Vatican press statement

No direct reference, but closely related nonetheless:

VATICAN CITY, 9 MAR 2010 ( VIS ) - Given below is the text of note issued today by Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. concerning cases of the sexual abuse of minors in ecclesiastical institutions:

  "For some months now the very serious question of the sexual abuse of minors in institutions run by ecclesiastical bodies and by people with positions of responsibility within the Church, priests in particular, has been investing the Church and society in Ireland . The Holy Father recently demonstrated his own concern, particularly through two meetings: firstly with high-ranking members of the episcopate, then with all the ordinaries. He is also preparing the publication of a letter on the subject for the Irish Church .

  "But over recent weeks the debate on the sexual abuse of minors has also involved the Church in certain central European countries ( Germany , Austria and Holland ). And it is on this development that we wish to make some simple remarks.

  "The main ecclesiastical institutions concerned - the German Jesuit Province (the first to be involved, through the case of the Canisius-Kolleg in Berlin), the German Episcopal Conference, the Austrian Episcopal Conference and the Netherlands Episcopal Conference - have faced the emergence of problem with timely and decisive action. They have demonstrated their desire for transparency and, in a certain sense, accelerated the emergence of the problem by inviting victims to speak out, even when the cases involved date from many years ago. By doing so they have approached the matter 'on the right foot', because the correct starting point is recognition of what happened and concern for the victims and the consequences of the acts committed against them. Moreover, they have re-examined the extant 'Directives' and have planned new operative guidelines which also aim to identify a prevention strategy, so that everything possible may be done to ensure that similar cases are not repeated in the future.

  "These events mobilise the Church to find appropriate responses and should be placed in a more wide-ranging context that concerns the protection of children and young people from sexual abuse in society as a whole. Certainly, the errors committed in ecclesiastical institutions and by Church figures are particularly reprehensible because of the Church's educational and moral responsibility, but all objective and well-informed people know that the question is much broader, and concentrating accusations against the Church alone gives a false perspective. By way of example, recent data supplied by the competent authorities in Austria shows that, over the same period of time, the number of proven cases in Church institutions was 17, while there were 510 other cases in other areas. It would be as well to concern ourselves also with them.

  "In Germany initiatives are now rightly being suggested, promoted by the Ministry for the Family, to call a 'round table' of the various educational and social organisations in order to consider the question from an appropriate and comprehensive viewpoint. The Church is naturally ready to participate and become involved and, perhaps, her own painful experience may also be a useful contribution for others. Chancellor Angela Merkel had justly recognised the seriousness and constructive approach shown by the German Church .

  "In order to complete these remarks, it is as well to recall once again that the Church exists as part of civil society and shoulders her own responsibilities in society, but she also has her own specific code, the 'canonical code', which reflects her spiritual and sacramental nature and in which, therefore, judicial and penal procedures are different (for example, they contain no provision for pecuniary sanctions or for the deprivation of freedom, but for impediment in the exercise of the ministry and privation of rights in the ecclesiastical field, etc.). In the ambit of canon law, the crime of the sexual abuse of minors has always been considered as one of the most serious of all, and canonical norms have constantly reaffirmed this, in particular the 2001 Letter 'De delictis gravioribus', sometimes improperly cited as the cause of a 'culture of silence'. Those who know and understand its contents, are aware that it was a decisive signal to remind the episcopate of the seriousness of the problem, as well as a real incentive to draw up operational guidelines to face it.

  "In conclusion, although the seriousness of the difficulties the Church is going through cannot be denied, we must not fail to do everything possible in order to ensure that, in the end, they bring positive results, of better protection for infancy and youth in the Church and in society, and the purification of the Church herself".

Comments

[Claire]

"'culture of silence'"

They must have read "Vows of Silence".

"...the purification of the Church herself".

Preach it, Your Holiness!

[anon]

plus ça change

AOL News spoke to Jim Fair yesterday:

"Fair said Maciel was clearly a 'very flawed man' who nevertheless did 'a lot of good.'"

Shut. It. Down.
Send. The. Kids. Home.

