mark61
26-03-10, 10:53
The Vatican has attacked the media over charges that the Pope failed to act against a US priest accused of abusing up to 200 deaf boys two decades ago.
A Vatican newspaper editorial said the claims were an "ignoble" attack on the Pope and that there was no "cover-up".
Archbishops had complained about Fr Lawrence Murphy in 1996 to a Vatican office led by the future pope, but apparently received no response.
One victim told the BBC the Pope had known of a cover-up "for many years".
Arthur Budzinski, now 61, said Pope Benedict XVI should confess about what he knew.
The Catholic Church has been plagued in recent months by abuse cover-up claims in Europe, echoing paedophilia scandals that rocked the institution in America eight years ago.
Fr Murphy is suspected of abusing some 200 boys at St John's School for the Deaf in St Francis, Wisconsin, between 1950 and 1974.
According to Church documents, an archbishop wrote in 1996 to a Vatican morals watchdog led by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope, to complain about Fr Murphy.
A canonical trial was authorised by the future pope's deputy, but was later halted, despite objections from a second archbishop.
Fr Murphy had written to Cardinal Ratzinger saying he was ill and wanted to live out his life in the "dignity of my priesthood".
The Pope's official spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said the Murphy case had only reached the Vatican in 1996 - two decades after the Milwaukee diocese in Wisconsin first learned of the allegations, and two years before the priest died.
The diocese had been asked to take action by "restricting Father Murphy's public ministry and requiring that Father Murphy accept full responsibility for the gravity of his acts", the Rev Lombardi said.
"Father Murphy died approximately four months later, without further incident," said Fr Lombardi's statement," the statement said.
The papal spokesman also noted that police at the time investigated the allegations, but did not bring charges.
A strongly worded Vatican newspaper editorial said there was "no cover-up" over the case, which was reported in Thursday's edition of the New York Times.
L'Osservatore Romano labelled the allegations "clearly an ignoble attempt to strike at Pope Benedict and his closest aides at any cost".
Meanwhile, one of the Pope's top aides, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, told reporters there was "a conspiracy" against the Church, without specifying who was responsible.
The Pope was also supported in the UK by the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, who said the then Cardinal Ratzinger had not been an "idle observer" in the case.
Writing in the Times, the Archbishop also said the Pope had introduced changes into Church law to protect children.
The BBC's Robert Pigott in Milwaukee says the US case is particularly shocking, not only because the priest abused boys but because he was allowed to go on to another diocese where he had access to children all over again.
Our correspondent says that although there is no direct evidence against the then Cardinal Ratzinger, this is an uncomfortable confluence of events for the Vatican. This is a case of concealment, he says, and that is where the Pope will have a case to answer.
Ireland letter
Fr Murphy - who admitted abusing boys before he died in 1998 - is said to have targeted victims in their dormitory beds, on school trips and even at confession.
Fr Lawrence Murphy died in 1998 with no official blemish on his record
Lawsuits have been filed on behalf of five men alleging the Archdiocese of Milwaukee did not take sufficient action against the priest.
Meanwhile, members of a group of clerical abuse victims who were holding a news conference outside the Vatican to denounce Pope Benedict's handling of the case were briefly detained by Italian police for not having a permit.
Last week the Pope issued an unprecedented letter to Ireland addressing the 16 years of clerical cover-up scandals.
He has yet to comment on his handling of a child sex abuse case involving a German priest, which developed while Benedict was overseeing the Munich archdiocese.
The Rev Peter Hullermann had been accused of abusing boys when the now Pope approved his 1980 transfer to Munich to receive psychological treatment for paedophilia.
The disgraced priest was convicted in 1986 of abusing a youth, but stayed within the Church for another two decades.
Ongehoorde varkens. Niet alleen ontkennen, en niet uitleggen waarom ze NIETS deden, nee, 'tis een samenzwering'.
Werkelijk ongelooflijk, een criminele organisatie die zijn functionarissen zware misdaden laat plegen, ze laat onderduiken voor justitie, blijkbaar boven de wet verheven is, dan het gore lef heeft te beweren dat er een 'samenzwering' tegen hen is :kotsen:
En niemand in de wereld die er wat van zegt of er wat aan doet. Het hele zooitje had allang gearresteerd moeten zijn, inclusief de paus.
En dan maar hels verontwaardigd doen over indviduele pedofielen.
