ROME — As new details emerged on allegations of child sexual abuse by a priest in the Munich archdiocese then led by Pope Benedict XVI, the Vatican spoke out on Saturday against what it called an aggressive campaign against the pope in his native Germany.
At the same time, a high-ranking Vatican official overseeing internal investigations on Saturday acknowledged that 3,000 cases of suspected abuse of minors had come to its attention in the past decade, of which 20 percent had been brought to trial in Vatican courts.
In a note read on Vatican Radio on Saturday, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said it was “evident that in recent days there are those who have tried, with a certain aggressive tenacity, in Regensburg and in Munich, to find elements to involve the Holy Father personally in issues of abuse.” He added, “It is clear that those efforts have failed.”
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Related:
Vatican denies celibacy rule led to sex scandal
The Catholic church should free its priests from celibacy
Notes:
Quick question: Who should decide celibacy — the priest himself or the Pope?
Genesis 3:18 ” And the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone: I will make a partner for him.” Hard to argue with that line of reasoning.
mid island mike
To the above I would add that St. Peter had a wife AND a mother in law whom Our Lord cured of an illness.
The Catholic Church has had a long-standing policy of celibacy among priests, which in practical terms translates to men who do not the desire to be married. Well, what kind of men don’t want to be in a traditional marriage?
The church somewhat engineered their own problems with their policies. The problems won’t go away until regular men are encouraged to take up the priesthood.
And regular men won’t take up the priesthood until the Vatican makes celibacy optional.
I’m not so sure about celibacy being an obstacle to men joining the priesthood although I’m sure it does stop some however many of the priests I have spoken to said the biggest obstacle for straight men becoming priests is the gays running the seminaries.
That’s not a problem so much as a symptom. Only asexuals, homosexuals and child molesters do not have a natural inclination to get with and stay with women in the long run. There aren’t very many asexual men, which is mainly what the church is demanding of their priests. When gay marriage becomes more widespread and socially accepted, the pool of those men willing to enter the priesthood will decrease as well (which should sooth the homophobia of your mates). Guess who will be left?
The church may want to look into selling parts of its huge erotica collection to cover those child abuse suits present and future.