Pennsylvania Catholic Church Sex Abuse Report: The Ecclesiastical Boogaloo

[Deej 76797]

I know. My self esteem has never caught up.

[Mojo Hand 4580]

What a fucking disgrace.

[TwiceHorn 31482]

So, what's the theory on why this happens within the Catholic church so rampantly?  Is it the celibacy?  Why isn't there a vast epidemic of adult exploitation at the hands of priests?  Is it because true psychological pedophiles seek the priesthood to confine their demons?  Is there any theory explaining this?

[Larry T. Spider 1746]

27 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

So, what's the theory on why this happens within the Catholic church so rampantly?  Is it the celibacy?  Why isn't there a vast epidemic of adult exploitation at the hands of priests?  Is it because true psychological pedophiles seek the priesthood to confine their demons?  Is there any theory explaining this?

I was actually wondering the same thing. Many child molesters were abused themselves as children. If this has been going on for generations, then how many were abused by a priest when they were an altar boy or something similar? The whole thing is so twisted it’s hard to wrap my mind around it. Main questions are:

1. Before the story broke, how did pedos know the church was a safe place for them?

2. If the gold cross thing is true, how did priests communicate with each other about this? How did they know that they guy at the church next to them was a no go but the guy on the other side of town also enjoys diddling little boys?

3. What’s the deal with pedos in South America? I could see a small ring of sickos developing somewhere but now we are talking multiple countries. Just trying to get a feel for how organized this is vs each one of these pedos getting into it independently.

[GabrielsHorn 2183]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

So, what's the theory on why this happens within the Catholic church so rampantly?  Is it the celibacy?  Why isn't there a vast epidemic of adult exploitation at the hands of priests?  Is it because true psychological pedophiles seek the priesthood to confine their demons?  Is there any theory explaining this?

I think it comes back to the power within the church and for years how they've never really been examined by the government as they were judged by their peers only for generations (privilegium fori). Due to this, you have the community deny that abuse could happen for so many years as priests were viewed with infallibility and couple that with Bishops and Cardinals who believe its best for the name of the church to not be tarnished by these accusations.  Children are an easy target too as they are more easy to dismiss than young adults/adults and due to the availability with alter servers, education, etc. Due to these things, cover-ups occur instead of contacting the authorities, and the church still fights against releasing many of their records to this day.

They really need to be much more cooperative with authorities and bring the priests that committed or covered up the abuse to justice/ex-communicate and defrock them. The report also mentioned removing the statue of limitations to be charged for child abuse and allow for victims to sue the church regardless of the time, both of which should be done. The victims deserve justice. 

 

[LongestHorn 759]

Quote

After a search last August of diocesan offices in Hollidaysburg, Kane's agents found handwritten notes from Hogan about abusive priests; letters and documents sent to Adamec; and, in a cabinet in the bishop's office, a safe under lock and key that contained one file pertaining to Baker.

"Agents did not find a couple files in a drawer which alleged child molestation," grand jurors wrote, "but, rather, boxes and filing cabinets filled with the details of children being sexually violated by the institution's own members."

Adamec kept a payout chart that guided how much money a victim should receive based on the type of sexual abuse.

For molestation or genital fondling above clothing: $10,000 to $25,000. If fondled under the clothes: $15,000 to $40,000. Oral sex: $25,000 to 75,000. Sodomy warranted payment of $50,000 to $175,000.

"The epidemic of priests offending on children was so significant that the bishop privately perceived a need for a scale of 'payments,' " the grand jury said.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160302_Kane__Altoona-area_priests_abused_hundreds_of_children.html

[PRONG HORN 3146]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

So, what's the theory on why this happens within the Catholic church so rampantly?  Is it the celibacy?  Why isn't there a vast epidemic of adult exploitation at the hands of priests?  Is it because true psychological pedophiles seek the priesthood to confine their demons?  Is there any theory explaining this?

