About Those 400 Defrocked Pedophile Priests: Where Are They Now?

All Voices
January 24, 2014

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/16400809-about-those-400-defrocked-pedophile-priests-where-are-they-now-video

Pope Francis has captured the world’s attention with his new—or as some might call it, radical—style of leadership.

Yes, it is a refreshing change to see the head of the Roman Catholic Church speak on issues and do things never done before. The pontiff has been so radical that some religious conservatives have taken offense to some of his teachings—especially his scathing criticism of poverty, inequality and capitalism.

But the biggest albatross around the church’s neck is still a pressing issue that needs massive overhauling and an aggressive plan of action.

Reports credit the prior pope, Benedict XVI, for defrocking 400 priests over a two-year period between 2011 and 2012 for child sex abuse allegations, and though this is a marked improvement compared to previous inaction, the church does not go nearly far enough.

Where are those priests now—are they living as your neighbor?

For quietly banishing sex offenders by removing their “holy robes” is equivalent to kicking the bucket down the road. The sickness was removed from the church but these men are still out there where they can still hurt children.

Were any of these alleged child rapists prosecuted by the law? The documents obtained only recently were not made public and the identities of these child sex predators are unknown.

Moreover, the church has reports on more than 4,000 child sex abuse cases. We know there are more, for there are many that weren’t reported or covered up by archdioceses.

It is not enough to defrock sickness, for as much as the church wants to classify the raping of children as a sin, we are governed by laws, not religion. In our world, people who prey on children are held accountable—prosecuted and, if found guilty, punished by the laws of our justice system.

Last December, Pope Francis set up a Vatican child sex abuse task force, but that was two days after they refused to provide information to the United Nations on just how they were handling growing allegations.

Victims worldwide have cried out for justice for decades and last Thursday’s showdown with the U.N. in Geneva might finally force the Vatican to undertake the expansive reforms needed to bring about change, not just in Vatican City but worldwide.

Though advocates aren't holding their breath in anticipation, for they feel the Church’s response at the recent U.N. hearing was to defend their inaction.

After coming under a blistering attack for their abysmal record on child abuse, the Holy See insisted the Vatican had little jurisdiction globally and that it was up to local law enforcement in those countries.

But the officials did not let the church off the hook that easily and felt that the Vatican failed to abide by the terms of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, which stipulates the safety of children should surpass all else.

The Holy See was sharply criticized for covering up widespread child sexual abuse to protect the reputation of the church instead of putting the well-being of the young victims first.

"The Holy See gets it," monsignor Charles Scicluna, the Vatican's former sex crimes prosecutor, told the. committee. "Let's not say too late or not. But there are certain things that need to be done differently."

But do they really get it, as monsignor Scicluna said?

Barbara Blaine, president of the Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), doesn’t think so and called the Vatican's responses to their first public hearing, "more of the same."

I would like to see Pope Francis go beyond defrocking priests as his predecessor did. Victims worldwide want strict directives from the church subjecting priests who rape children to the same laws as any other pedophiles. Hand them over for prosecution.

There is and should never be any gray area or middle ground when it comes to raping children, and that includes no exemption for churches.

According to an AP Review, the Roman Catholic Church has gone through some changes since 2001. Bishops were ordered to send credible cases of child abuse allegations to the Vatican for review, but the old rule exists. Archdioceses usually followed that unspoken rule of shuffling pedophile priests from parish to parish or exported them to other countries.

Impoverished parts of the world became a haven for child molesters hiding behind the folds of the church. I can personally attest to that, for some of them came to the small Caribbean island where I grew up.

The exact number of victims left in the wake of the church’s inaction over decades is unknown, but one thing we do know: It is past time for some solid solutions and accountability by the Roman Catholic Church.