More from the Forked Tongue Church-Belgium

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

I note that the Belgian catholic church has released another self-serving statement on the abuse scandal there.

Church Vows To Punish Sex Abuse Clergy

'The Belgian Roman Catholic church has acknowledged a long history of sex abuse by its clergy and has vowed to punish culprits.' http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100913/twl-church-vows-to-punish-sex-abuse-cler-3fd0ae9.html

Note the implication yet again that the catholic church regards its own canon law as sufficient to deal with child molesters- presumably it is determined to insist that they make a full and contrite confession? No word of cooperation with law enforcement authorities.

Also a repeat of the attempt to deal direct with survivors that we saw in Ireland. I am sure they are more than aware that the very last thing any of these survivors want to see is some catholic priest.

More Forked Tongue sorrow ...

[John McMahon]

I note that the Belgian catholic church has released another self-serving statement on the abuse scandal there.

And your point is? Have you ever seen a statement issued by any organisation which was not intended to serve the interests of that organisation?

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

Additional coverage on this from the New York Times/International Herald Tribune which again is carefully worded to look as if the Belgian church is making a clean breast of things- but if you look closely at the article there is no mention of cooperation with secular authorities- only that the church's golf club rules should be used to deal with clerical child molesters/rapists.

Belgian Church Admits Wide Abuse Over Years

BRUSSELS (AP) -- 'The Belgian Roman Catholic church on Monday acknowledged widespread sexual abuse over years by its clergy and pleaded for time to set up a system to punish all abusers and provide closure for victims.'

and further down the article;

' On Monday, Leonard said it was up to the Vatican to decide on any punishment.

''It is not up to Monsignor Vangheluwe himself. The nuncio has assured us that a decision in Rome will be taken with a reasonable time limit,'' he said.'

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/09/13/world/europe/AP-EU-Belgium-Church-Abuse.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

The organisation which has spent much time denying child abuse cover-ups now declares itself the authority which will deal with the issue.

At what point do international authorities such as Interpol act on this gang of chancers?

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

Looks like the Low Countries across Belgium and Netherlands are waking up to the fact that the protection of clerical paedophiles goes into the hierarchy of the catholic church there too...

News Reports Say Cardinal Protected an Abuser

BRUSSELS — The sexual abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands deepened Thursday when news reports said one of its senior figures had shielded a pedophile priest.

Reports in three news media outlets increased the pressure on the cardinal, Adrianus Simonis, the retired archbishop of Utrecht, who testified last month as a witness in a legal action taken by one of almost 2,000 people who have said they were victims of abuse.

The crisis in the Netherlands is another setback for the Roman Catholic Church, which has been struggling with sexual abuse allegations from Ireland and Belgium to the United States.

Cardinal Simonis caused some distress in the Netherlands last March, when he was asked on television about the hundreds of complaints surfacing against the church and replied in German rather than Dutch, saying “Wir haben es nicht gewusst” — or “We knew nothing about it.”

The phrase, which is associated with Nazi excuses after World War II, drew uncomfortable parallels for the church, which has been accused of covering up the issue of sexual abuse.' http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/11/world/europe/11dutch.html?ref=romancatholicchurch


For an idea of the resonance of the phrase Wir haben es nicht gewusst

'When the Americans reached the concentration camps in Germany and found the prisoners, the horrific gas chambers, and the utter depravity in which the prisoners had been held, they hauled the inhabitants of a nearby town to the camps and forced them to look what had been happening on three kilometres away from the city centre in full view of the outskirts of the city. And the Germans said, “Wir haben es nicht gewusst, Wir haben es nicht gewusst, Wir haben es nicht gewusst,” over and over again. We didn’t know. Such is the strength of denial.

They didn’t want to know, even though in that particular camp German soldiers had mass murdered thousands of Jews by shooting them, which would have been clearly audible in the city. They didn’t want to be involved, there didn’t want to question their leaders, and the just lived their lives as if nothing was happening three kilometres away from the m. This is only one example of what was happening all over Germany. When we as children asked why the German people had done nothing to try and help those prisoners our parents answered, “the Germans said, “Wir haben es nicht gewusst.” We didn’t know.'

http://aotearoaawiderperspective.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/wir-haben-es-nicht-gewusst/

[morticia]

OK, I've had enough. Can't we prosecute more of these dudes?? Frankly, the best revenge would be to chase after them with a Bible, open at the page where JC says 'twould be better to be chucked into the sea with a millstone round the neck than be caught hurting children.

This is all completely contrary to their own stated beliefs. if Europe had the will, there is a clever legal way of sh@fting the organization completely, which would be to remove the legal derogation for the Catholic clergy from the gender equality laws. They could be legally forced to accept women into the clergy. Would be unlikely to negatively affect any other religious organization; Islam has female imams and many of the Protestant and born again communities have plenty of female leaders/clergy/elders, etc.