 

It's tradition.  A religion with origins in the Middle East.  Remember when that Navy Seal hit that guy in Afghanistan who bragged about his boy play exploits?  There are even internet memes about how one of the reasons the "enemy" is so disgusting is because of their child rape.  Now we know it's here too.  Not that we didn't know that already.  I don't know about the child raping traditions of the world.  Who does it, who doesn't do it.  What part of the world does it more than others.  Maybe it's mostly those with strong religious faith.  Buddhism?  If so it's covered up pretty well. 

[Michael Knight 12981]

15 hours ago, Deej said:

Went to Catholic school for eight years. Never once had a priest put the moves on me. Was I not good enough?

It's not your fault

[Michael Knight 12981]

Pope's got some work to do

 

 

“I think right now it’s really hard to be a Catholic,” said John Gehring, the Catholic program director of Faith in Public Life, a national network of faith leaders. “Everywhere you look, things seem to be falling apart.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/us/priest-sexual-abuse-catholic-church.html
 

[WhatTheBuck 28783]

59 minutes ago, Michael Knight said:

Pope's got some work to do

A lot of work. 

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/05/14/pope-francis-acknowledges-2000-case-backlog-in-sex-abuse-cases.html

['stache 21816]

If the church wants to show it's serious, it should start by excommunicating this fuckstick.

Catholic League On Predatory Priests: It’s Not Rape If The Child Isn’t Penetrated

Myth: The priests “raped” their victims.

Fact: This is an obscene lie. Most of the alleged victims were not raped: they were groped or otherwise abused, but not penetrated, which is what the word “rape” means.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressivesecularhumanist/2018/08/catholic-league-on-predatory-priests-its-not-rape-if-the-child-isnt-penetrated/

Edited August 18, 2018 by 'stache

[MaybeACoordinator 8349]

On 8/15/2018 at 8:46 PM, Deej said:

Went to Catholic school for eight years. Never once had a priest put the moves on me. Was I not good enough?

Resident pedo priest at my Catholic school had a type and I was not it. It's been a consolation to me for all these years of having not been molested by him. 

On 8/15/2018 at 9:51 PM, TwiceHorn said:

So, what's the theory on why this happens within the Catholic church so rampantly?  Is it the celibacy?  Why isn't there a vast epidemic of adult exploitation at the hands of priests?  Is it because true psychological pedophiles seek the priesthood to confine their demons?  Is there any theory explaining this?

I bet it goes back to the dawn of the church. Greece and Rome have long traditions of buggery, and while this has come under fire in recent years, it was long believed that it was socially acceptable to get your NAMBLA on in ancient Athens, Sparta and Rome. The church did adopt a shit-ton of Greco-Roman religion into Catholicism, and it would come as no surprise if other parts of the culture made it in there too. 

In more recent years, if you were a gay kid in a conservative Catholic family, the priesthood was your best bet to keep in your family's good graces. I have no idea what percentage of priests are gay and I don't give a shit, so long as they are gay and not pedos. And I don't believe the percentage of pedos among gays is higher or lower than it is among straights. But it seems like when you create a scenario like this, one dominated by secrecy and shame brought on by celibacy (all sex is evil), then everyone is rife for blackmail. "Oh Father Sean, you are gonna tell on me for diddling the altar boys? I'm gonna tell on you about your weeklong San Francisco bathhouse orgy." (Or, less frequently, "You and the widow Marianelli and that bastard kid of yours.")

 

And so Father Sean is shamed into silence for acting out on his sexuality by a vile rapist. 

Edited August 18, 2018 by MaybeACoordinator

[Mole 4333]

I'd guess that anywhere there's a clear power difference there will be a good chance of sexual exploitation. There's been talk about the rampant abuse in Protestant churches that has been underreported. We've probably just seen the tip of the iceberg with the recent scandals in sports. The MeToo movement exposed this issue as well.

