Updated: Pope 'deeply moved' in meeting with abuse victims

Charles Alamango

Apr 20th 2010, 15:14

The pope has been reported by the Vatican as saying that: The church was doing and would continue to do all in it's power to investigate such allegations and to bring to justice those responsible for abuse. I sincerely hope that these are not just empty words to calm the terrible situation the church is in. My only question to the Vatican is to clarify to what IT means exactly to investigate and bring to justice those responsible - WHY ARE NOT THESE PERPETRATORS HANDED OVER TO THE POLICE TO BE INVESTIGATED AND BROUGHT TO JUSTICE IF FOUND GUILTY or is the Vatican saying that the perpetrators are being investigated and brought to justice by the soft hand of the church as usual??

Victor Vella

Apr 19th 2010, 21:27

It is the time that both the church and the state legislate laws relating the sexual abuses committed by priests to children. Such laws have to be retroactive to when such offences are alleged to be committed. Those who committed such acts have to be dispensed from the church while the rule of law be restored to prison the alleged criminals. While as Christians we are obliged to pray for the offendors we have to show solidarity and pray for those who suffered such allegations. We all have to settle our accounts with God when time comes. Let us pin our hopes to God and accept the fact that the church like other institution is made up of human beings with all the good and bad that humans are made of. Let the church organise days of penenace and offer prayers for both the offendors and offended and their families. God died on the cross for everybody to redeem us from our sins.

J Fenech

Apr 19th 2010, 16:34

@caruana a "slightly" less unbiased study; http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/HTML/facts_molestation.html

charles caruana

Apr 19th 2010, 15:15

@david caruana
'I really doubt the genuinity of the Pope's feelings in this story.'

Who do you think you are to doubt the 'genuinity' of the Pope's feelings? Do you have some mystical gift like the reading of hearts that Padre Pio was given?

As for your claim that there is no 'scientific proof ' of the link between homosexuality and paedophilia, especially as it refers to priesty abuse, have a look at this site:

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal_bertone_correct_in_linking_clerical_sex_abuse_and_homosexuality_says_psychiatrist/

martha kane

Apr 19th 2010, 14:00

.Saturday dawned with me feeling at best ''indifferent'' to the visit of his holiness , quite unlike the time of Pope John Paul . Sunday found me studying this pope's every move on TV trying to find something that would justify my unacceptance of him as the leader of ''my'' faith .
All I could see was an old and tired man weighed down by the sorrow and guilt of sins that are not his own, but for which he must carry the blame and the shame because it is he that we hold responsible for the suffering of so many abused children . I found myself comparing him to a mother who must take the heart wrenching decision on who to save and who to abandon when both her children are drowning knowing that she loves them both equally ,and I felt compassion for this man who must now take some serious decisions .My thoughts went to the words of Christ '' he who is without sin let him cast the first stone''. And Whist still expecting justice to be done, I will abstain from throwing my stones but will keep them as a reminder of my own transgressions.

David Caruana

Apr 19th 2010, 13:06

I really doubt the genuinity of the Pope's feelings in this story. How can he be 'deeply moved' and at the same time have someone like Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone accompany him even on this visit?

"Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state, sparked a furore when he said on Monday that homosexuality, not celibacy among the clergy, was at fault for the child abuse crisis engulfing the Catholic Church."

For a person of authority like Cardinal Bertone, it is criminal to take the "heat" off the Church's child abuse cases and dumping them on a section of our society, especially when there is scientific proof that paedophilia has no link to homosexuality.

Carmen Mizzi

Apr 19th 2010, 13:03

I believe that quite a number of individuals, living in tormenting secrets of abuse; consider the Pope’s noble gesture of meeting with those eight brave men, a consolation, and solace to their hurts. I am glad that the Vicar of Christ has acted as Christ would have acted. What I long for is that Bishop Cremona’s vision of a Church going back to its basics and discard its superfluous power and privileges, would be lived out by all members of the Church, beginning with the Curia, Religious institutions, and every individual Catholic.

Sean Grima

Apr 19th 2010, 08:30

i did not say that abuse is rare, but that, in this case, it is only alleged (i.e. not yet proven in court).

John O Scerri

Apr 19th 2010, 08:20

I watched Mediaset news yesterday .
From all the Pope's visit the only news item the Italian TV Canale 5 took as worth mentioning was the meeting with abuse victims and that's all.
Had there not been such a meeting I suppose Canale 5 would not have mentioned anything .


Real cheap news.

'Striscia la notizia'..... is better.

Brian Muscat

Apr 19th 2010, 02:14

Grazzi mill qalb talli gejt gewwa pajjizna ghaziz Papa. Grazzi talli urejtna is support tieghek bhala mexxej tal Knisja Kattolika. Grazzi talli nzilt ghal livell taghna ilkoll. Grazzi hafna talli sibt il hin biex tmur tisma il wega ta min kien abbuzat, ghadirthom u offrejtilom l ghajnuna tieghek. Grazzi Kattolici Maltin li mortu bi hgarkom ghal Quddies fuq il fossos u ghal eluf ta zaghzagh li konna gewwa il Waterfront nifirhu mal Papa. Grazzi li konna ta risposta qawwija ghal dawk li ma ridux li Papa Benedittu jigi Malta u risposta ghal min qieghed jikkritika lil Knisja billi urejna l imhabba taghna lejn il Mexxej tal Knisja.. Grazzi kbira ukoll liz zewg Isqfijiet tal genn li ghandna. Grazzi Mons Pawlu Cremona u Mario Grech. Jiena kburi li jien Malti u fuq kollox Nisrani Kattoliku. Brian zaghzugh Malti.

