Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests in two years // UKIP councillor blames storms and floods on gay marriage

[Cidersomerset]

18 January 2014 Last updated at 07:30

Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests in two years
The Vatican initially rejected the report, but later confirmed the figures, David Willey reports

Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
Q&A: Vatican child abuse scandal
Grilling will be test of attitude
Pope sets up child abuse committee

VID on link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25788864

Close to 400 priests were defrocked in only two years by the former Pope Benedict XVI
over claims of child abuse, the Vatican has confirmed.The statistics for 2011 and 2012
show a dramatic increase compared with previous years, according to a document
obtained by the Associated Press (AP).The file was part of Vatican data collected for a
UN hearing on Thursday.It was the first time the Holy See was publicly confronted over
the sexual abuse of children by clergy.

Church officials at the hearing in Geneva faced a barrage of hard questions covering
why they were withholding data and what they were doing to prevent future abuse.

Victims' advocates complained there was still too little transparency.

Continue reading the main story

Catholic Church abuse scandals

Germany - A priest, named only as Andreas L, admitted in 2012 to 280 counts of sexual
abuse involving three boys over a decade

United States - Revelations about abuses in the 1990s by two Boston priests, Paul
Shanley and John Geoghan, caused public outrage

Belgium - The bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned in April 2010 after
admitting that he had sexually abused a boy for years

Italy - The Catholic Church in Italy admitted in 2010 that about 100 cases of paedophile
priests had been reported over 10 years

Ireland - A report in 2009 found that sexual and psychological abuse was "endemic" in
Catholic-run industrial schools and orphanages for most of the 20th century

Q&A: Child abuse scandal

'Shame of the Church'



Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi initially said the AP report had been based on a
mistaken reading of data.

But he later retracted his statement, confirming to the BBC that the story was correct.

The latest statistics reveal the number of priests defrocked in 2011 and 2012 was more
than double the 171 priests removed in 2008 and 2009, when the Vatican first provided
figures.The Vatican also sent another 400 cases to either be tried by a Church tribunal
or to be dealt with administratively, AP reports.

Benedict, who was elected in 2005, took the helm as the scandal of child sex abuse by
priests was breaking.

Priests stand in front of a crucifix (19 May 2013) The Vatican initially rejected the
report, but later confirmed the figures
The flood of allegations, lawsuits and official reports into clerical abuse reached a peak
in 2009 and 2010, which observers say may explain the spike shown in the document.

The Holy See is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a legally
binding instrument which commits it to protecting and nurturing the most vulnerable in
society.It ratified the convention in 1990 but after an implementation report in 1994 it
did not submit any progress reports until 2012, following revelations of child sex abuse
in Europe and beyond.

Last month, the Vatican refused a request from the UN's Committee on the Rights of the
Child for data on abuse, on the grounds that it only released such information if
requested to do so by another country as part of legal proceedings.

In a homily on Thursday, Benedict's successor, Pope Francis, called abuse scandals "the
shame of the Church".

He announced in December that a Vatican committee would be set up to fight sexual
abuse of children in the Church.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25788864

======================================================

I added this second story mainly because it amused and saddened me that this
mind set is still prevalent to some to degree, to millions if not billions of people
around the world. Also he is an elected official and entitled to his personal beliefs
as is everyone , but this just seemed an odd article and not worth a separate
thread as such, but I thought I'd post it.




18 January 2014 Last updated at 17:03

UKIP councillor blames storms and floods on gay marriageCouncillor David



Silvester Councillor David Silvester from Henley-on-Thames had defected from the
Tories to UKIP

Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
Warning as river levels still rising
MPs urged to back gay marriage Watch
Church warning over gay marriage

A UKIP councillor has blamed the recent storms and heavy floods across Britain on
the Government's decision to legalise gay marriage.

David Silvester said the Prime Minister had acted "arrogantly against the Gospel".

In a letter to his local paper he said he had warned David Cameron the legislation
would result in "disaster".

UKIP said Mr Silvester's views were "not the party's belief" but defended his right to
state his opinions.