That many priests have abused children is a tragedy, but shouldn't be all that surprising. Predators will seek opportunities to take advantage of the weak. As a society, we need to be aware of this and take reasonable precautions. The thing the Catholic church had going for it was its desire and ability to so efficiently cover it up and perpetuate it combined with an unwarranted sense of trust from members. It's kind of a perfect storm of evil: clearly defined power dynamics, misplaced trust, and the organizational support of a church that is more concerned about maintaining its perception of moral authority than actually maintaining moral authority.

I recently worked at a large statewide church summer camp (not Catholic). There were rules in place to minimize the risk to the kids. Every leader had at least one other adult assistant to make sure there that adults didn't isolate with kids. No one was allowed to be alone with the kids and we were encouraged to speak up if we saw anyone isolating with a kid. I'm sure there were still opportunities for a predator to act, but some of the risks were mitigated and hopefully nothing happened.

One of the points made during some of the training was that predators not only groom kids, they groom gatekeepers to the kids. This is why parents felt so safe leaving their kids with pedophile priests - the priest built up a level of trust with everyone involved. 

[Neonmoon 38129]

The only way the Church redeems any credibility is by showing some fucking contrition.  That can only be done with the truth. 

List every single Priest that has been accused , what they were accused of, what church did for the accused, what the church did to cover it all up, what the church did to buy off or shame the victim...for the past couple hundred years. 

They wont do that, because it would admit they have been harboring and protecting child molesters, and more so, becsuse they don’t give a shit about doing the right thing, only the thing that protects their money machine. Like “we can do better”, “things are changing” , empty rhetoric 

Until they do, please stop judging the rest of the world with their little moral proclamations. Fucking hypocrites 

 

[RomaVicta 29908]

I avoid this subject because it's too horrible to contemplate for long. Shame on me. I mainly hate thinking of the ongoing turmoil and unhappiness the victims must deal with. It never stops even long after the physical abuse has ended.

The Church must face the light, confess their sins, and publicly expel those who used the Church as a cover for the worst kind of criminal activity.

My beloved uncle was a Monseigneur and great person. I miss the opportunity to talk to him about this. I'm not a person of faith, but we had some interesting conversations which allude to what I miss with his passing years ago. 

A far distant second to the damage caused to the victims is what this does to the best of the priesthood. If the Church does not act against perpetrators then it leaves all priests open to suspicion.

[52-80 19159]

On 8/16/2018 at 4:51 AM, TwiceHorn said:

So, what's the theory on why this happens within the Catholic church so rampantly?  Is it the celibacy?  Why isn't there a vast epidemic of adult exploitation at the hands of priests?  Is it because true psychological pedophiles seek the priesthood to confine their demons?  Is there any theory explaining this?

yeah... what is the incidence rate in this population, vs, say, babysitters?  soccer coaches?  jewish 3rd-wave feminist graduate advisors?  

or is it just big news because of the astonishing irony?

or is it truly endemic?

[52-80 19159]

On 8/16/2018 at 6:00 AM, GabrielsHorn said:

 

They really need to ...  bring the priests... and defrock them.

sounds kinky.

[Deej 76797]

25 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

 

On 8/15/2018 at 9:51 PM, TwiceHorn said:

So, what's the theory on why this happens within the Catholic church so rampantly?  Is it the celibacy?  Why isn't there a vast epidemic of adult exploitation at the hands of priests?  Is it because true psychological pedophiles seek the priesthood to confine their demons?  Is there any theory explaining this?

I would imagine they had those tendencies before joining the priesthood, and with only so many defensive coordinator positions available at Penn State, well...

[WhatTheBuck 28783]

42 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

yeah... what is the incidence rate in this population, vs, say, babysitters?  soccer coaches?  jewish 3rd-wave feminist graduate advisors?  

or is it just big news because of the astonishing irony?

or is it truly endemic?

In Australia, over a 60-65 year period, they put the number at 7% of Catholic priests engaged in child sexual abuse. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-38877158

An inquiry examining institutional sex abuse in Australia has heard 7% of the nation's Catholic priests allegedly abused children between 1950 and 2010.

In one religious order, over 40% of church figures were accused of abuse.

Over 4,440 people claim to have been victims between 1980 and 2015, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse was told.

