By Moises Mendoza
Houston Chronicle
April 2, 2010
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6942152.html
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| Galveston-Houston Archbishop Cardinal Daniel DiNardo criticizes the media over reporting of the church sex abuse scandal. |
Archbishop strongly defends Benedict's handling of sex abuse scandal
Galveston-Houston Archbishop Cardinal Daniel DiNardo is making his position on the scandal brewing in the Roman Catholic Church abundantly clear: He strongly supports the pope.
As the church celebrates Easter, it labors under one of the darkest clouds over it in recent memory. Pope Benedict XVI, who once headed the church agency responsible for defrocking priests, has come under fire recently because his agency didn't defrock a Wisconsin priest who sexually abused children decades ago. He has also been criticized for his handling of European sex abuse cases when he was known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
Now, top Catholic officials are on the offensive, attacking media outlets for allegedly sensationalizing the accusations and reporting what the Vatican has called inaccurate information.
Count DiNardo among those who are upset. In a strongly worded written statement released late this week, DiNardo defended Benedict, saying “recent headlines insinuating inaction or culpability by Pope Benedict XVI regarding the crisis are unfair or inaccurate. Any innuendo that he has not tried to tackle cases of sexual abuse by clergy is misleading and harmful to the church.”
Last Tuesday DiNardo mentioned the crisis briefly during a sermon, but he is unlikely to discuss it during his Easter homily on Sunday, said Archdiocese spokeswoman Jenny Faber.
“He felt it was important to make the statement,” Faber said. “He wanted to state clearly that the pope has taken significant actions.”
DiNardo's words are meaningful because the cardinal is a leading church figure in North America and also plays a key role in the church's anti-abortion efforts.
There are fewer than 200 cardinals worldwide and they are just a step under the pope.
DiNardo is only following the lead of other Catholic officials at the highest levels of the church.
New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan defended the pope from the pulpit from “unjust accusations” during a Palm Sunday service. This week, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops expressed concern for victims of sex abuse but also wrote, “We know from our experience how Pope Benedict is deeply concerned for those who have been harmed by sexual abuse.”
In a ratcheting up of tension, a priest at the Vatican on Good Friday compared attacks against Benedict to anti-Semitism, although the church later downplayed the reference.
In Houston, at least one local priest appears to have followed DiNardo's lead in defending church leadership.
As he prepared for ceremonies surrounding Good Friday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in southwest Houston, Monsignor Bill Young said it's been easy to speak to his flock about the issue, although he won't be discussing it on Easter Sunday.
“What you're seeing in the news reports is, they're just speaking without the facts,” Young said. “For us, the Holy Father is an endearing person and when people you know are attacked unjustly, there is a natural desire to stand up for the ones you love.”
Contact: moises.mendoza@chron.com
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