Divine retribution
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
He is more than entitled to express independent thought despite whether or not
other people may deem it standard or correct”
End Quote
UKIP spokeswoman

Mr Silvester, from Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, defected from the Tories in
protest at David Cameron's support for same-sex unions.

In the letter to the Henley Standard he wrote: "The scriptures make it abundantly
clear that a Christian nation that abandons its faith and acts contrary to the Gospel
(and in naked breach of a coronation oath) will be beset by natural disasters such
as storms, disease, pestilence and war."

He added: "I wrote to David Cameron in April 2012 to warn him that disasters
would accompany the passage of his same-sex marriage bill.

"But he went ahead despite a 600,000-signature petition by concerned Christians
and more than half of his own parliamentary party saying that he should not do so."

He then went to on blame the Prime Minister for the bad weather:

"It is his fault that large swathes of the nation have been afflicted by storms and
floods."

He went on to say that no man, however powerful "can mess with Almighty God
with impunity and get away with it".

A UKIP spokeswoman said: "It is quite evident that this is not the party's belief but
the councillor's own and he is more than entitled to express independent thought
despite whether or not other people may deem it standard or correct."

Independent thought made the UK "a wonderful, proud, diverse and free country".

Henley's Tory MP John Howell, said: "I thought Mr Silvester's letter was not the sort
of thing that he should have written in today's age.

"He really needs to consider his position."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-25793358

[Cidersomerset]

16 January 2014 Last updated at 12:38

.Q&A: Vatican child abuse scandalVatican envoys before the Geneva hearing - 16
January This is the first time the Holy See is defending itself in public over its sex
abuse record



The Vatican is facing tough questions from UN investigators in Geneva on the
sexual abuse of thousands of children by Roman Catholic clergy.

Pope Francis has said that dealing with abuse is vital for the Church's credibility,
but the Church has been criticised over its inadequate response to some of the
allegations.



line break
When did the sex abuse scandals in the Church first come to light?

US paedophile priest John Geoghan - in court in 2002 US priest John Geoghan was
jailed for his crimes, and later killed in prison by another inmate

The sexual abuse of children was rarely discussed in public before the 1970s, and it
was not until the 1980s that the first cases of molestation by priests came to light,
in the United States and Canada.

In the 1990s, revelations began of widespread abuse in Ireland.

In the new century, more cases of abuse have been revealed in more than a dozen
countries around the world.


line break
What are the most salient cases of abuse?

Pope John Paul II blesses Father Marcial Maciel - Nov 2004 Father Marcial Maciel
enjoyed the support of Pope John Paul II for many years

Two major reports into Irish allegations of paedophilia in 2009 revealed the
shocking extent of abuse, cover-ups and hierarchical failings involving thousands of
victims, and stretching back decades.

In one, four Dublin archbishops were found to have in effect turned a blind eye to
cases of abuse from 1975 to 2004.

A fresh scandal erupted in March 2010 when it emerged the head of the Irish
Catholic Church, Cardinal Sean Brady, was present at meetings in 1975 where
children signed vows of silence over complaints against a paedophile priest, Fr
Brendan Smyth. This prompted Pope Benedict XVI to apologise to Irish victims.

In the US, the Boston Archdiocese has been worst hit, with the activities of two of
its priests, Paul Shanley and John Geoghan, causing public outrage.

Cardinal Bernard Law resigned over the scandal in 2002.

In Mexico, the founder of the Legion of Christ order, Marcial Maciel, long admired
by Pope John Paul II, was disciplined by the Vatican in 2006 over the abuse of boys
and young men over a period of 30 years.

The Legion insisted his was an isolated case, but seven more priests of the order
have been investigated.

The bishop of the Belgian city of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe, resigned in 2010 after
admitting that he had sexually abused a boy for years.



line break
What has the Vatican's response been?

Cardinal Bernard Law - April 2002 Cardinal Bernard resigned in 2002 over the
mishandling of sex abuse cases
After the first scandals emerged, in 2001 the Vatican issued guidelines for senior
clergy on how to handle paedophile priests, which stated that all cases should be
referred to Rome. Until then, all cases had been handled by the Church in the
country concerned.