The commission, Australia's highest form of inquiry, is also investigating abuse at non-religious organisations.

It has previously heard harrowing testimony from scores of people who suffered abuse at the hands of clergy.

One victim said he was sexually abused by his Catholic Christian Brother teacher in his classroom, with other students ordered to look away. 

In another case, the inquiry heard allegations that a priest threatened a girl with a knife and made children kneel between his legs.

'Children punished'

The full scale of the problem emerged on Monday, when the commission released the statistics it has gathered. 

Gail Furness, the lead lawyer assisting the commission in Sydney, said more than 1,000 Catholic institutions across Australia were identified in claims of sexual abuse, with a total of 1,880 alleged perpetrators between 1980 and 2015.

The average age of the victims was 10.5 for girls and 11.5 for boys. On average, it took 33 years for each instance of abuse to be reported.

The victims' stories were "depressingly similar", Ms Furness said.

"Children were ignored or worse, punished. Allegations were not investigated. Priests and religious [figures] were moved. The parishes or communities to which they were moved knew nothing of their past."

Anthony and Chrissie Foster, the parents of two girls who were abused by their parish priest, said the Catholic Church had shown "no mercy, no remorse. Nothing."

The article goes on after that. It doesn't get any more flattering. 

[Guest Lobo]

What's the statistic on how many child molesters were molested themselves?  Isn't it something on the order of 70%?  

[Neonmoon 38129]

35 minutes ago, Lobo said:

What's the statistic on how many child molesters were molested themselves?  Isn't it something on the order of 70%?  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2082860

28%

unless I’m reading that article wrong 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

On 8/15/2018 at 9:46 PM, Deej said:

Went to Catholic school for eight years. Never once had a priest put the moves on me. Was I not good enough?

 

On 8/15/2018 at 10:10 PM, Quagmire said:

 

You weren’t hot enough

 

Not a priest one over touched me, but sister Presentation wore out my knuckles with a ruler.

[Loco 3752]

maybe you were an ugly kid? 

IDK, but not only the priest should be in jail, but anyone that did not report them.  Which frankly seems like all of the Catholic church leadership and most of the clergy.

 

[WhatTheBuck 28783]

55 minutes ago, Loco said:

maybe you were an ugly kid? 

IDK, but not only the priest should be in jail, but anyone that did not report them.  Which frankly seems like all of the Catholic church leadership and most of the clergy.

The culpability goes all the way to the top. And I'm not talking about the pope. 

[Loco 3752]

I would say the criminal conspiracy...

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

1 hour ago, Loco said:

maybe you were an ugly kid? 

IDK, but not only the priest should be in jail, but anyone that did not report them.  Which frankly seems like all of the Catholic church leadership and most of the clergy.

 

Me ?  Naaaaaah......  I was a mother fucking cute kid.  

But yeah, anyone associated with that shit show should get their dicks slammed in a door post haste.

[InkaUtexas 25950]

Seems like society needs to run an inquisition on the Catholic Church. Rapists or Papists, lets figure this shit out. 

[Mole 4333]

Yeah, predators are going to do what they do. Lock them up and deal with them appropriately. They're in all walks of life, particularly where they can have access to children. It's just a fact of life and a risk of living in a society.

i have much more rage for everyone else who covered it up or turned a blind eye. They have no excuses and are morally culpable for everyone they enabled.

[Deej 76797]

They werw just making sure they had the Lord in them.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

20 minutes ago, Deej said:

They werw just making sure they had the Lord in them.

ewwwwww gross.

[Neonmoon 38129]

21 minutes ago, Deej said:

They werw just making sure they had the Lord in them.

Wow...

 

[Horn Dog 9864]

On 8/15/2018 at 9:46 PM, Deej said:

Went to Catholic school for eight years. Never once had a priest put the moves on me. Was I not good enough?

#metoo. #uglykids

[WhatTheBuck 28783]

On August 15, 2018 at 9:46 PM, Deej said:

Went to Catholic school for eight years. Never once had a priest put the moves on me. Was I not good enough?

