Word: popes
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...flaw underpinning most of the Pope’s logic relates to his framing of the abuse scandal as a problem of faith rather than of regulation and management. In response to the heinous crimes, the Pope recommended that all Irish priests attend a religious retreat and suggested that churches designate certain chapels where congregations can pray for “healing and renewal;” nonetheless, these are simply abstract solutions to a concrete problem. While the Pope’s recommendations might allow for personal healing and spiritual redemption, they fail to attack the root cause...
...commitment to ending sexual abuse in its dioceses. Bishops should be granted the authority to report cases of abuse on their own (without consulting the Church hierarchy), impose consequences such as mandated leaves of absence or counseling for priests guilty of felonies, recommend the defrocking of priests to the Pope, and speak out against transferring priests simply to conceal histories of abuse...
...example, when the Pope himself served as an archbishop in Germany in 1980, a priest in his diocese struggling with pedophilia was permitted to move to Munich for therapy. The priest was subsequently appointed to serve in a church, and civil officials were never informed of the allegations against him. Within five years, the priest was again accused of sexual abuse and he was convicted in 1986. Providing bishops with more power and more incentives to speak out against incidents like this—times when abusive priests are discreetly transferred without informing civil authorities of their criminal actions?...
...further problem with the Church’s reaction to the abuse scandal relates not to the Pope’s communication, but to the protests of Catholics around the world. A controversial letter recently published in USA Today, for example, likens the Pope to a “martyr” who, “like Jesus, is completely innocent and is doing everything in his power to weed out those priests guilty of sexual abuse.” These and similar claims, which portray the Pope as a martyr for bringing the sexual abuse claims to light...
...sexual abuse allegations represents an unusually quick reaction, and he was proactive in creating a council to investigate the abuses in Ireland. Even so, the Pope’s actions thus far are only a first step in what must be a long road toward forgiveness and progress. Pope Benedict’s letter is an impassioned apology, but the Church’s penance still lies ahead...