However, pressure continued to mount on the Church, and after a spate of new
cases in 2010 Pope Benedict XVI issued new rules saying bishops should report
suspected cases of abuse to local police, if required to do so by law.

Campaigners said the changes did not go far enough, and the now former Pope has
himself been accused of suppressing the investigation of paedophile priests, a
charge which he recently denied.



line break
What has the new Pope done?

Pope Francis in Assisi - 4 October Pope Francis has already taken some steps to
deal with the problem, but campaigners want more. After his election last year,
Pope Francis appeared to offer new hope to victims, with a call for action on sex
abuse in the Church. He has since made it clear that dealing with the issue is vital
for the Church's credibility.

He has strengthened Vatican laws on child abuse, and recently announced the
creation of a Vatican committee to fight sexual abuse and help victims.



line break
What do the victims say?

Demonstrator outside UN human rights agency in Geneva - 16 January Many
campaigners feel the Vatican has been dragging its feet
Victims' groups have responded to almost every move by the Vatican with
scepticism.

But they have welcomed the UN hearing in Geneva.

Barbara Blaine, the president of Snap (Survivors Network of those Abused by
Priests), expressed the hope that the hearing would mean that the "truth will be
exposed" and Pope Francis would "take action that will actually protect children".

She said that the new Pope would be judged on his actions - specifically whether he
was prepared to make it compulsory to turn evidence over to the police, and
whether he would punish any bishop who covered up abuse by a priest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25757218

[Cidersomerset]

16 January 2014 Last updated at 07:55

Vatican faces test of attitude to abuseBy Imogen Foulkes

BBC News, Switzerland



St Peter's Square, Vatican The Vatican has refused to provide some of the information requested by the UN panel
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
Pope sets up child abuse committee
Vatican rebuffs UN sex abuse queries
Cardinal 'blocked sex abuse report'

For the first time on an international public stage, a senior Vatican official will be
asked to explain the Roman Catholic Church's handling of child sex abuse.

The momentous occasion will be closely watched by those who want the Vatican to
address not just cases of abuse by priests, but suggestions that there were
systematic efforts to cover them up.

Thursday's hearing, before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva,
Switzerland, will also give an indication of how far the Vatican is prepared to go to
co-operate with a major external inquiry into its conduct.

As a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, although not a
member of the UN, the Vatican is required, at regular intervals, to provide the
committee with information on how it is respecting children's rights, and to answer
questions about concerns.

The announcement by the Vatican in December that it would not be sharing the
results of its own internal inquiry into sex abuse with the UN committee has
angered many; one group campaigning for the rights of victims called it "shameless
and unacceptable".

Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
No institution, however powerful, has the right to police itself… this is a human rights violation, a crime, and it should be dealt with accordingly”
End Quote
Miguel Hurtado

Abuse victim

The committee was bluntly informed by the Vatican that "it is not the practice of
the Holy See to disclose information on the religious discipline of members of the
clergy or religious according to canon law".

This was, the Vatican said, "to protect the witnesses, the accused and the integrity
of the Church process."

Duty to protect

The chair of the committee, Kirsten Sandberg, said the Vatican, like all signatories
to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, would be closely questioned at the
hearing.

"We discuss all the issues under the convention," she explained. "So of course that
dialogue in itself is a way of making the state conscious of what we think are the
concerns."

Significantly, one of the convention's key elements is a child's right to protection
from violence and sexual abuse.

Given the widespread allegations, and indeed documented cases, of abuse by
Catholic clergy in church-run schools and institutions, the Vatican's responsibility to
protect is sure to be raised by the committee.

Furthermore, Ms Sandberg explains, the UN committee will consider not only a
report submitted by the Vatican on its compliance with the convention, but
also 'shadow reports': information from other groups, including those representing
victims.




Monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Holy See's chief sex crimes prosecutor Charles
Scicluna,the Vatican's chief sex crimes investigator, will be taking the questions

One of those groups is the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, or Snap.
The group, supported by the US Center for Constitutional Rights, has submitted a
23-page report to the UN committee, detailing what it says is "the failure of the
Holy See to uphold core principles enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the
Child".

