BishopAccountability.org
	Our Views: Pope Mixes Messages The Advocate April 22, 2008 http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/17993964.html Pope Benedict XVI, three years into his papacy, acknowledged the 6-year-old scandal of pedophilia in the priesthood. While the pope expressed shame regarding priests who sexually abused children, he was more charitable toward church officials who failed to protect children. The scandal involves shocking accusations that thousands of predatory priests committed sex crimes against thousands of children between 1950 and 2002. It would have been difficult to visit this country without mentioning a scandal of such proportions. The scandal also involves accusations that members of the church hierarchy allowed priests to molest children with virtual impunity. We think many people will question whether the pope adequately addressed that issue. The scandal has angered the church faithful, bankrupted several dioceses and otherwise damaged the American church. Not surprisingly, victims' advocates and critics of priests, bishops and the pope say words are an insufficient response. They want action, not only against priests accused of abusing minors but also against bishops accused of committing, ignoring or covering up sexual abuse of minors. Action against abusive priests might be on the horizon. Action regarding bishops seems less likely. The New York Times quoted the pontiff as saying pedophiles cannot be priests. "And we would absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry," he said. There has been speculation that the pope might be laying the groundwork to put such an exclusion into canon law, which already says men who commit certain other acts cannot become or remain priests. The New York Times reported Saturday that Cardinal William J. Levada, a Vatican official, said Friday that the church is considering changing church law applying to handling of child sexual abuse cases. Though he would not specify which canons might be changed, he suggested they relate to the church's statute of limitations. The Times reported Nicholas P. Cafardi, a civil and canon lawyer and former law school dean, as saying that threshold is now 10 years after the victim's 18th birthday. Levada said his office, which rules on sexual abuse cases forwarded to Rome by bishops, frequently must deal with allegations years after the fact because victims don't come forward until they are older and more mature. In some cases, there have been exceptions to the 10-year limitation, he said. Victims' advocates and critics of the church have called for punishment of bishops accused of abusing minors or of protecting priests who abused minors. Punishment of bishops seems unlikely in light of remarks by the pope, Levada and Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the U.S. Conference of Bishops. In what critics might consider understatement, George told U.S. bishops Wednesday that the sexual abuse scandal was "sometimes very badly handled by bishops. " The pope echoed the cardinal, saying, "It was sometimes very badly handled." Saturday's New York Times reported remarks by Levada that seem to counter critics who accuse bishops of protecting and covering up for pedophile priests. "I personally do not accept that there is a broad base of bishops who are guilty of aiding and abetting pedophiles, and if I thought there were, or knew of them, I would certainly talk to the pope about what could be done about it," Levada said. The pope deserves credit for responding to victims of priests who used their positions to commit monstrous crimes against children. We hope in the future he will speak more forcefully about members of the church hierarcy who failed to protect children.
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