A KIND ... ... AND THE END IS NIGH Pope Benedict XVI has been widely criticised for his handling, or lack of it, of the child abuse revelations all over the world. Every move and response has been motivated by damage limitation to his church rather than compassion and justice for the victims. A BBC documentary, Sex Crimes And The Vatican, revealed how, when the Pope was known as Cardinal Thomas Ratzinger, he sent out an updated version of the notorious 1962 Vatican document Crimen Sollicitationis (Latin for The Crime of Solicitation) which imposed the Vatican's strict instructions on how to cover up sexual scandal. It even talked about slush funds, or 'hush' funds, being used to silence the victims. The document was so secret that it included instructions that bishops had to keep it locked away in a safe at all times. So much for the compassion of the church. Never mind the unimaginable life-long impact on the children - keep the lid down to protect the perpetrators. Pope Benedict, as Cardinal Ratzinger, was head for 24 years of the powerful Congregation of the Doctrine of The Faith, the department of the Roman Catholic Church charged with promoting Catholic teachings on 'morals and matters of faith'. How ironic. He was also known as the 'enforcer' for, and controller of, the puppet Pope, John Paul II, and took charge of blocking any challenges to the status quo of 'traditional Catholic teachings'. Benedict has been forced to accept the unfolding scale of what has happened - and is still happening - only by that scale becoming ever more obvious, not least with the revelations of the hundreds of abused children in Belgium, at least 13 of whom committed suicide.
Saturday, 18 September 2010
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