[CindyB]

"They have demonstrated their desire for transparency and, in a certain sense, accelerated the emergence of the problem by inviting victims to speak out, even when the cases involved date from many years ago. By doing so they have approached the matter 'on the right foot', because the correct starting point is recognition of what happened and concern for the victims and the consequences of the acts committed against them. "

This doesn't look very favorable for the regnum legion. It's like a slap on their hands for the way they've totally mishandled the victims, their lack of sympathy and their lack of transparency. Is this a tell-tale sign of how the legion's future will be decided?

[White Tree]

I can imagine some LCs and RCs breathing a sigh of relief because legion wasn't mentioned by name. They might forget that an entire AV has been dedicated just to them!

According to the statement, legion's chances are looking pretty grim:

"because the correct starting point is recognition of what happened and concern for the victims and the consequences of the acts committed against them."

Legion (1) did not specify what MM did (2) only TALKED about concern for the victims, and that took a while (3) shows no awareness of the consequences of their actions or MM's actions.

(1) SHUT (2) IT (3) DOWN!

[mExRC]

Every time Jim Fair opens his mouth, he digs himself deeper an deeper in the mud. How can he be so invincibly blind? Does he have any idea how utterly offensive his statement sounds to Malice MacLiar's and legion/regnum victims?

Sadly, Fair's words illustrate the way how Nuestro Fraude is still being revered and justified by servants of The Amorphous Beast.

Shut. It. Down.

[gto]

Like a breath of fresh air.

And an invitation for everyone in and out of the Church to use common sense in protecting the interests of children.

Whether in a prudish or in a hyper-sexualized society, the best place for kids is generally at home.

Alternate caregivers must always always act strictly in the interests of children and their families.

Alternate caregivers must not imagine that there is some magic in the air or lofty goal that excuses them from common sense and vigilance.

Alternate caregivers should let the benefits of their care speak for itself and never use fear of the world to attract clients.

It is not a coincidence that the Legion's apostolic schools fail on every point. The Legion itself was groomed by a sexual predator.

The first recommendation of the visitors should be to SHUTTER the apostolic schools.

I highly recommend the excellent simile that one of our absent writers has posted:

"Of Bicycle Wheels and Movements Founded by Criminals"

http://deirdremundy.blogspot.com/2010/03/of-bicycle-wheels-and-movements-founded.html

Bravo. Encore.

[exLC]

Fair told AOL News. "It's as if Father Maciel lived in two different universes, like some old science fiction movie. And now it's all blowing up."

NOW? Does this guy live under a rock?

[anon]

"It's as if Father Maciel lived in two different universes, like some old science fiction movie".

Someone watched way too much Star Trek. Next he'll claim a transporter split MM into two parts and all the Legion was trying to do was re-integrate him.

[SO DONE]

"Fair said Maciel was clearly a 'very flawed man' who nevertheless did 'a lot of good.'"

Jim Jones also fed a lot of homeless people in San Francisco before moving his whole group to Guyana and committing mass murder.

[SO DONE]

Also, and FYI, the Pope has been holed up in the Vatican the past few days, according to inside sources, dealing head-on with the sexual abuse of minors issue. No mention was made of the Legion as he is readying himself for the meeting this weekend with German bishops.

What this does do is set the stage for the report of the Apostolic Visitation. After a few more weeks of this, the Pope will have absolutely ZERO tolerance for anything that even remotely smacks of a toxic environment for children.

In other words, he won't be in any mood to hear the Legion's excuses and rationalizations.

[SO DONE]

THere he is...equating the Church with l/r again:

http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/vatican-faces-widening-clerical-sex-abuse-scandals/19390339

"Fair said that Legionaries priests and lay members 'have a tough row to hoe' with their faith but added that that the priests are 'first and foremost Roman Catholic priests and they are part of a church that has survived 2,000 years with some flaws and will no doubt continue.'"

Right, b/c MM and L/R only has some flaws ... and the flaws of MM and L/R are similar to those of the Church at large....

[anonymous]

SO DONE: I hope you are right. And my initial reaction is, "IT"S ABOUT TIME!"

