Reuters reported that attempts to link Pope Benedict XVI with an alleged cover-up of a pedophile priest in 1980 while the Pontiff was an Archbishop in Bavaria have been disproved and discredited.
The Vatican's disciplinary office had dealt with 3,000 cases of sexual misconduct since 2001, covering crimes committed over the last 50 years. However only about 300 of these involved "pedophilia in the true sense of the term," meaning abuse base on attraction to prepubescent children. About 60 percent of the cases concerned adolescents and the rest involved heterosexual relations.
Ephebophilia is the attraction of adults toward pubescents and adolescents (generally 15-19).
Is it not ironic that it took 30 years for someone to charge then Archbishop Ratzinger with 'negligence' at worst? Nothing said in 1980 when the alleged incident occurred. Nothing said when he became Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. And silence when he became Successor of Saint Peter and Pope Benedict five years ago. No, slanderous accusations come in 2010. Why? How about feeding frenzy in the press? How about anti-Catholic schemes to discredit the Pontiff? How about clandestine plots from enemies of the Church or opponents to B16's different style of papacy? In any event, the dirt won't stick. But have we not seen similar character assassination tries leveled against P12 and even JP2?
"If they hated me, they will hate you ... if they persecuted me, they will persecute you"
1 comment:
Father, you said "the dirt won't stick" oh but it will. The prejudices of those within - just go and have a look at poster Tim on Jimmy Akin's blog - and without the Church are being reinforced by these headlines.
One point you may be able to clear up for me. In reading the stories of the transfer of this priest into Cardinal Ratzinger's archdiocese the reason is given as A) He was transferred to receive therapy for alleged paedophilia and B) He was transferred to received therapy for sexual improprieties which, for all anyone knew may have meant consentual sexual relations with an adult man or woman; paedophilia wouldn't have been on the rader I imagine bac then. Which version is the correct one do you know?
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