BishopAccountability.org
	Vatican Toots Its Own Horn! By Debby Bodkin OpEd News September 27, 2008 http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=9692 Wall Street and the U.S. economy is crumbling and the Vatican toots its own horn about financial investment success! What is wrong with this picture? :::::::: In response to "The Vatican's Midas Touch" at http://blog.beliefnet.com/pontifications/2008/09/the-vaticans-midas-touch.html, as a Catholic wife, mother and United States citizen, still struggling with the truths revealed since the clergy sex abuse crisis erupted in 2002, the Vatican's arrogance is just a bit too much to ignore. The Vatican toots its own horn for financial success while the United States economy crumbles before our eyes. Thoughts... 1. The Vatican was granted immunity by President Bush in 2005, for approximately 100,000 sex crimes committed against children in the United States ("Deliver Us From Evil" documentary). In addition, the Catholic Church and other religious institutions continue to plead in criminal and civil courts of law throughout the U.S. that freedom of religion privilege and tax exempt status, is a free pass to sexually abuse children and adults, without financial and moral accountability to socieity. 2. While the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Dioceses and other religious institutions throughout the United States benefit and enjoy their guaranteed TAX EXEMPT status, hundreds of thousands of children, adults and families require government sponsored healthcare, counseling, disability and unemployment insurance to survive the life-long effects that follow any type of sex abuse. In addition, one has to wonder how much of our government tax dollars are spent in prosecuting and incarcerating sexual predators who were also sexually abused as children. To Pope Benedict, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, religious and legal advisors in the greatest country in the world -- the United States of America: You enjoy TAX EXEMPT status, while turning your backs on victims of sex abuse crimes committed by individuals under your supervision and employment. Your attorneys continue to abuse the judicial process to fight financial accountability and corrective legislation desperately needed because of the heinous sex crimes that destroyed the lives of children, adults and families for decades. And now, while Wall Street and our economy is on the verge of crumbling, the Vatican Toots Its Own Horn about financial investment success. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU! Is anyone paying attention? If so, please speak up! Without justice, there will never be peace. Without peace, faith and our country's laws are empty. As an amateur writer, mother, wife and legal secretary for the past 25 years, my passion for the courage of clergy sex abuse victims, their families and mandated reporters, who made a choice to protect children, before their own career security and ego, has evolved over the past 5 years. My husband, Michael, is a former Catholic high school teacher and coach, who was forced to make a career change without due process of the law. He will soon complete his Masters Degree in Special Education, his new-found passion. Our children, Nicole, Rachel, Brent and Laurel are a gift to us and all who meet them. We pray our children and the world's children will witness society correcting the wrongs committed against innocent children and families. Without justice, there will never be peace; without peace, faith and our country's laws are empty.
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