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Church sexual abuse may have been factor in Pope Benedict's resignation
Herald Sun, news.com.au ^ | February 12, 2013 | Jessica Evans

Posted on 02/11/2013 5:49:36 PM PST by Jyotishi

A Melbourne priest claims the extra strain placed on Pope Benedict from dealing with widespread sexual abuse within the Catholic Church may have been a factor in his resignation.

Father Max Vodola said the elderly Pope's shock exit from the role may be because he is too physically and emotionally weak to deal with the decades-old problem.

It comes as Archbishop Denis Hart leads Victorian tributes to the Pope, who he describes as gentle and loving.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: catholic; church; crime; pope; priest; sex; vatican
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To: nickcarraway

You said it was unprecedented. You were wrong and I demonstrated how you were wrong.


101 posted on 02/12/2013 2:16:07 AM PST by verga (A nation divided by Zero!)
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To: BlackElk
Benedict XVI is apparently going to handle this by entering a cloistered monastery and cutting off direct contact with the outside world.

Where did you read/ see this. I have been scouring the news to see what his plans were and did not see anything about this.

Also will he still be entitled to a Papal burial?

102 posted on 02/12/2013 2:25:47 AM PST by verga (A nation divided by Zero!)
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Comment #103 Removed by Moderator

To: SamuraiScot
For the record, I believe abusers should be hanged, regardless of denomination.

Point of common ground.

104 posted on 02/12/2013 4:37:46 AM PST by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin (Freedom is the freedom to discipline yourself so others don't have to do it for you.)
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To: Jyotishi

You wouldn’t know it by the media reports, but statistically sexual abuse was no more prevalent in the Catholic church than any other institution. Today it is less prevalent. It is true that priests didn’t know what to do about the accusations and were guilty of presuming innocent. The same thing occurs in most cases of sexual abuse. There were plenty of accusations and witnesses of abuse at Penn State for example. The media doesn’t seem to have a need to create a witch hunt for those people, and endlessly recycle the news stories with front page “news” 10 years later.

The media attacks, slanders, and defames the church the same way they do to other conservatives, and any one else who gets in the way of the culture of death. The fact that scandals are not made about abuses in other temples, churches, mosques, schools etc doesn’t mean abuses are less prevalent, they are simply less relevant in this battle. If the world knew how much He loves us, it would be a better place.


105 posted on 02/12/2013 5:11:02 AM PST by mgist
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To: Tzar

“Their” suffering?

The priests were raped by the children?


106 posted on 02/12/2013 5:17:28 AM PST by TSgt (The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.)
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To: fr_freak

Deny and attack.

The Lance Armstrong defense.

Let me know when you can have a mature debate.


107 posted on 02/12/2013 5:18:31 AM PST by TSgt (The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.)
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To: nickcarraway

Nick - he is resigning because he is 85 and in bad health and not out of any political pressure that I am aware of. Where are you getting that info? I think it’s good that he is leaving before he deteriorates further and is passing it to someone in better health. What’s wrong with that? I don’t understand your concern. Put other pope’s lives in danger? How? Just curious where you are coming from. Thanks.


108 posted on 02/12/2013 8:15:31 AM PST by plain talk
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To: GeronL

Honest question, did any of the priests serve time for their molestation?


109 posted on 02/12/2013 10:06:25 AM PST by SoftballMominVA
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To: Jyotishi
The One True Church will prevail against ALL -this includes homosexual sex practitioners, those that covered up crimes AND even anti-Catholic bigot keyboard jockeys.

This message was brought to you by the letters F A I T H.

110 posted on 02/12/2013 10:53:29 AM PST by DBeers (†)
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To: plain talk

He is a Pope, not a Supreme Court justice, or some other secular job. That is what you don’t seem to understand. I’ll say it again: He is a pope, he doesn’t hold some secular job. They die in office they don’t resign. That has been a source of protection. But now the next Pope won’t have that protection. If he opposes gay marriage. The U.N., the media, etc. can hound him to resign. Now that they know that is a possibility, they will not let up.


111 posted on 02/12/2013 11:20:29 AM PST by nickcarraway
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To: verga

You didn’t demonstrate that I was wrong at all. Your examples are completely off point and you know it.


112 posted on 02/12/2013 11:25:13 AM PST by nickcarraway
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To: TSgt

Excerpt:

Pope Benedict resigns: sex abuse survivors hope move eases prosecution

Victims and their advocates – who hold pontiff responsible for covering up abuse – push forward with international legal cases

By Karen McVeigh in New York, Monday, February 11, 2013

Before he became the pope, Cardinal Ratzinger headed the organisation responsible for dealing with abuse cases. Photograph: Paul White/AP

Victims of the child sex abuse crisis that has engulfed the Catholic church during Pope Benedict’s tenure welcomed his unexpected resignation on Monday, amid speculation over what prompted his departure.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (Snap), an organisation of 12,000 members worldwide, claim Benedict is personally responsible for widespread abuse within the church because he chose to protect its reputation over the safety of children. US lawyers who are currently suing the pontiff and other high-ranking Holy See officials for systematically concealing sexual crimes around the world, said his resignation may lead to more international prosecutions.

David Clohessy, executive director of Snap, condemned the pope’s “terrible record” on child sex abuse and said he hoped he would “finally show some courageous leadership on the abuse crisis” in his remaining days.

Excerpt from:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/11/pope-resigns-sex-abuse-survivors


113 posted on 02/12/2013 11:42:08 AM PST by Jyotishi (Seeking the truth, a fact at a time.)
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To: nickcarraway

Ok. You didn’t offer any logic other than your belief pope’s should die in office for some reason. I wanted to see where you are coming from and I do appreciate the response. You have nothing. :-).


114 posted on 02/12/2013 11:57:06 AM PST by plain talk
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Comment #115 Removed by Moderator

To: TSgt
That's more than you can say about your serial pedophile friend Rev. Lawrence Murphy who molested over 200 deaf boys. You know, the guy Ratzinger ignored...

Father Murphy's Bishop was responsible for him, not Cardinal Ratzinger, or anyone in the Vatican. If his Bishop didn't turn him in the police, or discipline him in any way, that was his own fault. Neither Ratzinger, nor anyone in the Vatican, had any jurisdiction over the matter.

116 posted on 02/12/2013 3:50:22 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: plain talk; nickcarraway
Nicky is to dense to realize that Celestine V made it completely legal for a Pope to resign. He has his mind shut and you will not open it with a jackhammer
117 posted on 02/12/2013 5:21:37 PM PST by verga (A nation divided by Zero!)
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To: BlackElk

Thank you.


118 posted on 02/12/2013 6:32:19 PM PST by narses
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To: TSgt

Nothing in your first histrionic post nor any of your subsequent posts suggests to me that you are interested in a mature discussion on this topic.


119 posted on 02/12/2013 6:59:42 PM PST by fr_freak
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To: verga

whatever. I was just curious as to why and really didn’t learn much. no biggie. sometimes i am just curious why people think a certain way without really caring to change their mind.


120 posted on 02/12/2013 8:01:39 PM PST by plain talk
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