[anon]

"and will no doubt continue" without any need for a charism and a leadership groomed by a sexual predator.

[Aaron]

Legion - in step with the church?!!!

I can't believe this press-release in light of the LC treatment.

It is truly like there are two different universes...!!

I should have been a Jesuit.

[Aaron]

PS - I do believe the press statement, and it is keeping with my own experiences of working with the Diocesan Church in Ireland. They restored my trust in the church and in priests a great deal.

[SS]

Meanwhile, over at the National Catholic Register, under "Breaking News," they are running the AP article on German Catholic bishops examining abuse claims.

I thought the reason given in their editorial some time back for why they would refrain from Maciel articles was that they couldn't be objective about it, or something like that (or maybe I just imagined that editorial). But if that is what was said, there's no reason not to cover Maciel, if they are just going to lift AP articles anyhow for other scandalous cases.

[SS]

Also, speaking of Jim Jones, he too was a sexual predator and pervert of several stripes.

He sexually abused women and children--both boys and girls--and had flings with both women and men.

All along, Maciel has reminded to a great degree of Jim Jones.

[Love Christ]

Jim Jones.

Why would people who are not ordained or canononically bound continue to cling to this Movement and show asolutely no intention of letting go? How can they equate that with clinging to Christ while their Movement has and is damaging Catholic souls? Are they deluded into thinking this is their personal heroic road to holiness - to be the "refounders" - not just the "cofounders". Is this pride and status at the expense of the faith and salvation of others? I am not speaking of the ordained who are in a more difficult situation . They are more bound. In my opinion, the others are binding themselves to the Movement (not to Christ)possibly with delusions of granduer which is different than the magnamity that comes from the Holy Spirit. They may not understand what they are doing because the information has been lacking for them. But what of those advising them who are well aware of not only the scandels but the anguish and divisions caused all over the world because of the Movement?

[giselle]

They are bound because it's a cult [sigh]. That's what cults do: they bind people and replace their free will with numbing obedience. You're still thinking like a Catholic and not like a cult analyst. There is nothing different about this cult but the vestments.

[Mum26]

@giselle - that is completely correct.

In a different thread people have wondered how long it might take a walk-away LC priest to detox / deprogram?

Going by my husband's experience as a walk-away: a very, very long time! The younger one is upon getting roped in the longer it takes to detox. We are talking decades here.

Therefore, those who say they will never trust an ex-LC priest are well within their right and reason to do so. I certainly would never trust one.

[gto]

Love Christ, Cults appeal to something real and replace it with something false.

"What father among you, if his son asks for bread, would give him a stone".

Maciel was very good at that and had a long time to do it.

[giselle]

Exactly, gto. That was my point with this post:

http://www.life-after-rc.com/2010/03/labans-story-retold.html

[Dilbert]

When I read the press release and comments a thought came to my mind:
What if the Vatican had only listened to the original victims when they first approached the Vatican in the 1970's?
With that in mind I think that they could come up with a procedure for preliminary review of cases submitted by a panel of clergy and lay people with severe penalties for those who are caught corrupting the system. Maybe they already have this but it seems as if one powerful person can just prevent justice the way some people get a traffic violation "fixed".

[nat (gto)]

Love Christ: "How can they equate that with clinging to Christ while their Movement has and is damaging Catholic souls?"

gto: "Cults appeal to something real and replace it with something false.

Yes, Giselle has made that very clear. And Pete. And Deirde's Lenten postings.

To go beyond the excellent conversation on these blogs, I've started an experimental blog on the immense gulf between what the Legion says the Church is and what the Church really is:

http://may-contain-gnats.blogspot.com

(A field guide to the camel in tent)

The discussions here are far more interesting, so I only opened it to moderated comments.

[Mum26]

Right now I am not so much concerned with how the Church is going to deal with sex abuse scandals - there seems to be a zero-tolerance policy spreading, but whether or not the Church will recognize LC/RC to be a cult, and if so whether or not they are going to do something about that -- that goes in the direction of formation and charism....