Maybe you weren't weak enough. 

[woohorn 1131]

So, what's the theory on why this happens within the Catholic church so rampantly?  Is it the celibacy?

1) lots of gay priests

2) no. Otherwise it would be female victims.

(I know about the theory that pedo is not a homo/hetro issue, but this kinda proves that it is).

[woohorn 1131]

yeah... what is the incidence rate in this population, vs, say, babysitters?  soccer coaches?  jewish 3rd-wave feminist graduate advisors?  
or is it just big news because of the astonishing irony?
or is it truly endemic?

The CC issues stand out because "authorities" knew about it for decades and didn't stop it. Your other ridiculous examples would never be enabled on a syatematic, worldwide basis like the CC. Maybe Mich. St., but still small potatoes.

It's not the crime...

[Mojo Hand 4580]

7 hours ago, woohorn said:

 

 

1) lots of gay priests

2) no. Otherwise it would be female victims.

(I know about the theory that pedo is not a homo/hetro issue, but this kinda proves that it is).

 

Many of the victims were girls.  

[Mole 4333]

7 hours ago, woohorn said:

The CC issues stand out because "authorities" knew about it for decades and didn't stop it. Your other ridiculous examples would never be enabled on a syatematic, worldwide basis like the CC. Maybe Mich. St., but still small potatoes.

It's not the crime...

The question that was asked was why it's so rampant in the CC. Possible answers put forth included celibacy.

Imbeded in the question is the idea that there are more predators in the  church vs. other places. The power structure that facilitated this happening so easily is pretty damning, but it's fair to ask if there actually more of these people working for the church vs. other places. I'd say that question needs to be answered before turning to the marraige and celibacy issue.

My guess is that allowing priests to marry doesn't make the slightest sent in the issue. There's a large and secret problem in Protestant churches as well, there just isn't quite the same system to facilitate it so easily. My guess is that anywhere there is easy access, abusers will flock. I'd also put forth that abusers get married too.

Its a good question though. We saw some data but no comparison so it doesn't really mean much. Compared to other places of access (other churches, daycare, schools, sports) are there more abusers in the CC?

[Guest]

On 8/15/2018 at 9:00 AM, Loco said:

What % of the child molesters in Pennsylvania did the church provide?

 

Is Penn State a church?

[Fozzz 152]

On 8/15/2018 at 7:32 PM, WhatTheBuck said:

I'm not really sure why anyone is surprised by this. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of children have been abused by Catholic clergy all over the world for decades, and that's just the ones we know about, going back generations. You don't think it's been going on for centuries?

If we had a board devoted to stories of child abuse at the hands of Catholic clergymen it would dwarf the old Bernard board. 

To be fair, if you go back centuries the slavery and genocide of indigenous populations the church participated in probably outweighs its other crimes.  

[Lucid 3]

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/ex-nuncio-accuses-pope-francis-of-failing-to-act-on-mccarricks-abuse

Quote

Ex-Nuncio Accuses Pope Francis of Failing to Act on McCarrick’s Abuse

In a written testimony, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò claims Pope Francis withdrew sanctions against Archbishop Theodore McCarrick.

Edward Pentin

In an extraordinary 11-page written testament, a former apostolic nuncio to the United States has accused several senior prelates of complicity in covering up Archbishop Theodore McCarrick’s allegations of sexual abuse, and has claimed that Pope Francis knew about sanctions imposed on then-Cardinal McCarrick by Pope Benedict XVI but chose to repeal them.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, 77, who served as apostolic nuncio in Washington D.C. from 2011 to 2016, said that in the late 2000s, Benedict had “imposed on Cardinal McCarrick sanctions similar to those now imposed on him by Pope Francis” and that Viganò personally told Pope Francis about those sanctions in 2013.

