Catholic church touch up half of Belgium

[Noir]

Just as we where talking about this the other day...


The new head of Belgium's Catholic Church has pledged to focus on the victims of alleged sexual abuse in a first attempt to rebuild public trust.

Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard said that although the Church would not be able to offer immediate solutions, it would set up a victims' support centre.

An independent commission said abuse occurred in every diocese over decades and that some victims were infants.

Pope Benedict XVI's spokesman said the findings had caused him "much pain".

"The Pope is following very closely what is happening in the Belgian Catholic Church," Fr Federico Lombardi told RTL television, according to the AFP news agency.

"Like everybody, he feels much pain after the publication of the report, which again reveals the huge suffering of victims and gives us an even more vivid sense of the gravity of the crimes."

Two-thirds of victims were boys, but 100 girls also suffered. Some 13 have committed suicide as a result.


(Edit-by way of an explanation, the title was how I was introduxted to the story, a friend and I were talking about the church when they said 'haven't you heard...)

[Kathianne]

Just as we where talking about this the other day...

Noir, is there a link to the independent study? This sounds similar to the 'repressed memories' witch hunts of the late 70's and 80's.

Without denying pedophilia amongst clergy, to believe those numbers one would have to assume the Church put out employment ads for pedophiles with bonuses, but no one in the general population managed to become aware of such.

[Noir]

Noir, is there a link to the independent study? This sounds similar to the 'repressed memories' witch hunts of the late 70's and 80's.

Without denying pedophilia amongst clergy, to believe those numbers one would have to assume the Church put out employment ads for pedophiles with bonuses, but no one in the general population managed to become aware of such.

Sorry, forgot to put story link in the OP, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11281071

Haven't seen the report myself, have only read the news reports about it.

[Kathianne]

Sorry, forgot to put story link in the OP, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11281071

Haven't seen the report myself, have only read the news reports about it.

Without being able to look at the report, sounds to me like the numbers are way out of whack.

[Noir]

Without being able to look at the report, sounds to me like the numbers are way out of whack.

Out of whack just because the number just looks too big?

Taken from the msnbc website ;
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39093978/ns/world_news-europe/

We saw how priests, called up by the commission and asked to help seek the truth, were willing to set up the list of 10, 15, 20 victims they abused during boarding school while the commission knew only of one," he said.

And ofcourse it wouldn't be the Catholic Chruch if there wasn't a cover-up sulking around;


The report's findings are the latest embarrassment for Belgium's Catholic Church, which is still reeling after the April resignation of Bruges Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, who admitted to having sexually abused a nephew for years when he was a priest and bishop.

Leonard's predecessor, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, acknowledged Wednesday that damage control often took precedence in Belgium over concerns for victims in sexual abuse cases involving clergy.

The crisis in the Belgian church was exacerbated last month, when secret tapes were published of Danneels speaking with the man whom Vangheluwe abused and suggesting a cover-up until Vangheluwe was to retire in 2011. Danneels said Wednesday he should have asked Vangheluwe to resign immediately.

[Kathianne]

Out of whack just because the number just looks too big?

Taken from the msnbc website ;
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39093978/ns/world_news-europe/


And ofcourse it wouldn't be the Catholic Chruch if there wasn't a cover-up sulking around;

Not because of the numbers, one pedophile can harm many children. Out of whack because the likelihood of virtually all parishes having such is just unbelievable, without a concerted effort to do so. The later is not believable. It's that painting with broad brush that makes a case for secular propaganda, than coming clean with abuse.

[Noir]

Not because of the numbers, one pedophile can harm many children. Out of whack because the likelihood of virtually all parishes having such is just unbelievable, without a concerted effort to do so. The later is not believable. It's that painting with broad brush that makes a case for secular propaganda, than coming clean with abuse.

You say it's painting a broad brush, but you have no basis to make that claim except that you think it is.

[Kathianne]

You say it's painting a broad brush, but you have no basis to make that claim except that you think it is.

No, I have an 'independent study' that says so. Unfortunately can only find references to such. I like the standards.

[Noir]

No, I have an 'independent study' that says so. Unfortunately can only find references to such. I like the standards.

But the report says it happened in every diocese, you are claiming the report is generalizing, when you have no evidence of that whatsoever.

[Sweetchuck]

The pope should be criminally prosecuted for the cover-up.

Period.

[Noir]

The pope should be criminally prosecuted for the cover-up.

Period.

Trufax.
I don't think he had anything to do with the cases in the OP, but certainly he should be for the ones that took place in his diocese.

[Sweetchuck]

No, he has little responsibility for the past acts, but the fact that he oversaw the cover-up of the matter, keeping offending priests in office and/or outside of prosecution is unconscionable for anyone - especially the leader of the Catholic institution.

It's not only immoral and unthinkable, it's criminal and he should be prosecuted and jailed.