Pam Spees, a lawyer with the centre, views the UN committee hearings as a
promising sign "that this is part of a larger shift to bring more accountability and
transparency to what has been an extremely non-transparent organisation".

Members of Snap have also travelled to Geneva. Among them is Miguel Hurtado,
himself a victim of abuse as a child. For him, the hearings in Geneva are very
important.

"I think it brings the message that sexual abuse, by a priest, is a human rights
violation," he said.

"No institution, however powerful, has the right to police itself… this is a human
rights violation, a crime, and it should be dealt with accordingly."

No enforcement

But, like many arms of the United Nations, the committee on the rights of the child
has no power to enforce, even if it is aware that serious abuse is taking place.

Instead, the committee operates on a recommendation basis: where it has
concerns, or feels that change is needed, it offers advice.



Campaigners for abuse victims, Milwaukee, USA Campaigners for abuse victims
have been demanding greater accountability from the Vatican
While this may sound like a rather ineffective way of doing things, Kirsten Sandberg
points out that many countries have implemented committee recommendations,
from ensuring all children are registered at birth (crucial in later life to ensure a
place in school, or access to health care), to focussing on the rights of girls to
education, to raising the age of criminal responsibility, and introducing child friendly courts and legal services.

She also believes that the UN committee hearings, which are public, and are
webcast, are a powerful spotlight on countries which neglect children's rights, in
particular if they fail to act on the committee's advice.

"If time after time they come back and haven't done what we've told them of
course it will give a bad impression with the public," she explains. "I think that has
an effect."

Pam Spees agrees, pointing out that now that the UN Committee on the Rights of
the Child has summoned the Vatican, other UN committees are taking a closer look
too. On the grounds that rape and sexual violence constitute cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment, the Vatican has been asked to appear before the UN Committee on Torture later this year.

"Up to now the Vatican hasn't had to answer to an international body in a formal
setting'" she said.

"So the fact that this issue is being taken seriously is momentous."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25742217


===================================================
Related...




24 August 2013 Last updated at 12:17



Cardinal Keith O'Brien 'blocked church sex abuse report', says archbishopCardinal
Keith O'Brien Cardinal Keith O'Brien was President of the Conference of Scottish
Bishops


Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
Cardinal O'Brien 'did a lot of good'
Bishop Joseph Devine to step down
Disgraced cardinal to leave Scotland

The former archbishop of Glasgow has said Cardinal Keith O'Brien blocked a report
into sex abuse in the church.Writing to the Tablet, Emeritus Archbishop of Glasgow
Mario Conti said Cardinal O'Brien, who has admitted sexual misconduct with other
priests, prevented the investigation.

Other Scottish bishops had agreed the inquiry should go ahead.

However, the Catholic paper's deputy editor said the church should have proceeded
with an audit anyway.

Elena Curtis said: "Cardinal O'Brien was one bishop and there would have been no
reason why the other bishops couldn't have proceeded with an independent audit
without him."

'Low credibility'

Alan Draper, an academic who was appointed in mid-1990s to advise the Church on
sexual abuse and how to respond to it, said he was surprised by Archbishop Conti's
claims.

"What does that tell you about the other bishops? Where is their personal integrity?

"Were they not prepared to say 'the survivors and victims are demanding these
sorts of reviews', we're going ahead with it?

"Until they do that, they'll continue to have very low credibility among the laity."

The Catholic Church has said an audit of abuse cases in the past six years is to be
published soon, and that it will engage in any process which allows "lessons to be
learned".

Archbishop Conti told the Catholic paper he was confident the percentage of priests
involved in abuse was small.

Commenting on the continuing investigation into allegations of sexual and physical
abuse at Fort Augustus School, Archbishop Conti said he would have alerted the
proper authorities if the allegations had been made to him while he was Bishop of
Aberdeen.

He held that post from 1977 to 2002.

Meanwhile a senior Liberal Democrat peer has called for an independent inquiry into
allegations of abuse at Fort Augustus Abbey School. Lord Carlile also called for
prosecutions to be considered.

