Patron Saints of the Holy Cover Up.

skipshea
April 26, 2014

http://skipshea.wordpress.com/2014/04/26/patron-saints-of-the-holy-cover-up/

This weekend Pope Francis will canonize two previous Pope’s as saints. John XXIII and John Paul II. John XXIII will become a saint even though his second miracle has not yet been verified. When you’re a pope, isn’t one enough?

John Paul II is also getting fast tracked with the five year waiting period waived by Pope Benedict XVI because… Well, I don’t honestly know why. JPII is dead. He isn’t going anywhere soon.

Or maybe Benedict and Francis wanted to dictate how history will see the man. As Pope for 27 years he was beloved by many. Except Sinead O’Connor. Maybe she was on to something.

During his 27 year tenure, the Catholic Church sexual abuse of children scandal was exposed by the Boston Globe. After they read about it in the Boston Phoenix a year earlier.

How did the future Saint react? Well, he didn’t. Or almost didn’t.

Let’s back up to the other new saint, John XXIII. In 1962 a letter bearing his tamp went to every bishop in the world directing them to cover up clergy sexual abuse. I’m guessing that wasn’t the second miracle they were looking for.

Fast forward to 2001 when the then Cardinal Ratzinger sent a letter to every bishop in the world giving the similar instructions that John XXIII did in 1962. Ratzinger was then the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith – formerly known as the Inquisition – and only took orders and directives from one man. The other new Saint John Paul II.

Ratzinger was rewarded for his work by becoming Pope Benedict XVI. He’ll be at the ceremony this Sunday as these two new saints come marching in.

Why would people most responsible for the modern clergy sexual abuse scandal be rewarded by being canonized?

Maybe this is why Pope Francis requested forgiveness from abuse victims. Or maybe it was because he stonewalled and condemned one UN Committee investing the Vatican for the cover up. Or maybe as a preemptive strike before the Vatican is called before another UN committee. Or maybe it’s because of the Italian Bishop’s Council stating that they have no juridical obligation to report “illegal doings” to the state. Francis inaction seems to make me believe he agrees.

All of the above?

With everything that Pope Francis and the Vatican are doing in plain sight it’s obvious that nothing has changed. Children will continue to be abused. The Church will continue to cover it up.

And now they have to patron saints to pray to while they commit these crimes.

In the meantime, I’ll be over here with Sinead.