Ik heb één advies voor pedo's: word priester, dan kom je weg met moord.
A Vatican newspaper editorial said the claims were an "ignoble" attack on the Pope and that there was no "cover-up".
Archbishops had complained about Fr Lawrence Murphy in 1996 to a Vatican office led by the future pope, but apparently received no response.
One victim told the BBC the Pope had known of a cover-up "for many years".
Arthur Budzinski, now 61, said Pope Benedict XVI should confess about what he knew.
The Catholic Church has been plagued in recent months by abuse cover-up claims in Europe, echoing paedophilia scandals that rocked the institution in America eight years ago.
Fr Murphy is suspected of abusing some 200 boys at St John's School for the Deaf in St Francis, Wisconsin, between 1950 and 1974.
According to Church documents, an archbishop wrote in 1996 to a Vatican morals watchdog led by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope, to complain about Fr Murphy.
A canonical trial was authorised by the future pope's deputy, but was later halted, despite objections from a second archbishop.
Fr Murphy had written to Cardinal Ratzinger saying he was ill and wanted to live out his life in the "dignity of my priesthood".
The Pope's official spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said the Murphy case had only reached the Vatican in 1996 - two decades after the Milwaukee diocese in Wisconsin first learned of the allegations, and two years before the priest died.
The diocese had been asked to take action by "restricting Father Murphy's public ministry and requiring that Father Murphy accept full responsibility for the gravity of his acts", the Rev Lombardi said.
"Father Murphy died approximately four months later, without further incident," said Fr Lombardi's statement," the statement said.
The papal spokesman also noted that police at the time investigated the allegations, but did not bring charges.
A strongly worded Vatican newspaper editorial said there was "no cover-up" over the case, which was reported in Thursday's edition of the New York Times.
L'Osservatore Romano labelled the allegations "clearly an ignoble attempt to strike at Pope Benedict and his closest aides at any cost".
Meanwhile, one of the Pope's top aides, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, told reporters there was "a conspiracy" against the Church, without specifying who was responsible.
The Pope was also supported in the UK by the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, who said the then Cardinal Ratzinger had not been an "idle observer" in the case.
Writing in the Times, the Archbishop also said the Pope had introduced changes into Church law to protect children.
The BBC's Robert Pigott in Milwaukee says the US case is particularly shocking, not only because the priest abused boys but because he was allowed to go on to another diocese where he had access to children all over again.
Our correspondent says that although there is no direct evidence against the then Cardinal Ratzinger, this is an uncomfortable confluence of events for the Vatican. This is a case of concealment, he says, and that is where the Pope will have a case to answer.
Ireland letter
Fr Murphy - who admitted abusing boys before he died in 1998 - is said to have targeted victims in their dormitory beds, on school trips and even at confession.
Fr Lawrence Murphy died in 1998 with no official blemish on his record
Lawsuits have been filed on behalf of five men alleging the Archdiocese of Milwaukee did not take sufficient action against the priest.
Meanwhile, members of a group of clerical abuse victims who were holding a news conference outside the Vatican to denounce Pope Benedict's handling of the case were briefly detained by Italian police for not having a permit.
Last week the Pope issued an unprecedented letter to Ireland addressing the 16 years of clerical cover-up scandals.
He has yet to comment on his handling of a child sex abuse case involving a German priest, which developed while Benedict was overseeing the Munich archdiocese.
The Rev Peter Hullermann had been accused of abusing boys when the now Pope approved his 1980 transfer to Munich to receive psychological treatment for paedophilia.
The disgraced priest was convicted in 1986 of abusing a youth, but stayed within the Church for another two decades.
Ongehoorde varkens. Niet alleen ontkennen, en niet uitleggen waarom ze NIETS deden, nee, 'tis een samenzwering'.
Werkelijk ongelooflijk, een criminele organisatie die zijn functionarissen zware misdaden laat plegen, ze laat onderduiken voor justitie, blijkbaar boven de wet verheven is, dan het gore lef heeft te beweren dat er een 'samenzwering' tegen hen is :kotsen:
En niemand in de wereld die er wat van zegt of er wat aan doet. Het hele zooitje had allang gearresteerd moeten zijn, inclusief de paus.
En dan maar hels verontwaardigd doen over indviduele pedofielen.
Ik heb één advies voor pedo's: word priester, dan kom je weg met moord.