BishopAccountability.org
	Laicizing Bishops, a Movie Flap, Ireland and America, and Vatican II By John L Allen Jr National Catholic Reporter April 21, 2011 http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AbuseTracker/Laicizing%20bishops,%20a%20movie%20flap,%20Ireland%20and%20America,%20and%20Vatican%20II On any list of storylines the Vatican would not have wanted to see in the run-up to Easter, not to mention the looming beatification of John Paul II on May 1, the case of Belgian Bishop Roger Vangheluwe would have to finish pretty much at the top. Just when you think the sexual abuse crisis can't become any more appalling, or surreal, along comes Vangheluwe to prove that it can. Last year, Vangheluwe resigned as the bishop of Bruges after admitting he had repeatedly abused a nephew for 13 years, beginning when Vangheluwe was a priest and continuing while he was a bishop. On April 12, the Vatican announced that Vangheluwe has been barred from any public exercise of ministry and was to leave Belgium for treatment while the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reviews his case. The clear intent was that Vangheluwe, 74, would stay out of sight while the Vatican figured out what to do. Instead, Vangheluwe went on Flemish TV on April 14 and proceeded to make things significantly worse. Among other points, he admitted to abusing a second nephew, denied being a pedophile, claimed that his victims had not objected, and called his behavior "a little piece of intimacy" rather than "abuse or physical violence." Those comments brought calls from senior Belgian politicians, and even from several Belgian bishops, for swift punishment by Rome. ... On background, Vatican officials say they're following events in Belgium carefully, and they're aware of the damage the Vangheluwe interview has done. In fact, they say, the interview was so bizarre that it raises questions about Vangheluwe's mental stability and his grasp of his situation. On that basis, they say, a period of monitoring and evaluation has to unfold before a final decision can be reached, away from the pressure created by intense media attention. Bottom line: We may be talking months, not days, before a final decision comes.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.