Pope says Church 'spared no effort' to fight abuse recently

By Philip Pullella

 

Pope Francis speaks with the media onboard a plane during his flight back from Tallinn after the final leg of his visit to the Baltic states, Estonia September 25, 2018. REUTERS/Max Rossi

 

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - Pope Francis, facing clergy sex abuse scandals in several countries, said on Tuesday that the Roman Catholic Church has "spared no effort" to tackle the problem in recent years.

 

But, speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane while returning from a four-day trip to the Baltics, the pope again appeared to indirectly acknowledge that the Church had hidden sexual abuse "in the past century," saying that such cover-ups had been common in families as well.

 

Francis referred to a damning report last August by a U.S. grand jury on sexual abuse of children by priests in Pennsylvania over a 70-year period. He noted that the incidents of abuse diminished toward the end of the years covered in the report.

 

"In more recent times the number went down because the Church realised that it had to fight in a different way," he said.

 

"In olden times, these things were covered up, they were even covered up in homes, when an uncle raped a niece, when a father raped his children. It was covered up because it was an enormous shame. That was the mentality in the last century," he said.

 

"Look at the proportions (in the Pennsylvania report) and you will see that when the Church started becoming aware of this, it spared no effort," he said.

 

Francis appeared to be referring to new rules put into place for preventing and reporting sexual abuse in the United States following the first big media expose of abuse in Boston in 2002.

 

The atmosphere during the nearly one-hour news conference was somewhat tense as the pope insisted that he first answer questions directly related to his trip, which took him to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

 

Francis initially declined to take a question from a German reporter about the release of a research report hours earlier in her country that found that thousands of children had been sexually abused by clergy over a 70-year-period ending in 2014.

 

He later began speaking about sexual abuse without being prompted.

 

"We all know the statistics (of the prevalence of sexual abuse within families), ... but as long as there is just one priest who abuses a boy or a girl this is monstrous because that man was chosen by God to lead children to heaven," Francis said.

 

The Church is grappling with a wave of new cases in countries including Chile, Germany and the United States.

 

Francis has come under fire from victims groups and other members of the Church who say he has not done enough to make bishops accountable for mishandling or covering up abuse cases.

 

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Leslie Adler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-09-26

Let the propaganda BS flow. Repeat something often enough and people will start to believe it. Pretty soon the narrative about the Pope and his Vatican will swing towards sympathy, stating how hard they have battled to end the abuse and completely ignoring the sickening efforts to cover it up. These people have no shame.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

release of a research report hours earlier in her country that found that thousands of children had been sexually abused by clergy over a 70-year-period ending in 2014.

beyond organized religion being the biggest farce in human history, it's principals are overly often sexual predators; add the two together....

Pastor Buck.

If, and it is a very BIG 'if', the Catholic Church has made strides against child sexual abuse, then good.

 

However, given what we already know about events in the US, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Chile, Etc, it is both logical and reasonable to assume that there are many, many more cases to be heard. Many more. Many, many more.

 

If there were thousands of reasonable allegations against Microsoft, Time-Warner, BP, Carrefour, Volkswagon, Acer, Tata Steel, CP All, AliBaBa, Sony or any other business, they would be closed down and forced to pay trillions in compensation.

 

If there were thousands of reasonable allegations against the United Nations, the Red Cross, FIFA, the IOC, the World Bank, the International Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals, the International Whaling Association, the Elks, etc, these organizations would immediately be shut down and their members shamed and disgusted.

 

Why is the Catholic Church different?

 

If the Catholic Church can't demonstrate, in a reasonably short period of time, that is has dealt with past transgressions and established means to prevent further, future abuses, then the Catholic Church shut be shut down for good.

 

A 'spiritual' organization can't be aligned with child sexual abuse.

 

Period. 

 

Troll post reported and removed.  

 

Too little, too late. 

 

Some things are beyond forgiveness. 

 

Even for god. 

Edited September 26, 20187 yr by Bluespunk

47 minutes ago, webfact said:

"Look at the proportions (in the Pennsylvania report) and you will see that when the Church started becoming aware of this, it spared no effort," he said.

 

Not convinced by that statement.  Unless they can show positive action in place before any reduction in numbers, that demonstrably proves the reduction is due to the action, then it is simply trying to claim credit where it is not due.

It also sadly demonstrates the church's complete and admitted lack of awareness of these terrible atrocities before the claimed awareness and doing something about it.

Furthermore the claimed 'action' was illegal and immoral as offending priests were not dealt with according to the law of the land but removed to other posts; in some of these they still had access to children and continued to carry out their abuse.

Basically an admission that they knew little of the crimes, or cared little enough to ensure they were adequately prevented, and then on revelation made efforts to protect the church not the victims.

Quite frankly I have seen war crimes convictions on less evidence than this.

Key word 'recently'.  

I know of a Catholic Bishop who took his life rather than losing his position and face, as he knew the RCMP were waiting to arrest him, for a crime of this nature, and the boys he abused had grown up and had kept quiet long enough.   I guess it was better than muddy his reputation and that of his corner or the world.

Geezer

Pope says Church 'spared no effort' to fight abuse recently.

 

Should have read: 

 

Pope says Catholic Church 'spared no effort' to cover up abuse over the past 1,000 years

So, why didn't the "Church 'spare no effort' to fight abuse" decades ago when it first surfaced in the public domain?

How many abusers have they handed over to the police, with the evidence they have? How many people within the church who covered up the abuse have they handed over to the police?

 

Edited September 26, 20187 yr by FritsSikkink

Double talk as usual. What he meant was, the Vatican "spared no effort" in attempting to cover up the claims of sexual abuse by the clergy, same as they have been doing for decades.  

Somehow "spared no effort" rings pretty hollow considering the massive amount of abuse that continues to be unearthed 

How can these religious leaders even look in the mirror let alone preach to others how to act? 

The catholic church is just a farce to anyone who has a brain. The world would be a far far better place without any religion.!!! There is NO god, get a life and get over it.!!!