Archbishop Viganò said in his written statement, simultaneously released to the Register and other media, (see full text below) that Pope Francis “continued to cover” for McCarrick and not only did he “not take into account the sanctions that Pope Benedict had imposed on him” but also made McCarrick “his trusted counselor.”  Viganò said that the former archbishop of Washington advised the Pope to appoint a number of bishops in the United States, including Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago and Joseph Tobin of Newark. 

Archbishop Viganò, who said his “conscience dictates” that the truth be known as “the corruption has reached the very top of the Church’s hierarchy,” ended his testimony by calling on Pope Francis and all of those implicated in the cover up of Archbishop McCarrick’s abuse to resign.   

On June 20, Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on the order of Pope Francis, prohibited former Cardinal McCarrick from public ministry after an investigation by the New York archdiocese found an accusation of sexual abuse of a minor was “credible and substantiated.”  That same day,the public learned that the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Metuchen in New Jersey had received three accusations of sexual misconduct involving adults against McCarrick. Since then media reports have written of victims of the abuse, spanning decades, include a teenage boy, three young priests or seminarians, and a man now in his 60s who alleges McCarrick abused him from the age of 11. The Pope later accepted McCarrick’s resignation from the College of Cardinals.  

But Viganò wrote that Benedict much earlier had imposed sanctions on McCarrick “similar” to those handed down by Cardinal Parolin. “The cardinal was to leave the seminary where he was living,” Viganò said, “he was also forbidden to celebrate [Mass] in public, to participate in public meetings, to give lectures, to travel, with the obligation of dedicating himself to a life of prayer and penance.”  Viganò did not document the exact date but recollected the sanction to have been applied as far back 2009 or 2010.

Benedict’s measures came years after Archbishop Viganò’s predecessors at the nunciature — Archbishops Gabriel Montalvo and Pietro Sambi — had “immediately” informed the Holy See as soon as they had learned of Archbishop McCarrick’s “gravely immoral behavior with seminarians and priests,” the retired Italian Vatican diplomat wrote.

He said Archbishop Montalvo first alerted the Vatican in 2000, requesting that Dominican Father Boniface Ramsey write to Rome confirming the allegations. In 2006, Archbishop Viganò said that, as delegate for pontifical representations in the Secretariat of State, he personally wrote a memo to his superior, then Archbishop (later Cardinal) Leonardo Sandri, proposing an “exemplary measure” be taken against McCarrick that could have a “medicinal function” to prevent future abuses and alleviate a “very serious scandal for the faithful.” 

He drew on an indictment memorandum, communicated by Archbishop Sambi to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, then Secretary of State, in which an abusive priest had made claims against McCarrick of “such gravity and vileness” including “depraved acts” and “sacrilegious celebration of the Eucharist.”    

 

Memos Ignored

But, according to Viganò, his memo was ignored and no action was taken until the late 2000s — a delay which Archbishop Viganò claims is owed to complicity of John Paul II’s and Benedict XVI’s respective Secretaries of State, Cardinals Angelo Sodano and Tarcisio Bertone.

In 2008, Archbishop Viganò claims he wrote a second memo, this time to Cardinal Sandri’s successor as sostituto at the Secretariat of State, then Archbishop (later Cardinal) Fernando Filoni. He included a summary of research carried out by Richard Sipe, a psychotherapist and specialist in clerical sexual abuse, which Sipe had sent Benedict in the form of a statement. Viganò said he ended the memo by “repeating to my superiors that I thought it was necessary to intervene as soon as possible by removing the cardinal’s hat from Cardinal McCarrick.” 

Again, according the Viganò, his request fell on deaf ears and he writes he was “greatly dismayed” that both memos were ignored until Sipe’s “courageous and meritorious” statement had “the desired result.” 

“Benedict did what he had to do,” Archbishop Viganò told the Register Aug. 25, “but his collaborators — the Secretary of State and all the others — didn’t enforce it as they should have done, which led to the delay.”  

“What is certain,” Viganò writes in his testimony, “is that Pope Benedict imposed the above canonical sanctions on McCarrick and that they were communicated to him by the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Pietro Sambi.” 

