Pope Francis addresses
seminarians from the northern Italian region of Lombardy Oct. 13.
(Servizio Fotografico -- Vatican Media/CNA)
Vatican | Oct. 18, 2018
Pope Tells Seminarians to Report Abuse ‘Immediately’
Francis met with a group of Italian seminarians in the Vatican’s St. Clementine Hall Oct. 13.
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis told a group of Italian seminarians to report immediately to their bishop if they ever see or suspect any kind abuse, sexual or otherwise, on the part of a priest.
“On this point, speak clearly,” the Pope told the students from Lombardy last weekend.
“If you see something like [abuse], [go] immediately to the bishop, to help that abusive brother — immediately to the bishop.”
The Pope met the group in the Vatican’s St. Clementine Hall Oct. 13. The text of the lengthy question-and-answer session was released by the Vatican Oct. 16. During the meeting, he answered a question about scandals in the Church and how to help Catholics to not lose hope despite the “poverty of its ministers.”
“Scandal wounds. We must be clear: On this point, do not yield. To scandals, no. Especially when the scandals hurt little ones,” he said, emphasizing that though statistics show abuse by priests or other clerics to be a small percentage of total cases in society, it is not a reason to ignore the issue.
“No. Because even if it was just one priest, this is a monstrosity,” he underlined.
Pope Francis also spoke about other “scandals” brought about by the public sins of priests, condemning worldliness in particular, and giving the example of a priest who is polite and well-liked but never seen praying, going to the hospital to visit the sick or performing works of mercy.
For a priest to scandalize the People of God “is very bad,” he said.
17 comments:
It's obvious PF isn't a lawyer. In the US in most states, you must report abuse to the governmental authorities. I guess you can give a courtesy notice to the bishop as well.
Uh, what if the abuser IS the bishop?
The main block to stopping abusive clergy in the past was the desire to help them first rather than interdict or punish. This is a restatement of that failed policy.
I hope he is not implying that going to the police instead of the bishop creates scandal. The idea that seminarians feel pressured NOT to go to the police first is a scandal.
If the current Papacy wants to die on the hill via slobbering and catoring to perverts, I wouldn't advise it.
TJM, so long as there is cell phone footage of this papacy's death that I can enjoy watching, I'm all for it.
Dan,
LOL. Me too!
TJM said...
If the current Papacy wants to die on the hill via slobbering and catoring to perverts, I wouldn't advise it.
Blogger Dan said...
TJM, so long as there is cell phone footage of this papacy's death that I can enjoy watching, I'm all for it
The level of depravity in these statements is, while not surprising, sickening.
Anonymous, anything to say about the depravity of the drug fueled homosexual orgies at the Vatican?
Dan, Anything I might say about any other topics would not - could not- lessen the depravity, the evil, in what you have said here.
It might make you feel righteous, bit you would not be.
It might make you feel vindicated, but your guilt remains.
It might make you feel like there are other evil people n the world, so you am not the worst. Comparisons are odious and your depravity is, ultimately, deadly.
I'm not comparing, but you are failing to consider how hurt and destroyed I've been by the Church. Hence my anger.
Dan,
Those perverts are NOT the Church. They are the smoke of Satan within the Church. I hope that the good Cardinals and Bishops in the world will support Archbishop Vigano and help him to be an effective chimney-sweep.
Dan, it's not about you, your hurt, or your anger.
As long as you think it is and act as if it is, your depravity will continue.
Anonymous you don't know me. I'm not at all "depraved." Just sick of the wolves embedded in the Church. My Church too, by the way, not just yours. It may not be obvious to you, or you may not wish to admit it, but there is an attempt from within to destroy the Faith. So, please use different adjectives to describe me besides "depraved." Angry, hurt, mad as heck, betrayed, old fart, rigid neo-pelagian... these I find acceptable.
Anonymous,
People who vote for the Abortion Party have a lot of crust saying someone else is depraved
Dan, I know what I read here.
Blogger Dan said...
TJM, so long as there is cell phone footage of this papacy's death that I can enjoy watching, I'm all for it.
It is depraved to take joy in the sufferings of others, to tejoice in their pain, to commiserate with your like minded third grader TJM.
Now you feel justified and self righteous, so you'll undoubtedly just go with it.
By "death" I meant the crumbling of the Francis agenda.... I hope this helps explain things is simple terms for you.
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