New Vatican rules ‘just words’

Joe Zammit

Jul 20th 2010, 22:13

The fact is that to date there is no Maltese paedophile Catholic priest. Of all those accused in the whole world there are only 300 alleged cases in the last 50 years. In the whole world there are over 400,000 Catholic priests. So those alleged amount only to about 0.075% of the whole priestly population.

Let us be mature and concentrate on the faithfulness, hard and beneficial work of our dearest Catholic priests! Let us pray for priests and for more priests!

Dr Francis Saliba

Jul 20th 2010, 21:14

@LouiseVella

The problem of sex child abuse should not be obsessively restricted to priests and the Church Response Team unless there is some hidden ulterior motive. Innocent children are entitled to protection from abuse by anybody and not only by wayward priests. The responsibility to protect them is not restricted either to the Church authorities or to the state police. It devolves on every individual member of society and all have the duty to invoke the assistance of both Church and State to tackle the problem in their own way. Deliberately refraining from reporting directly to the civil authorites even after the Church Response Team has so advised is highly suspicious and strongly suggestive of a desire to harm the Church rather than protecting children from sex abuse.

In spite of your pervasive anti-Church attitude you have never answered the query whether you did report any alleged crime to the police and if so with what result. I smell a rat.

Joe Zammit

Jul 20th 2010, 20:30

Throughout his pontificate, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has imparted a clear teaching regarding the sexual abuse cases in the Church, which is founded on the three clear principles of (1) helping the victims, (2) reestablishing truth and justice, and (3) making sure it doesn’t happen again.

Pray for priests and for more priests. God will never leave his one Church without holy priests.

Anna Fcik

Jul 20th 2010, 19:03

Louise Vella wrote: "The fact is that priest child rapists are loose in society, free to harm other children, and the bishops just wash their hands of the problem."
And: " I see no plan to ensure that children will be properly protected, and no assurance that those who rape and abuse will be reported to the civil authorities."
Well, don't put your money on civil authorities either. Convicted secular pedophiles are all around us. They just pay some money - not even off- puttingly high - to be let free to live in "house arrest" and still continue in their regular job; and they regular contact with the friends of their own or their mistress' kids.

Joseph Calleja

Jul 20th 2010, 18:50

" Mr Grech is one of eight men who claim to have been abused by members of the clergy while living at the St Joseph Home, Sta Venera, in the 1980s and 1990s." Mr Grech this is the year 2010 and you don't have to hide anymore. Remember you and the other seven boys were victims and are not responsible for what happened then. It seems like your case is going to drag on forever. You and the others need closure and unless you let it all out it will eat you up inside like a cancer. You have the media and the public on your side, TV, newspapers and most of all the internet. You can talk to other victims all over the world. I know about you because of the paper and the internet. Go on FACEBOOK and I am sure you can find friends there. The most important thing is to be able to talk about it with others. Have your own Blog if you want. You and the others are very brave people and have kept it all inside for too long, now it's time to let go, this is your chance. God Bless

Louise Vella

Jul 20th 2010, 18:17

Every true Christian should really concentrate less in defending priest child rapists and focus more on helping victims of pervert priests.

Victims of priest child rapists want concrete actions and not words. With or without the new rules, children are still very much at risk because of the cover-up of abusive priests by bishops. Cutting abusive priests loose by defrocking them, thus solving the Church’s internal problems, is simply not enough. The fact is that priest child rapists are loose in society, free to harm other children, and the bishops just wash their hands of the problem.

The new rules have yet to be followed up by meaningful reform including the disciplining of bishops who protected and covered up for evil priests and didn't give one thought to the violated children. The chief culprits are not priests, but bishops. Most priest child rapists would have stopped if bishops had not conspired with them and shielded them from prosecution.

Louise Vella

Jul 20th 2010, 17:54

I don't see in the new rules any commitment to stop the abuse of children by priests. I see no plan to ensure that children will be properly protected, and no assurance that those who rape and abuse will be reported to the civil authorities. The Church has badly let its flock down. The truth is the truth. What would Jesus do? Would he have covered up the rape of innocent children as the Church has done over the years? How many more innocent children need to be harmed before people see things for what they are? Child abuse is a crime. Covering up a crime is also a crime.

If a bishop takes seriously his ordination oath to shepherd the Lord's flock, he will always put the safety of children ahead of concerns about public scandal. Maltese parents need to know the names and locations of the priests who sexually abuse children, but the diocese keeps silent. We want our bishops to be completely transparent. The fact is that most abusers don't stop abusing; they'll just keep doing it until they're caught. Silence and secrets are the fuel of sexual abuse.

