It seems that Pope Benedict XVI's pastoral letter to Irish Catholics is not exactly overwhelming rank and file Catholics in Ireland. To be candid, it's yet another case of crocodile tears and no action - including no demands that guilty bishops and cardinals resign. Then again, based on news that is coming out of Germany, were Benedict to ask for resignations, he'd be making the case for his own resignation. Indeed, some Irish victims are demanding that Benedict resign along with Cardinal Grady who was complicit in cover ups and instances where victims were intimidated and sworn to secrecy. Candidly, the Church hierarchy with few excepts - Irish archbishop Martin being one such exception - has shown itself to be nothing more than a huge moral cesspool. And that includes Benedict XVI. Given the magnitude of the new disclosures and the fact that the Pope himself in heavily implicated, one has to wonder how anyone can continue to support such a corrupt and morally bankrupt Church leaders. Rather than expend hundreds of thousands of dollars seeking to deny gays civil legal rights, the Church would do far better to rid itself of ALL bishops, cardinals and the Pope who have been implcated in this foul and callous conspiracy against molested children and youth. The Irish Times has this report on victims calling for Benedict's resignation:*
Clerical abuse survivor Andrew Madden reiterated his call for the resignation of Pope Benedict and Cardinal Seán Brady after studying the Papal pastoral letter this afternoon. Expressing disappointment with the document, he said: "It changes nothing. They should both resign.''
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Mr Madden said that the document represented "not an inability to do the right thing, but an unwillingness to do the right thing''. He did not feel that the pope would be any more willing to do it on a visit to Ireland than in Rome.
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Speaking separately at the Fine Gael conference, the party’s spokesman on children Alan Shatter described the pope’s “silence” on the issue of abuse victims being sworn to secrecy by the church as “surprising and disturbing”.
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He said a new criminal offence should be introduced “which expressly applies to the concealment of information about child abuse, both past and present, and to the administration of any oath obliging any individual to conceal such conduct from either An Garda Síochána or our child care services.”
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Meanwhile, the number of abuse cases in the Netherlands has exploded and the scandal is now spreading to Italy. When the sex abuse scandal in the USA begin to mushroom in 2002, the Vatican tried to depict the problem as a uniquely American problem and phenomenon. Clearly, it is in truth a worldwide problem with a deceitful plan of cover ups orchestrated from Rome. Here are highlights from the Times of Malta on the growing number of victims coming forward in the Netherlands:
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At least 1,100 allegations of sexual abuse committed by members of the Dutch Roman Catholic clergy in the three decades from 1950 have emerged this month, a church official said Saturday.
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"According to latest figures, there have been 1,100 accounts," said Pieter Kohnen, a spokesman for the Dutch Catholic church.
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Dutch religious leaders on March 9 ordered a "broad, external and independent" investigation of alleged sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, and apologised to victims. The announcement was made by the Dutch Religious Conference after a meeting to discuss abuse claims by about 200 alleged victims dating from the 1960s and 1970s.
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As for the spread of the scandal into Italy, the Aberdeen Press Journal has a story. Here are highlights from that news coverage:
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THE Catholic sex-abuse scandal spread to Italy yesterday, with the bishop of the northern diocese of Bolzano apologising to victims and promising to co-operate with prosecutors. Some of the region’s German-language newspapers reported several cases of victims coming forward with tales of physical and sexual abuse in a convent in the 1960s.
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Meanwhile, the Pope’s former diocese in Munich, Germany, said it was facing new allegations of physical and sexual abuse on a daily basis. Elke Huemmeler, head of the diocese’s new sexual-abuse prevention taskforce, said: “It is like a tsunami.”
Clerical abuse survivor Andrew Madden reiterated his call for the resignation of Pope Benedict and Cardinal Seán Brady after studying the Papal pastoral letter this afternoon. Expressing disappointment with the document, he said: "It changes nothing. They should both resign.''
*
Mr Madden said that the document represented "not an inability to do the right thing, but an unwillingness to do the right thing''. He did not feel that the pope would be any more willing to do it on a visit to Ireland than in Rome.
*
Speaking separately at the Fine Gael conference, the party’s spokesman on children Alan Shatter described the pope’s “silence” on the issue of abuse victims being sworn to secrecy by the church as “surprising and disturbing”.
*
He said a new criminal offence should be introduced “which expressly applies to the concealment of information about child abuse, both past and present, and to the administration of any oath obliging any individual to conceal such conduct from either An Garda Síochána or our child care services.”
*
Meanwhile, the number of abuse cases in the Netherlands has exploded and the scandal is now spreading to Italy. When the sex abuse scandal in the USA begin to mushroom in 2002, the Vatican tried to depict the problem as a uniquely American problem and phenomenon. Clearly, it is in truth a worldwide problem with a deceitful plan of cover ups orchestrated from Rome. Here are highlights from the Times of Malta on the growing number of victims coming forward in the Netherlands:
*
At least 1,100 allegations of sexual abuse committed by members of the Dutch Roman Catholic clergy in the three decades from 1950 have emerged this month, a church official said Saturday.
*
"According to latest figures, there have been 1,100 accounts," said Pieter Kohnen, a spokesman for the Dutch Catholic church.
*
Dutch religious leaders on March 9 ordered a "broad, external and independent" investigation of alleged sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests, and apologised to victims. The announcement was made by the Dutch Religious Conference after a meeting to discuss abuse claims by about 200 alleged victims dating from the 1960s and 1970s.
*
As for the spread of the scandal into Italy, the Aberdeen Press Journal has a story. Here are highlights from that news coverage:
*
THE Catholic sex-abuse scandal spread to Italy yesterday, with the bishop of the northern diocese of Bolzano apologising to victims and promising to co-operate with prosecutors. Some of the region’s German-language newspapers reported several cases of victims coming forward with tales of physical and sexual abuse in a convent in the 1960s.
*
Meanwhile, the Pope’s former diocese in Munich, Germany, said it was facing new allegations of physical and sexual abuse on a daily basis. Elke Huemmeler, head of the diocese’s new sexual-abuse prevention taskforce, said: “It is like a tsunami.”
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As for those who have derided me for my focus on the rot and criminal conduct by the Church hierarchy, I belive a I am due an apology. The ongoing release of new facts and information from all across Europe would seem to be my vindication.
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