December 19, 2005

Brazilian Cardinal Assails Sex-Abuse Report

BRAZIL
Zenit

BRASILIA, Brazil, DEC. 18, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The president of the Brazilian bishops' conference assailed as groundless a magazine report that claims 1,700 priests in the country are involved in sexual abuse.

Cardinal Geraldo Majilla Agnello, archbishop of San Salvador of Bahia, criticized the report that appeared in ISTOÉ. Details of the magazine report receive worldwide press attention.

"This grave declaration which is published as something proven is a calumnious declaration, which moreover lacks any solid base," said the prelate.

In a letter to the editor of the magazine, the cardinal said: "Could it be that the magazine and/or the author of the report don't know what a 'sexual crime' is, and that it is a legal figure predicted by the legal code? To declare in a magazine such as ISTOÉ that 10% of the Catholic clergy of Brazil is involved in 'sexual crimes,' without rightful proof, is a crime substantiated by the laws of the country

Posted by kshaw at December 19, 2005 06:06 AM