The Register has independently confirmed that the allegations against McCarrick were certainly known to Benedict, and the Pope Emeritus remembers instructing Cardinal Bertone to impose measures but cannot recall their exact nature. 

In 2011, on arrival in Washington D.C., Archbishop Viganò said he personally repeated the sanction to McCarrick. “The cardinal, muttering in a barely comprehensible way, admitted that he had perhaps made the mistake of sleeping in the same bed with some seminarians at his beach house, but he said this as if it had no importance,” Viganò recalled in his testimony. 

In his written statement, Viganò then outlined his understanding of how, despite the allegations against him, McCarrick came to be appointed Archbishop of Washington D.C. in 2000 and how his misdeeds were covered up. His statement implicates Cardinals Angelo Sodano, Tarcisio Bertone and Pietro Parolin and he insists various other cardinals and bishops were well aware, including Cardinal Donald Wuerl, McCarrick’s successor as archbishop of Washington D.C. 

“I myself brought up the subject with Cardinal Wuerl on several occasions, and I certainly didn’t need to go into detail because it was immediately clear to me that he was fully aware of it,” he wrote. 

Ed McFadden, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Washington, told CNA that Wuerl categorically denies having been informed that McCarrick’s ministry had been restricted by the Vatican.

The second half of Viganò’s testimony primarily deals with what Pope Francis knew about McCarrick, and how he acted. 

He recalled meeting Cardinal McCarrick in June 2013 at the Pope’s Domus Sanctae Marthae residence, during which McCarrick told him “in a tone somewhere between ambiguous and triumphant: ‘The Pope received me yesterday; tomorrow I am going to China’” — the implication being that Francis had lifted the travel ban placed on him by Benedict. (Further evidence of this can be seen in this interview McCarrick gave the National Catholic Reporter in 2014.)

At a private meeting a few days later, Archbishop Viganò said the Pope asked him “‘What is Cardinal McCarrick like?’” to which the archbishop replied: “He corrupted generations of seminarians and priests and Pope Benedict ordered him to withdraw to a life of prayer and penance.” The former nuncio said he believes the Pope’s purpose in asking him was to “find out if I was an ally of McCarrick or not.” 

 

Freed From Constraints

He said it was “clear” that “from the time of Pope Francis’s election, McCarrick, now free from all constraints, had felt free to travel continuously, to give lectures and interviews.”

Moreover, he added, McCarrick had “become the kingmaker for appointments in the Curia and the United States, and the most listened to advisor in the Vatican for relations with the Obama administration.” 

Viganò claimed that the appointments of Cardinal Cupich to Chicago and Cardinal Joseph Tobin to Newark “were orchestrated by McCarrick,” among others. He said neither of the names was presented by the nunciature, whose job is traditionally to present a list of names, or terna, to the Congregation for Bishops. He also added that Bishop Robert McElroy’s appointment to San Diego was orchestrated “from above” rather than through the nuncio. 

The retired Italian diplomat also echoed the Register’s reports about Cardinal Rodriguez Maradíaga and his record of cover-up in Honduras, saying the Pope “defends his man” to the “bitter end,” despite the allegations against him. The same applies to McCarrick, wrote Viganò.

“He [Pope Francis] knew from at least June 23, 2013 that McCarrick was a serial predator,” Archbishop Viganò stated, but although “he knew that he was a corrupt man, he covered for him to the bitter end.”

“It was only when he was forced by the report of the abuse of a minor, again on the basis of media attention, that he took action [regarding McCarrick] to save his image in the media,” wrote Viganò. 

The former U.S. nuncio wrote that Pope Francis “is abdicating the mandate which Christ gave to Peter to confirm the brethren,” and urged him to “acknowledge his mistakes” and, to “set a good example to cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick’s abuses and resign along with all of them.”  

In comments to the media Aug. 25, Viganò said his main motivation for writing his testimony now was to“stop the suffering of the victims, to prevent new victims and to protect the Church: only the truth can make her free.” 

He also said he wanted to “discharge my conscience in front of God of my responsibilities as bishop for the universal Church,” adding that he is an “old man” who wanted to present himself to God “with a clean conscience.” 

