedict ordered an inquiry into the Legionaries of Christ priestly order whose founder was discovered to be a sexual molester. In 2006, the pope told the founder, Father Marcial Maciel, to retire to a life of "prayer and penitence". Maciel died in 2008. His order acknowledged in 2009 that he had fathered at least one child with a mistress.
CANADA: Oct. 2009 - Bishop Raymond Lahey of Antigonish, N.S., was charged with possession and importation of child pornography. Earlier that year, he had overseen a $13-million settlement with clerical abuse victims in the Antigonish diocese in a case dating back to 1950.
A scorecard, for those who just can’t keep track.
Imagine you were a member of the Mafia and you were found to have raped a child. You wouldn’t have the life expectancy of a house fly.
In the meantime, Islam endorses Pederasty.
Gee, you guys are really active today. This must be about the third time a thread on this has been posted.
One thing that really surprised and depressed me when I started to read FR was to learn how much Protestants hate Catholics.
True.
But we are talking about Rome.
Our country is going down the drain and what inspires some here? It’s telling, isn’t it?
***This must be about the third time a thread on this has been posted.***
If Priests would stay away from children we wouldn’t be having this conversation, would we?
***One thing that really surprised and depressed me when I started to read FR was to learn how much Protestants hate Catholics.***
What in the world does this have to do with “hating Catholics?”
Priests molest children.
The church ignores the fact that priests are are molesting children.
You feelings of martyrdom at the hands of FR Protestants are misplaced.
Just out of curiosity, how much of the money you gave to your local parish went to clean us this mess?
He's a one trick pony
One trick is all that horse can do....
If you are so worried why aren’t you burning up the phone line to your representatives instead of lurking on the Religion Forum FR?
Does the truth hurt that much?
I have discovered that, unofficially, that about a fourth of Protestants are Protestants specifically for their hatred of Catholics. Love of Jesus comes a distant second to these types.
To the credit of the other 3/4 of Protestants, they'd like people like Gamecock to shut their piehole and focus on the enemy (atheists, radical muslims, liberal secularists, etc) rather than allies.
When I first joined FR, over ten years ago, there were a few blatant KKK types that I had booted off of this site. I haven't seen it in quite some time...I think they've learned what lines can not be crossed and what is tolerated. Unfortunately Catholic bashing won't get you banned on this site.
Exactly right.
So do you endorse the behavior of Priests?
That’s the way it seems when you attack the messenger and not the horrible damage done by Roman Catholic Priests over the decades.
***I have discovered that, unofficially, that about a fourth of Protestants are Protestants specifically for their hatred of Catholics. Love of Jesus comes a distant second to these types.***
Somehow I think speaking out against PEDOPHILES is exactly what Jesus would have done.
That’s the way it seems when you attack the messenger and not the horrible damage done by Roman Catholic Priests over the decades.
Do you find yourself in a false dilemma often?
That's the way it seems when that oddity is offered as rebuttal to a comment about one-trick ponies.
Read it already - wonderful story!
I believe it truly shows that Satan is terrified of the Catholic Church.
You're probably just like most freepers - an excellent multi-tasker. :)
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