Crimen Sollicitationis.
In March 1962 a 39-page document, titled Crimen Sollicitationis, was issued by the then Holy Office, today it is known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It set out instructions or procedures to deal with priests who were accused of abusing the confessional to sexually proposition penitents. Included in the document procedure to the crimen pessimum, or "worst crime," These meant acts of homosexuality alleged to have happened by priest who effectively were and are supposed to be celibate. Though this document is said not to be designed to address sexual abuse of minors it included many such violations.
Cannon lawyers have stated the document is not evidence of a cover up of sexual misconduct of priests by Rome. However civil attorneys handling lawsuits against the Catholic Church have pointed to the document as evidence of obstruction of justice.
Paragraph 11 of the document stipulates that such cases are covered by the "secret of the Holy Office," today known as pontifical secrecy, the strictest form of secrecy in church law. Excommunication is prescribed for anyone who violates this secrecy.
The document was itself to be kept secret. Instructions on Page One direct that it be stored in the secret archives of each diocese, and that it not be published or commented upon.
Cannon lawyers have stated the document is not evidence of a cover up of sexual misconduct of priests by Rome. However civil attorneys handling lawsuits against the Catholic Church have pointed to the document as evidence of obstruction of justice.
Paragraph 11 of the document stipulates that such cases are covered by the "secret of the Holy Office," today known as pontifical secrecy, the strictest form of secrecy in church law. Excommunication is prescribed for anyone who violates this secrecy.
The document was itself to be kept secret. Instructions on Page One direct that it be stored in the secret archives of each diocese, and that it not be published or commented upon.
Unlike most church legislation documents Crimen Sollicitations was never published in the official Vatican bulletin Acta Apostolicae Sedis. The document recently came to light because it was referenced in a footnote to a May 18, 2002, letter from the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican's doctrinal congregation, to the bishops of the world regarding new procedures for sex abuse cases. Joseph Ratzinger was prefect from 1981 until 2005 under Pope John Paul ll. Upon the death of John Paul 11 Ratzinger was elected pope until he dramatically resigned in February 2013.
Whilst cannon lawyers were at pains to point out that this document dealt with the confessional as a matter of canon law, the obligation of secrecy in canonical cases does not prohibit a bishop or other church officials from reporting crimes to the proper authorities Yet if you read the translation of this document.......
Title One - The first notification of this crime - section 23. The Last paragraph states:-
Before the one making the denunciation is dismissed, he is to be administered the oath to maintain confidentiality, if necessary under pain of excommunication reserved to the local Ordinary or to the Holy See.
So is this why they didn’t report abuse? Would the reporting priests or bishops have been excommunicated from the church? This secret document was known to Pope Benedict XVI as he chose to call himself as he was in charge of it from 1981 until he was elected pope and yet he refuses to talk about the document, or explain why he had never referred any priest to any local authorities. If this document was never about hiding sexual abuse allegations then again why did the church not report all these priests, why were they moved to other posts and still given access to children that looked to the priests as friends and confidants? In a position of trust.
What mentality would do this, why would anyone place a priest in another diocese where there was the potential for the very same thing to happen again?
Why, from 1981 when he became prefect to becoming pope then resigning in 2013 a total of 34 years of authority and knowledge has this most reverend of people , the holy father, the spokesman of god not taken the stand in court and given his word to not knowing about these claims of sexual abuse? His position of power and the fact that the cardinals voted him successor to John Paul ll proves that he was and is held in very high esteem by the Vatican. He supports everything the previous Pope supported, but he knows nothing of this scandal and deeds of the priests and bishops carrying out the pedophile ways within the church. 34 years of power, knowledge and authority amount to what?
The only thing the church was and is still interested is covering up the fact that hundreds of pedophile priests had been found within the church, (Many state this is just the tip of the iceberg) and that church wanted to prevent the scandal from becoming public knowledge. It's only aim was to protect itself, no if’s, but’s, or maybe’s. Not one single ounce of thought for the abused victims, their welfare or rights was ever shown or admitted until court action started and even then it was denial after denial as more and more abuse stories surfaced all over the word and the scale of the horror has unfolded. The Vatican realised it was caught, bang to rights.
Witnesses have told of intimidation and (see news stories below) of threats of excommunication of friends and families from the church.
It has cost the Vatican millions of pounds in compensation money. The fact it had this asset proves the greed and power the Vatican has, money donated by millions of followers who believed that the church was doing god's work helping the needy, starving poverty stricken people of the world.