R.Borg

Jul 20th 2010, 17:54

Ma ninsewx:

1) iz-zejt xi darba jitla' f'wicc l-ilma;

2) id-dnub ma jorqodx;

3) 'dak li hu mohbi fid-dlam ghad johrog ghad-dawl';

4) min qieghed jiddefendi dawk it-tfal li qed jigu abbuzati sesswalment imbaghad jigu
trasmessi fuq l-internet u dawn ix-xeni dehlin fid-djar taghna;

Louise Vella

Jul 20th 2010, 17:42

Actions not policies and rules protect children. Fact is that the Church prizes secrecy and avidly resists accountability to civil authorities. Archbishop Cremona still consciously covers up the identities of current abusers. Archbishop Cremona is responsible for the well being of all his flock, especially defenceless children.

The message that the church is sending is that abuse victims are its last priority. Paedophile priests, who are suspended by the Vatican because they sexually abused children, still walk free. The Church should ensure maximum transparency to get this issue out. Suspending priest child rapists doesn’t prevent them from abusing again.

Any crimes such as child sex abuse and the mishandling of them need to be exposed. As has become painfully clear, fear of scandalizing the faithful can result in making the scandal even worse.

Dr Francis Saliba

Jul 20th 2010, 17:01

“ … victims reporting abuse were informed that proceedings would be conducted according to Canon Law and they had the right to report the matter to the police”. (Retired Judge Caruana Colombo of the Church Response Team).

Evidently the fault for failing to take action in the civil courts, at the opportune time, for any priestly child abuse lies fairly and squarely on the shoulders of those who are alleging that they were victims of that abuse and who willfully neglected to act according to the advice given to them as soon as they were in a position to do so. They had no right to expect that others would take up the cudgels on their behalf if they themselves were unwilling to do so for reasons best known to themselves. They are now trying to cover-up their negligence by making unjustified charges against the Church and its Response Team.

Joe Zammit

Jul 20th 2010, 16:08

On this subject, however, it is important to take note of the "Guide to Understanding Basic CDF Procedures concerning Sexual Abuse Allegations", as published on the Holy See website.

In that Guide, the phrase "Civil law concerning reporting of crimes to the appropriate authorities should always be followed" is contained in the section dedicated to "Preliminary Procedures". This means that in the practice suggested by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) it is necessary to comply with the requirements of law in the various countries, and to do so in good time, not during or subsequent to the canonical trial.

The Catholic Church is a Mother indeed!

Joseph Calleja

Jul 20th 2010, 13:22

"The allegations made seven years ago are still being investigated by the Church-appointed Response Team headed by Judge Victor Caruana Colombo." At this rate it will take the response Team another seven years to wake up. What is there to investigate? And why is it taking so long? Eight boys now men have made a complaint and it's taking years to investigate? I smell a rat and I am surprised these eight men did not make a formal complaint directly with the courts. Once again, the church has put the wolf in charge of the lambs and another seven years will pass before any decision is made. These men need closure and so does the church but it seems that the church is stalling the process. These eight men should retain the help of a competent attorney and file their complaints with a court of law and hopefully expedite the procedure. The church cannot keep sweeping all this under the carpet and keep making empty promises. It took the church one day to put up a sponsored billboard against divorce but so far it has taken the Church-appointed Response Team seven years to investigate. What a waste of time.

Dr Francis Saliba

Jul 20th 2010, 11:12

Obviously Mr Grech is after vengeance against the whole Catholic faith when he demands that a father confessor should be compelled to break the seal of secrecy, fundamental to the sacrament of reconciliation, whenever the penitent happens to be a priest or some other witness to the grave sin of child abuse.

Joe Zammit

Jul 20th 2010, 10:58

Lawrence Grech, have you really read the last norms by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith? I doubt it. I think you are just repeating what some one else perhaps might have told you.

The norms published do indeed oblige bishops to report to the police. So why are you saying they don't? If you deny facts, you will not arrive anywhere.

They have increased what in law we call prescription (not the one you take to the medical doctor!) by ten more years. This will benefit the alleged victims more.

How can you expect the Church dismisses a priest straight away without trial? What justice that would be!

Lawrence, you had better consult a competent lawyer before you speak out because otherwise it would be easy for you to unknowingly put the blame on yourself and lose whatever to date you have acquired.

Charles Sammut

Jul 20th 2010, 10:32

Lawrence Grech, lupus pilum mutat, non mentem; the wolf changes his coat, not his nature.

Or to quote the bible itself, Jeremiah xiii. 23, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?"