“The people of God have the right to know the full truth also regarding their shepherds,” he said. “They have the right to be guided by good shepherds. In order to be able to trust them and love them, they have to know them openly, in transparency and truth, as they really are. A priest should always be a light on a candle, everywhere and for all.”

 

Testimony of His Excellency Carlo Maria Viganò, Titular Archbishop of Ulpiana, Apostolic Nuncio 

ITALIAN ORIGINAL TEXT of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò's testimony 

 

[Loco 3752]

On 8/20/2018 at 2:08 AM, woohorn said:

 

 

1) lots of gay priests

2) no. Otherwise it would be female victims.

(I know about the theory that pedo is not a homo/hetro issue, but this kinda proves that it is).

 

Stunningly uniformed take...  there are female victims...  being gay does not in any way make them a pedophile...  sexually touching with kids does!

 

[WhatTheBuck 28783]

6 hours ago, Lucid said:

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/ex-nuncio-accuses-pope-francis-of-failing-to-act-on-mccarricks-abuse

 

“sacrilegious celebration of the Eucharist.”

Go on. 

[Guest Lobo]

Curious what the priests at some of y'all parishes have said about this the last two Sundays in particular.  My wife's parish read that diocese wide letter last week at the very end of mass between back to school announcements.  This week, it was barely acknowledged in more of a "Christ still loves his church despite our flaws making it valid of Earth."  I don't envy their position, but it's been awkward at best lately.  

[WhatTheBuck 28783]

Nothing to see here, pass the collection plate. 

[Wally Fairway 5550]

So I'm just catching up, apparently this church problem that the Catholics have is bigger than they let on.
Wow - I'm sure everyone saw that coming.
Until they open the doors, books and documentation to all locations around the globe to independent investigations then I'm going to be certain that they are hiding more problems.

 

Full disclosure - born and raised Catholic (cradle Catholic) went to catholic school through the 7th grade, had an uncle who was a priest (he passed away 10 years ago), I still occasionally attend some of their cult functions but I view it as a social gathering with interesting rituals.
I must not be very attractive because I was never assaulted by any of the priest, nuns, teachers or other cult fanatics.

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

14 hours ago, Lobo said:

Curious what the priests at some of y'all parishes have said about this the last two Sundays in particular.  My wife's parish read that diocese wide letter last week at the very end of mass between back to school announcements.  This week, it was barely acknowledged in more of a "Christ still loves his church despite our flaws making it valid of Earth."  I don't envy their position, but it's been awkward at best lately.  

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you"

-Jesus (as translated thru the Catholic Church)

[tbone_ 14124]

3,766 cases in Germany

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2018/09/13/germany-sexual-abuse-catholic-church-vpx.cnn

[Guest Lobo]

Damn Germans and their meticulous record keeping.  I suspect this is so much more prevalent in Africa and Asia than anyone can possible fathom, they just hid behind stereotypes, history, and bad record-keeping.  

[WhatTheBuck 28783]

2 hours ago, Lobo said:

Damn Germans and their meticulous record keeping.  I suspect this is so much more prevalent in Africa and Asia than anyone can possible fathom, they just hid behind stereotypes, history, and bad record-keeping.  

I suspect this has been prevalent throughout the Catholic Church, all across the globe, for as long as the church has existed. 

[Guest Lobo]

I agree, but the conference being called for by Pope Francis is all over the news lately.  And just a few sentences in to each one of the stories, no matter the publisher, is about how they're considering expanding it to non-"Western" Catholic diocese because they now feel it may not just be confined to North America and Western Europe.  Yet another shining example of how with it the Church is in this day and age.  

But they've positioned themselves in a rather clever fashion, particularly when it comes to those who consider leaving the Church to pursue a more pure, untainted relationship with God & Christ: 

The gospel according to John 14:6 as Jesus states, "No one gets to the Father except through me"...to which the Catholic Church conveniently adds, "And US TOO!"