Word: pastorale
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5. The Admissions-Packet Pastoral Garden
The Pope's defenders say he has tried hard to force the church to confront its demons openly. "As Pope, he has been unusually and laudably aggressive in dealing with abusers," says David Gibson, author of a Benedict biography. Benedict has on several occasions called for "absolute transparency" on sexual...
The case that has gotten the greatest attention embroils Benedict himself. As Archbishop of Munich and Freising in 1980, he approved therapy for a priest who had been accused of molesting boys in the diocese of Essen. At the time, it was not uncommon for pedophiles to be prescribed therapy...
Did Benedict know about the priest's swift return to pastoral work after his therapy? The archdiocese says the decision was made by Benedict's then deputy, who has taken full responsibility. But the American priest in Rome says Ratzinger, famously a micromanager, must have known of the decision. "It...
The more immediate question is whether Benedict can resist pressure to directly address the abuse scandals. Gibson, his biographer, says that's just not in the Pope's character: "He's not the type who opens up for self-reflection, hashing out the past and past mistakes." At best, he...