Safeguarding

Archbishop Conti, in his letter to the Tablet, said: "It was the intention of all but
one member of the bishops' conference to commission an independent examination
of the historical cases we had on file in all of our respective dioceses and publish
the results but this was delayed by the objection of the then-President of the
Conference; without full participation of all the dioceses the exercise would have
been faulty."

He pointed out that historical cases are now being examined, adding: "I understand
that in the light of the criticisms the Church has been facing, these audits will now
be published.

"I think they will go some way towards confirming Bishop Joseph Devine of
Motherwell's remarks that the percentage of priests involved in abuse is 'tiny', and
in demonstrating the seriousness and competence with which the Church in
Scotland has been dealing with safeguarding in all its implications for many years."

Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote
Without the participation of all the dioceses a 'National Audit' was not possible so the analysis was stopped”
End Quote
Catholic Church statement

Archbishop Conti's letter also addresses allegations of abuse at the Benedictine
school at Fort Augustus.

He said the school was not "under the jurisdiction" of the church in Scotland
because of its position as a Benedictine community.

He insisted, however, that this would not have prevented him from acting if the
allegations had been brought to him as the senior church figure in the area.

Archbishop Conti added: "If any of these allegations had been made to me while I
was Bishop of Aberdeen from 1977 to 2002, I would have alerted the proper
authorities to them."

A statement from the Catholic Church in Scotland said: "Archbishop Conti's letter
refers to a decision taken in 2011 by the Bishops' Conference of Scotland to
commission an independent academic analysis of statistics relating to abuse and
allegations of abuse over a 60 year period from 1952 to 2012.

"This project, with the cooperation of each of the eight dioceses in Scotland, started
and ran until 2012, at which time, the then President of the Conference, Cardinal
Keith O'Brien, withdrew from the project.

"Without the participation of all the dioceses a 'National Audit' was not possible so
the analysis was stopped."

Pointing out that the Bishops' Conference decided in 2013 to publish audits by the
National Safeguarding Office, it added: "The Church remains willing to engage in
any process which allows lessons to be learned and survivors to be supported."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-23807189

[Snookie]

I would put money on it that the numbers being given of children that are/were abused are severely under reported.

[christian]

Is this a developing trend or the attempt to steal the thunder of critics who want to expose even bigger crimes?

[Cidersomerset]

Is this a developing trend or the attempt to steal the thunder of critics who want to expose even bigger crimes?

Like all these revelations the PR men/woman step in for damage limitation, especially in the mainstream...






===================================================



FAITH WORLD...

Vatican says sex abuser bishop leaves Belgium for undisclosed destination





Tom Heneghan

Apr 10, 2011 17:26 UTC

http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/tag/scandal/

[Snookie]

The practice of the RC church when I was growing up was to ship a priest to another diocese whenever there were complaints about him molesting children. Sweep the problem under the carpet.

I know the MSM is trying to make pope Francis look like a humble man of the people, but I don't buy it for a second. Actions speak louder than words, and all I see are a bunch of BS promises coming from him.

[Tesla_WTC_Solution]

Maybe if they let women teach the kids more, etc., this stuff wouldn't happen -- oh wait, that's just feminism talking right?



Notice how some of the priests sought out the same victim to rape over and over and over. (Is it the victim's fault when the victim is only an innocent little boy?)

You guys might want to read about the orphanages for the deaf and the cases that occurred there.

I really respect priests and nuns in general for what they give up,
but they should soul search and ask themselves, did God ask for that or did people?

[WhiteFeather]

Cardinal Dolan located here in NYC makes my spidey senses tingle. I get that vibe when i look at him. I could be wrong. But i dont think i am.

[Tesla_WTC_Solution]

Posted by WhiteFeather (here)
Cardinal Dolan located here in NYC makes my spidey senses tingle. I get that vibe when i look at him. I could be wrong. But i dont think i am.

Hm. There is something you should see.



lol

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=fyYCxz_Ao5g

/wink!

[Mandala]

Thanks, freaking scary report. All in the name of religion.

[Mulder]

Concerning all the floods and storms happening after gay marriage - weren't there floods and worse weather before gay marriage too? For example, 1987 storms.