Abuse Scandal in Germany Edges Closer to Pope
— A widening child sexual abuse inquiry in Europe has landed at the doorstep of Pope Benedict XVI, as a senior church official acknowledged Friday that a German archdiocese made “serious mistakes” in handling an abuse case while the pope served as its archbishop.
The archdiocese said that a priest accused of molesting boys was given therapy in 1980 and later allowed to resume pastoral duties, before committing further abuses and being prosecuted. Pope Benedict, who at the time headed the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, approved the priest’s transfer for therapy. A subordinate took full responsibility for allowing the priest to later resume pastoral work, the archdiocese said in a statement.
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The archdiocese said that a priest accused of molesting boys was given therapy in 1980 and later allowed to resume pastoral duties, before committing further abuses and being prosecuted. Pope Benedict, who at the time headed the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, approved the priest’s transfer for therapy. A subordinate took full responsibility for allowing the priest to later resume pastoral work, the archdiocese said in a statement.
Here’s a graphic on the history of the abuse case.
And, as the article shows,
In Munich case, a priest from Essen, “despite allegations of sexual abuse, and in spite of a conviction — was repeatedly assigned work in the sphere of pastoral care by the then-Vicar General Gerhard Gruber,” who worked under Benedict when he was the archbishop.
The priest, identified only with the initial “H,” was moved to Munich in January 1980, where he was supposed to undergo therapy, a decision that was taken “with the approval of the archbishop,” according to the archdiocese’s statement. Benedict was archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982.
In June 1986, the priest was convicted of sexually abusing minors and given an 18-month suspended sentence with five years of probation, fined 4,000 marks and ordered to undergo therapy.
the sex abuser is now free, and his identity is still concealed.
There is no justice. None at all.
Fausta,
There is so much hypocrisy in this whole situation. Some of those who are criticizing Benedict are those who felt we should let bygones be bygones with Polanski. Reps of the Catholic laity are using this issue to push for married priests (as if a guy attracted to little boys is going to be cured by having a wife). Just today there is a report of sexual abuse from an Evangelical (Lutheran) boarding school in Gaienhofen, and last week there were similar reports from the elite Odenwald school, which happens to be classified as a model school by UNESCO.
The Church obviously has to face up to its failures in the past and find ways to assure that perverts don’t use the priesthood as cover in the future. At the same time, the sexual libertarians have to realize that sometimes social norms are a very good thing and shouldn’t be eroded, not even by artists.
Is this one of the all time travesties for the church to undermine the seriousness of these crimes, check out newsbackatcha.com it show in real time (graphs) people who supports the church there are some sick puppies out there
The Pope is God’s representative on Earth. He is infallible because all that he does is the direct manifestation of God’s will. Every Catholic priest is Christ on Earth and deserves our total adoration. The actions of every man of the cloth, whatever they may be, are guided by Christ for the good of mankind. If, indeed, a Catholic priest thought it necessary to initiate some boy or girl into the hidden erotic mysteries of the Catholic Religion, we should rejoice and accept that what he did was best for the child. The parents should feel honored that a Christ-like man has given their child a great privilege. He has opened doors which remain closed for the majority of mankind. To perform fellatio on a Catholic priest or to be sodomized by one should be seen as a spiritual experience and certainly not a worldly vulgar act.
When did you get ordained, Billy?