Lina Caruana

Apr 18th 2010, 21:58

I always had a deep admiration for the Church in the way that in its resilience and wisdom the right ways are always found in dealing with pain and sorrow in spite of clubbing and conflict mongering. The most important thing was the element of the suffering and not the staging of an injustice which was sorrowfully and apologetically acknowledged. This should serve as reflection for other wrong doings, not only the publicly discussed ones, which cannot be absolved in a different way other than being at peace with the Lord.

Michael Vella

Apr 18th 2010, 20:58

One must admire the Pope for setting up a meeting with these victims of sexual abuse. I am certain that this will go a long way in helping these men recover from what must have been a harrowing ordeal at the hands of the people they trusted the most.

I must say, that following his visit, i have nothing but admiration for Pope Benedict.

Well done to the President of Malta, the Prime Minister and all involved in making the Pope's visit to our small island possible.

C.Busuttil

Apr 18th 2010, 18:32

@James Brincat

Jidher li ma taf xejn fuq il-Papa meta kien Kardinal mid-dehra qatt ma qrajt xejn fuq il-passi li dejjem xtaq li jittiehdu kontra minn ghamel l-abbuzi, jidher li qrajt biss dak li xi whud iriedu bilfors niehdu bhala verita, biss hemm verita ohra u jekk trid din tista taqra fuqha f'dan il-link

http://blog.panorama.it/italia/2010/04/06/preti-pedofili-la-mano-leggera-di-wojtyla-il-pugno-duro-di-ratzinger/

D Vella

Apr 18th 2010, 18:05

Is now the right time to voice my wish that our Government listens to the people(read Valletta Gate development for one) just as the Church is trying to listen to it's ,for the most part,well meaning critics?.

Stephen Florian

Apr 18th 2010, 16:15

What we are seeing is the tip of the iceberg. There are surely many other cases which will pass undenounced. Many are the men and women of the habit who leave a lot to be desired in their behaviour, not only in this particular issue but in many other social spheres, but then they are not alone, some local political faces did not think twice before recieving the Host from the hads of His Holiness at the Floriana Granaries this morning, BUT make not the mistake of judging anyone for JUDGEMENT is the prerogative of GOD and GOD ALONE. Let us hope that what is happening, does not distort our visiion of the true Church of God. A church which does justice and homage to its Maker. Let us not be lost in futile and materilistic aspects of life as we are but passengers on this planet, soon to arrive to our destinaion, sometimes sooner than we think.

Frans Sammut

Apr 18th 2010, 16:13

I'm very happy to see that there might after all be a happy ending to this sordid affair. I have always nurtured a great respect for the present Pope. He impresses me a great deal more than his predecessor, but that's another story, quite irrelevant to the current problem that has apparently been smoothed out by this enlightened, though media-shy Pontiff.
I must admit I tend to feel greater affinity with personalities like his than Elvis Presley-like "super stars". Good for Pope Ratzinger to justify my feelings.

alex grech

Apr 18th 2010, 15:54

God works in mysterious ways , after all that hype (that was understandable form the eyes of the victims but not from the opportunist people who jump on every possible opportunity to put in bad light the pope) he has expressed his sufferings about the issue and has also humbled himself to ask forgiveness in the name of the priests who committed such crime. Now lets not turn this sad story into a money issues the healing is from with in the heart not from the pocket prosit for all those involved

Charles Caruana

Apr 18th 2010, 14:34

A Pope that we may had different doubts of but, what has happened today, has showed that He is a true Pope and very well deserved to be our Leader. Dear Pope thank you for accepted to visit our Blessed Country....please do come again. Whatever is sad, We Are Very Proud of You!!!

M Grima

Apr 18th 2010, 14:33

Can't help feeling that if the people involved and the extraordinary voices raised by people in the media,including this paper,none of this would have happened. Now it is time to hand over the abusers to the authorities for them to be tried and made to compensate the victims.It is hoped that the Church will make very suitable financial compensation to those abused now and in the future.

James Brincat

Apr 18th 2010, 14:30

A step in the right direction, however it remains a mere step in a long path, a bumpy path facing the Vatican ahead indeed. The big and core question on this saga remains: why Cardinal Ratzinger used his authority to covered up such abuses and filthy crimes for many decades? To protect guilty priests? To keep the image of the RCC in good shape? Is this the type of justice the Vatican promoting? Does the Vatican’s penal code provide immunity to criminals?
Crimes against humanity do not fade by time dear Pope.

J.Bonnici

Apr 18th 2010, 14:24

This meeting was far more important than all the other meetings put together.

Lydia Workman

Apr 18th 2010, 14:21

The pope has earned my admiration for deciding to meet with the victims, anything short of that meeting and his personal apology would have meant perpetuating the physical and emotional damage that these individuals have already suffered unjustifiably.

Dylan Olliver

Apr 18th 2010, 14:20

Well done your Holiness. And well one to the people of Malta for the wonderful welcome they have given the Pope and for the tens of thousands of people present this morning for the Papal Mass.

Joseph Grech

Apr 18th 2010, 14:19

I am personally sure that the Pope will be acting following this meeting.
If memory serves me right there were other very serious cases of child abuse that are said to have been perpetrated by some clerics.
Those responsible are still walking the streets...
Administration and Church need to correct this malaise to defend the vulnerable.

K.Anastasi

Apr 18th 2010, 14:17

A step in the right direction... now let the courts decide.

Jennifer Soames

Apr 18th 2010, 14:10

I hope these victims have now a little more peace in their hearts - they deserve it.

Sean Grima

Apr 18th 2010, 14:04

The Pope is to be admired for meeting them in spite of the fact that at this stage these are only allegations.