We Need to Listen to the Survivors of Clerical Sex Abuse

Since the news about the now–Archbishop Theodore McCarrick’s alleged sexual abuse of minors and seminarians, and a Pennsylvania Grand Jury report detailing the sexual abuse of over 1,000 minors by over 300 clergymen, dozens of  “experts” have opined about what must change in the Catholic Church  to  prevent further suffering. Although well-meaning, they are wrong and perhaps using this human catastrophe to advance their own agendas.  

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“Victims should know that the Pope is on their side.” A MOST EGREGIOUS LIE!

After the release of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report revealing decades of clerical sex abuse and cover up, yesterday a Vatican spokesman declared, “Victims should know that the Pope is on their side. Those who have suffered are his priority, and the Church wants to listen to them to root out this tragic horror that destroys the lives of the innocent.” REALLY???

• On at least five occasions, Pope Francis was personally informed about sexual predators and did nothing to stop them.
• Currently, officials in Chile are raiding Church offices for information on clerical sex abuse because Pope Francis refuses to provide that information.
• On July 24, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, head of the Church in Chile, was accused of covering up sexual abuse. He covered up clerical sex abuse for decades even before Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal in 2014. Ezzati remains in office.
• Luis Ladaria Ferrer, elevated to cardinal May 20 and promoted to prefect of the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith by Pope Francis, is awaiting a trial announced on April 4 by French authorities for covering up a child sex abuse scandal.
• Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga “had protected a pedophile priest from Costa Rica, a fugitive from Interpol, who was found in bed with an eight-year-old child by her mother.” Rodriquez Maradiaga was chosen by Pope Francis to head his Council of Cardinals to advise him on Church governance.
• Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, the retired archbishop of Santiago, made headlines in Chile for protecting  a sexual predator long before Pope Francis chose him for his Council of Cardinals.
• Cardinal George Pell will stand trial for “historical sex abuse” in Australia. Before being chosen by Pope Francis, he made national headlines for his mistreatment of sex abuse survivors. When one former altar boy dared to sue, Pell “instructed his lawyers to “crush this victim.” Pell, Rodriguez Maradiaga and Errazuriz all remain as members of the pope’s council.
•  “88 bishops worldwide have been accused publicly of sexual wrongdoing – 60 allegedly abused minors, and 28 are publicly accused of sexual abuse/sexual misconduct with adults only.” To date, only four have been laicized or “defrocked.”
• 14 still-active bishops have been accused of complicity with abusive priests

The Pope and Sex Abuse: Back to Business as Usual When the U.S. Media Isn’t Looking

Just this past week, the U.S. media treated Pope Francis as the world’s leading “moral authority.” The New York Times even posted the pope’s declaration that the death penalty is “inadmissible” on its online front page for two days. Yet they, and the rest of the U.S. media, ignored what else happened the past month.

• As of July 24, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati, head of the Church in Chile, is under investigation by civil authorities. He covered up clerical sex abuse for decades even before Pope Francis elevated him to cardinal in 2014.
• Letters dated July 12 urged Pope Francis to remove an Indian bishop accused of raping a nun. On July 24, an Indian official called the allegation “true.”
• Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Honduran Bishop Juan José Pineda Fasquelle on July 20. A resignation means that the prelate retains his title, honors, income and benefits. The pope has known that Pineda was accused of sex abuse and financial malfeasance since June 2017. Pineda said he handed the pope his resignation “several months ago.”

For the Record, Catholics Have Been Very Influential in Trump’s Campaign and Administration

Campaign leaders were Catholic.

At first, the Trump campaign “involved only a handful of key advisers, including longtime Trump advisor Roger Stone” – “the man who created President Trump.” Stone left Trump’s campaign in August 2015.

Trump hired  Corey Lewandowski as campaign manager in February 2015.

“On June 20, 2016, Lewandowski was fired as campaign manager, solidifying Paul Manafort‘s role as the top staff member.”

“Manafort’s position in the campaign changed in August 2016 when Trump hired Steve Bannon as his chief executive and promoted pollster Kellyanne Conway to the role of campaign manager. Manafort resigned on August 19, two days after Bannon joined the campaign.”

Pope to Bishops: Do as You Please, But Say Nice Stuff and the Media with Cover for You.

Some facts withheld by the mainstream U.S. media:

• Pope Francis has sponsored only 6 refugee families although the Vatican owns thousands of apartments in Rome.
• Over 800 U.S faith communities provide sanctuary for immigrants but not the American bishops although they own an estimated 70,000 buildings.
• Pope Francis gives only 20% of billions earmarked for charity to the poor.
• Pope Francis has packed the Vatican with vulture capitalists.
• Many U.S. bishops use “Catholic Foundations” to hide their assets and investments.

U.S. Media: For the Sake of Our Children, Stop Enabling Pope Francis and Tell the Truth

• On June 19, Archbishop Charles Scicluna, described as Pope Francis’ “top expert” on sex abuse, said, in effect, that his report on clerical sex abuse in Chile would remain secret. His plan for “healing” and “reconciliation” in Chile was rejected by victims of ecclesial sex abuse.
• On May 20, Pope Francis announced he was elevating Archbishop Luis Ladaria Ferrer to cardinal. The pope had already promoted Ladaria as head of the Vatican department that handles sex abuse claims. Ladaria had previously served as second in command.  In April, a French court set a date for Ladaria’s trial. He is accused of covering up a child sex abuse scandal.  Far worse, after Ladaria covered up for Fr. Gianni Trotta, the priest sexually assaulted an 11-year-old and there are nine other alleged cases of sex abuse against boys that occurred in 2014.
• On May 5, Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron was given a place of honor at an event attended by Pope Francis. Apuron is accused of rape and sexual assault of minors. In February, Pope Francis had greeted Apuron “with affection” and “privately giving him a few words of encouragement.” Pope Francis removed Apuron in 2016, meaning he found the charges to be credible, but the archbishop has always remained a free man, retaining his title, income and honors.

Popes Have Long Opposed Human Rights and Supported Tyrants: A (Relatively) Brief History

Most are familiar with the Crusades and Spanish Inquisition. Fewer know about Pius XII’s embrace of fascism, his cooperation with the CIA, John Paul II’s alliance with Reagan in support of dictators, the political consequences of his appointment of right-wing bishops in the U.S. and Latin America – including Pope Francis – and the current pontiff’s unknown history.

It is true that, from the beginning, Christians were recognized for their monumental works of charity and Western Civilization owes much to Catholic education, medicine, art, music, architecture etc. It is also true that popes have obstructed freedom and self-rule while choosing to collaborate with dictators and butchers.

While I was writing about Pope Francis’ obsequiousness towards Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin and his vociferous opposition to women’s and LGBTQ persons’  human rights, I thought that if readers were more familiar with papal history, this would be less surprising.

When asked for his opinion on abortion and same-sex marriage, Pope Francis said his position was identical to that of the Church. “I am a son of the Church,” he explained.

This is part of the tradition from which he emerges – remarkable considering Jesus’ “Great Commission” was only to preach the Gospel.