BishopAccountability.org
	NSAC to Vatican and Bishop Cupich: Child Pornography Okay If the Child Is 14-18 Years of Age? By Kristine Ward NSAC July 16, 2010 http://www.nsacoalition.org/ The National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC) responded to Bishop Blase Cupich’s comments on new Vatican regulations regarding the crime of child pornography and priests by asking if Bishop Cupich believes that “child pornography is a degradation of any child of God” why Pope Benedict and the Vatican have limited this section of the new norms to ” images of minors under the age of 14? and the US Bishops haven’t objected? Bishop Cupich is the chair of the US Bishops Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People. He is the Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota and the Bishop of Bishop-designate of Spokane, Washington. Because the pornography and priests issue was included in the Vatican document regarding extension of statute of limitations regarding sexual abuse by priests the impression is left that the Vatican is using the “under age 18? description of a minor for the pornography and priests reference as it does in the statute of limitations extension section. Neither the Vatican nor Bishop Cupich have chosen to emphasize the “under the age of 14? description of a child in the pornography section letting the false impression stand. It is yet another example of the disconnect between the hierarchy and the faithful. It is especially troubling because Bishop Cupich is the Chair of the US Bishops Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People. Ask any parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle and they will tell you that a child is not an adult at the age of 13 (under the age of 14, Vatican norms). NSAC is a volunteer organization of practicing Catholics and men and women of goodwill working to educate and reform the Church and society about sexual abuse and its consequences.
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