Posted on 05/19/2002 3:35:06 PM PDT by Suzie_Cue
May 19 2002
AAP
Roman Catholic bishops should avoid telling congregations their parish priests have sexually abused someone, if the bishops believe the priests will not abuse again, a Vatican official has said.
The Reverend Gianfranco Ghirlanda also said in an article to be published this weekend that church leaders have no legal or moral responsibilities if such abuse does occur.
The Vatican appeals court judge insisted church leaders must protect the "good name" of their priests.
"From a canon law perspective, the bishop and the superior are neither morally nor judicially responsible for the acts committed by one of their clergy," said Ghirlanda, dean of canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
David Clohessy, national director of the Chicago-based Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said he found it disturbing that the article appeared to be contradicting Pope John Paul II's statement at last month's Vatican summit on sex abuse.
"It seems like the Pope was very clear last month: there's no place in the ministry for these men - none - and it's a crime," Clohessy said. "Ever since, we've seen church leaders hemming and hawing and making exceptions."
The Vatican is struggling to deal with worldwide allegations of sexual abuse by priests.
Ghirlanda argued that a priest whose past acts of abuse were revealed to his congregation "would be totally discredited in front of his parochial community and in fact would be blocked from any effective pastoral action."
"If the bishop fears the priest could again commit a crime, then he must not entrust to the priest a parish, but must act in a different way."
However, Ghirlanda also said priests should not be forced to take psychological tests to assess the likelihood of their committing abuse.
"To our thinking, it's not admissible that the incriminated cleric be forced to undergo a psychological investigation to determine if his personality is inclined to commit the crimes in question," the article said.
At what point does the law step in and arrest these perverts with the "good names" along with those that conspire to protect them.The Vatican appeals court judge insisted church leaders must protect the "good name" of their priests.
"From a canon law perspective, the bishop and the superior are neither morally nor judicially responsible for the acts committed by one of their clergy," said Ghirlanda, dean of canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
This is arrogant, discusting, vile and wrong.
And so typical of the powerful.
The only difference is that most of the powerful aren't dumb enough to say it in public.
Again, and again, and again, everything counts more than preventing more children from being abused. I guess we should countenance the (distinct) possibility of more hellish abuse of children based on the bishop's abilities of discernment (and unwillingness to expose the Church to embarrassment and scandal). This is crazy. A priest who abuses once, should NEVER, EVER be placed anywhere near children for the rest of his life. What is more important than protecting children? (Well, of course, in the Catholic Church today, just about everything.) Finally, just as in the Boy Scouts, priests should never be allowed to be alone with children or teenagers. My teenage sons will NEVER be allowed to be alone with any Catholic priest. My Church has FORCED ME TO DRAW THAT PAINFUL CONCLUSION.
You were smart. Now I'm getting smarter.
"The Vatican appeals court judge insisted church leaders must protect the "good name" of their priests."
This has been the root of the problem. People can forgive an institution for the sins of its members – it is difficult to forgive the institution's cover-up.
Exactly! Priests have had this reputation for decades now.
Yes, you're right -- the Sydney paper's characterization of it is arrogant, disgusting, vile, and wrong.
For the comments in context, please see Italian Jesuit: Bishops not Responsible for Priests' Actions.
Especially note bolded sections.
Well, I guess that answers it for us. As St. Augustine said, "Rome has spoken, the dispute is at an end." Or as The Catholic World reminded all Roman Catholics in the Unites States at the time of the First Vatican Council: "Each individual must receive the faith and law from the Church...with unquestioning submission and obedience of the intellect and the will....We have no right to ask reasons of the Church, any more than of Almighty God....We are to take with unquestioning docility whatever instruction the Church gives us."
I fully understand the anger and frustration I have seen expressed by many Catholics on this forum, but what are they to do? Rome has spoken. Many prayers need to go out for true repentance and reformation within those in leadership of the Catholic Church and prayers for the many sincere Catholics who are caught in an emotional and spiritual dillema.
A celibate priesthood is both unnatural and unscriptural as a requirement for ministry. If, however, someone chooses that lifestyle, then that is fine. There were no priests (as a special church office) in the New Testament as there had been in the Old Testament--and the bishops-pastors-elders were commanded to be married [Old Testament priests were married also]. We need neither a priest nor a pope. Christ is our high priest and all believers are priests who can go directly to God with their prayers and confessions of sin.
Hebrews 7:22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. 23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, [who] [is] holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, [appoints] the Son who has been perfected forever. 8:1 Now [this] [is] the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest , who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 1 Timothy 2:5 For [there] [is] one God and one Mediator between God and men, [the] Man Christ Jesus,
Rev.1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him [be] glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood , to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." 7 Therefore, to you who believe, [He] [is] precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," 8 and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. 9 But you [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood , a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once [were] not a people but [are] now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife , temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, [and] [commanding] to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
1 Timothy 2:5 For [there] [is] one God and one Mediator between God and men, {i.e.:not Mary}[the] Man Christ Jesus,
The arrogant empty suits that infest any organization have spoken and expect the peons to get in line. I suggest that until the "House is Cleansed" the faithful put a penny in the basket, and no more, each week. After six months of emptying a few hundred pennies each week from each parish in America I'll bet Rome begins to listen.
Documentation, please.
I don't want Mother Angelica's outfit paraphrasing for me; I'd rather read the direct quotes.
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