I am glad the pope said he was sorry about the pedophilia in the church

[undeterred]

and met with the victims. I know that its too little too late. But its something. For all those victims whose abusers were simply moved to another church, where there was nothing but total denial for decades, its something. Its actually quite surprising. And I hope that it brings healing to some of the survivors. I know that there are many, all over the world.

[mdmc]

1. Me too

I think that it is a part of the healing process.

[CoffeeCat]

2. For anyone who has been sexually abused as a child...

...this was a healing moment. Whether you were sexually abused by a priest, or a victim of
a sexual abuse that happened within your own family---this is healing.

Whether or not you believe in God, or organized religion--or even the Pope--it was validating
to survivors of sexual abuse.

To have a revered icon publicly profess the horrors of childhood sexual abuse, and publicly declare
that victims deserve "care" and that children are precious---and that he is "ashamed" by the sexual abuse
of children that happened----is very hopeful.

I think anyone who has been sexually abused in childhood--is haunted by the damage done by their perpetrator.
Most perpetrators are never punished--as 90 percent of sexual abuse victims remain silent out of fear and
shame.

The Pope was speaking to survivors, but--in effect--he castigated and shamed the perpetrators as well. For
those of us who have never received a richly-deserved apology from our perpetrators, it was comforting to
get one from one of the most recognizable religious leaders in the world.

One of the luxuries that sexual abusers enjoy--is living in a cloud of denial. They have no feelings
regarding the victim, and in most cases these perpetrators blame the victim for causing the abuse.

The Pope clearly punched a hole in perpetrator denial--as he publicly sided with the victims.

You didn't have to be Catholic yesterday--to feel validated as a survivor of sexual abuse.

[Sal Minella]

6. "The Pope . . . castigated and shamed the perpetrators . . . . ."

I didn't hear this at all. I heard "What happened to you was terrible and I'm sorry it happened," much as you would say to someone who had been hit by a meteorite.

As for "shaming the perpetrators" -- I believe one of the Boston pedophiles was quietly given a cushy job in the Vatican Library, was he not? Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

[NashVegas]

7. Oy Oy Oy

Read and weep:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/aug/17/religion.childprotection

Ratzinger = Benedict.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=061001233844.0n6u9xt6&show_article=1

I wonder what he had to say about his own part in the cover-up?

[undeterred]

9. Maybe, at age 81, he is finally truly sorry.

A lot of men I know go their whole lives without saying "I'm sorry" to the people they have physically and sexually abused.

[undeterred]

8. I agree. I have a friend who was molested by her father

and her mother denied it until she was 50, even though her father had long been dead. When her mother finally acknowledged that there had been abuse, it was a huge moment in her healing. It validated the truth. It couldn't change the past, and her mother could have and should have protected her in the past. But the I'm sorry at age 50 was still worth a lot.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

3. He is guilty of covering it up. Do you know that he told Bishops to keep

silent about the abuse until the statue of limitations ran out?

This is such bullcrap!

[TooBigaTent]

4. Exactly. If Pope Adolf II had taken the correct stand long ago, this "apology"

would have more meaning. Now, it is just spin.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

13. Last Friday night, Bill Maher said quite correctly, if the Pope was the CEO of the

largest nationwide chain of childcare facilities, & covered up a 1000 cases of child sexual abuse, he would be convicted and thrown into prison.

[CoffeeCat]

5. I'm not sure what the Pope did or said....

...and I have been highly critical of the church's handling of this
horror.

However, I question that the Pope told Bishops to sit on this "until the
statute of limitations ran out", because most of the victims are in their
40's, 50's and older.

Those statutes ran out decades ago.

That's why most perpetrators get away with molesting children. Children
do not come forward, and they only have several years to do so. In some
states, victims can come forward so many years after they have turned 18.

I've seen some Progressive states, acknowledge that many children aren't
even aware that the sexual abuse was a crime against them--and states allow
victims to come forward within a few years of recognizing that the sexual
abuse caused them untold damage. However, that is only a few states.

I'm no expert, and you may have information that I do not have--but sitting
on abuse allegations to let those statutes run out--wouldn't work in 90 percent
of those abuse cases--because they ran out decades ago.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

12. Wanna a link? This isn't just the only one, but you know how careful the UK is with its libel laws.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/apr/24/children.childprotection


Pope 'obstructed' sex abuse inquiry

Confidential letter reveals Ratzinger ordered bishops to keep allegations secret

Pope Benedict XVI faced claims last night he had 'obstructed justice' after it emerged he issued an order ensuring the church's investigations into child sex abuse claims be carried out in secret.

The order was made in a confidential letter, obtained by The Observer, which was sent to every Catholic bishop in May 2001.

It asserted the church's right to hold its inquiries behind closed doors and keep the evidence confidential for up to 10 years after the victims reached adulthood. The letter was signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was elected as John Paul II's successor last week.

Lawyers acting for abuse victims claim it was designed to prevent the allegations from becoming public knowledge or being investigated by the police. They accuse Ratzinger of committing a 'clear obstruction of justice'.

The letter, 'concerning very grave sins', was sent from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican office that once presided over the Inquisition and was overseen by Ratzinger.

It spells out to bishops the church's position on a number of matters ranging from celebrating the eucharist with a non-Catholic to sexual abuse by a cleric 'with a minor below the age of 18 years'. Ratzinger's letter states that the church can claim jurisdiction in cases where abuse has been 'perpetrated with a minor by a cleric'.

Continued at above link

[madrchsod]

10. he still protects these pieces of shit by stashing them

in his castle...he`s no man of god

[undeterred]

11. Is the glass ever 1/16th full?

or is it always broken into a million shards and severing every artery in your body?