Pope Benedict XVI was more interested in his new fleet of Mercedes Benz cars and sat pondering church dealings like whether to bring back red shoes as a tradition of he papacy. He did. And then there was the papal visit to the UK in September 2010 with the cost laid squarely at the feet of the British tax payer during the worst of a recession. The cost of this visit to our shores - £15 million! I am sure £15 million would go a long way to our schools and hospitals as the UK tried to climb slowly out of recession, but it seems our government and the Vatican would rather spend this money on a back slapping, hand shaking rich boys club shindig to show how much they like each other.
Organised Religion is a disease and needs to be treated as such, while it sets itself up as a moral compass dictating to the masses and wanting more and more of your money to squander as it sees fit, and still hide’s priests wanted by courts around the world under the umbrella of the Vatican using diplomatic immunity.
The faithful remain faithful either blind or ignoring the sheer scale of his depravity and greed, they keep giving money and the Vatican keeps getting richer and more powerful.
And They claim as a non-believer I am a sinner and I will be going to hell...............Does he really believe in god?
Jehovah's witnesses accused of silencing abuse victims
Survivors of church abuse speak out about mafia-style intimidation tactics
Whilst cannon lawyers were at pains to point out that this document dealt with the confessional as a matter of canon law, the obligation of secrecy in canonical cases does not prohibit a bishop or other church officials from reporting crimes to the proper authorities Yet if you read the translation of this document.......
Title One - The first notification of this crime - section 23. The Last paragraph states:-
Before the one making the denunciation is dismissed, he is to be administered the oath to maintain confidentiality, if necessary under pain of excommunication reserved to the local Ordinary or to the Holy See.
So is this why they didn’t report abuse? Would the reporting priests or bishops have been excommunicated from the church? This secret document was known to Pope Benedict XVI as he chose to call himself as he was in charge of it from 1981 until he was elected pope and yet he refuses to talk about the document, or explain why he had never referred any priest to any local authorities. If this document was never about hiding sexual abuse allegations then again why did the church not report all these priests, why were they moved to other posts and still given access to children that looked to the priests as friends and confidants? In a position of trust.
What mentality would do this, why would anyone place a priest in another diocese where there was the potential for the very same thing to happen again?
Why, from 1981 when he became prefect to becoming pope then resigning in 2013 a total of 34 years of authority and knowledge has this most reverend of people , the holy father, the spokesman of god not taken the stand in court and given his word to not knowing about these claims of sexual abuse? His position of power and the fact that the cardinals voted him successor to John Paul ll proves that he was and is held in very high esteem by the Vatican. He supports everything the previous Pope supported, but he knows nothing of this scandal and deeds of the priests and bishops carrying out the pedophile ways within the church. 34 years of power, knowledge and authority amount to what?
The only thing the church was and is still interested is covering up the fact that hundreds of pedophile priests had been found within the church, (Many state this is just the tip of the iceberg) and that church wanted to prevent the scandal from becoming public knowledge. It's only aim was to protect itself, no if’s, but’s, or maybe’s. Not one single ounce of thought for the abused victims, their welfare or rights was ever shown or admitted until court action started and even then it was denial after denial as more and more abuse stories surfaced all over the word and the scale of the horror has unfolded. The Vatican realised it was caught, bang to rights.
Witnesses have told of intimidation and (see news stories below) of threats of excommunication of friends and families from the church.
It has cost the Vatican millions of pounds in compensation money. The fact it had this asset proves the greed and power the Vatican has, money donated by millions of followers who believed that the church was doing god's work helping the needy, starving poverty stricken people of the world.
Pope Benedict XVI was more interested in his new fleet of Mercedes Benz cars and sat pondering church dealings like whether to bring back red shoes as a tradition of he papacy. He did. And then there was the papal visit to the UK in September 2010 with the cost laid squarely at the feet of the British tax payer during the worst of a recession. The cost of this visit to our shores - £15 million! I am sure £15 million would go a long way to our schools and hospitals as the UK tried to climb slowly out of recession, but it seems our government and the Vatican would rather spend this money on a back slapping, hand shaking rich boys club shindig to show how much they like each other.
Organised Religion is a disease and needs to be treated as such, while it sets itself up as a moral compass dictating to the masses and wanting more and more of your money to squander as it sees fit, and still hide’s priests wanted by courts around the world under the umbrella of the Vatican using diplomatic immunity.
The faithful remain faithful either blind or ignoring the sheer scale of his depravity and greed, they keep giving money and the Vatican keeps getting richer and more powerful.
And They claim as a non-believer I am a sinner and I will be going to hell...............Does he really believe in god?
Jehovah's witnesses accused of silencing abuse victims
Survivors of church abuse speak out about mafia-style intimidation tactics