Roger Vangheluwe, Ex-Bishop In Sex Abuse Scandal, Goes Into Hiding

BRUSSELS — The former Belgian bishop who resigned in April after admitting he sexually abused a nephew for years said Saturday he would go into hiding to assess his future, despite calls for him to leave the church immediately.

Roger Vangheluwe said in a statement he would immediately leave an abbey in his bishopry of Bruges, where he has been staying since his April 23 resignation. His bishopry has urged him to seek another place to live, and several victims of sexual abuse by clergy as well as a prominent senator have called on him to leave the church as an institution.

Vangheluwe gave no response to the calls for him to step out of priesthood, but said that "as of today, I will contemplate my life and future somewhere hidden, outside the bishopry of Bruges."

His April admission triggered a huge crisis in the Belgian Roman Catholic Church. On Friday, a commission presented a report of hundreds of sex abuse victims over the past half century with harrowing accounts of molestation by Catholic clergy that reportedly led to at least 13 suicides.

Vangheluwe had been Belgium's longest serving bishop when he resigned, one year shy of retirement. The scandal acerbated when secret tapes of a discussion between the former head of the Belgian church, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, and the victim showed the cardinal wanted to keep the scandal secret until the bishop retired.

On Saturday, Vangheluwe again admitted guilt and asked for forgiveness "to our church, to society, and all people marked by the suffering."

"My remorse has increased now that I see how much evil happened, partly because of me," he said in a statement read out by a spokesman for the Belgian church.

Archbishop Andre-Mutien Leonard, who was appointed earlier this year, said he would present a new initiative Monday on how to deal with cases of abuse, prevent further abuse and help victims seek closure.

Danneels, Leonard's predecessor, acknowledged Wednesday that damage control often took precedence in Belgium over concerns for victims in sexual abuse cases involving clergy.

Comments

[cinesimon]

08:14 PM on 09/14/2010

The Vatican kicks a nun out entirely for approving an abortion that otherwise would have killed both the mother and child.
Yet they claim to be powerless to do so with admitted pedophiles.

[RationalCaliGirl]

03:11 AM on 09/14/2010

"My remorse has increased now that I see how much evil happened, partly because of me," he said in a statement read out by a spokesman for the Belgian church.

Translation - I have no remorse for what I've done, I'm only sorry that I was exposed. And, not to worry, I will continue.

[Ballchinian8]

07:15 PM on 09/13/2010

This is exactly the type of situation where torture is appropriate. I think taking torture off the table removes a powerful tool and deterrent.

[avg american]

03:50 PM on 09/13/2010

The catholic church is a business and like all businesses, they need cash flow. Cut off their food supply. If you stop tithing to the church, eventually, they will listen and get rid of these criminals.

[MrNCN]

02:44 PM on 09/13/2010

In a totally unrelated story, an obscure parrish in France will get a new pastor to head their orphanage. Oddly enough, he speaks with what can only be described as a Belgian accent...

[roshni]

02:48 PM on 09/13/2010

And there are plenty of young boys in that orphanage, making it all the more attractive for the new pastor.

[bisbeeornotbisbee]

01:31 PM on 09/13/2010

May he know all the sorrow and fears which he has perpetrated upon others.

[LogicalMathMan]

12:30 PM on 09/13/2010

Looks like Justice Scalia has a younger brother from the pic.

[paniangelica]

10:26 AM on 09/13/2010

Go into hiding? Maybe with the help of the Vatican?

Hey, I have a novel idea - he can "go into hiding" by turning himself over to the authorities. I hear they have a nice, comfy place for him to hide, complete with meals, a bed... and a nice iron door with bars.

[bisbeeornotbisbee]

01:30 PM on 09/13/2010

To quote Eliza Doolittle, "Wouldn't it be luverly"!

[cinesimon]

08:16 PM on 09/14/2010

Most of them end up either in the vatican, or Ireland.
They treat such people like political prisoners, yet they condemn from the faith within days those who would approve an abortion of a pregnancy that would otherwise have killed both mother and child.

[bisbeeornotbisbee]

09:19 PM on 09/14/2010

Great post, cinesimon. Fanned and faved.

[Macready]

09:30 AM on 09/13/2010

he should be defrocked and thrown into jail for the rest of his life

[fishnetdiver]

03:32 AM on 09/13/2010

so when they say 'going in hiding' they really meant 'going to prison', right?

right?

[Macready]

09:31 AM on 09/13/2010

you must be kidding . . . he means hiding . .not jail

[fishnetdiver]

10:34 AM on 09/13/2010

was hoping just this one time they'd make an exception...you know, use the 'it was his own family not his parishoners' excuse...

Jeebus wept how the he// can these sick f***ers live with themselves?!

[MrNCN]

02:45 PM on 09/13/2010

Not exactly. It's code for "he's being transferred..."

[cocoricot]

12:09 AM on 09/13/2010

I will never understand how it is that Catholic priests have immunity from the law in these cases. And apparently they do everywhere. Are leaders of other religions protected as well- Protestant leaders, Rabbis, Imams, Buddist monks, etc.? I really would like to know. Now that he has resigned and is leaving the Bishopric or Diocese (whatever it is called) will he still be allowed to r ape children ?
Another question: Why is r-ape called m-olestaion or s-ex a-buse when it is done to childen? It seems to me that it is a more distructive as well as physically and emotionally painfull crime when carried out against a child. Yet society gives it a gentler title.

[ChicagoBlackRainbowWomen]

12:05 AM on 09/13/2010

My remorse has increased now that I see how much evil happened, partly because of me," he said in a statement read out by a spokesman for the Belgian church.


'partly becasue of me?' Are you kidding me? They guy has no remorse he cant even face his own evil truth.

[MrNCN]

02:48 PM on 09/13/2010

well... he is only PARTLY responsible. Of course it's the part that makes up 99.99999% but still.

[cinesimon]

08:18 PM on 09/14/2010

I disagree. The church itself has a much larger chunk of responsibility than you suggest - remember, these people were operating in full knowledge of Ratzinger and company.

[Retrofuturistic]

10:41 PM on 09/12/2010

He's not hiding; he's looking for his next victim....

[bisbeeornotbisbee]

01:32 PM on 09/13/2010

Probably true.  :( Faved, already fanned.

[IslandTyme]

09:26 PM on 09/12/2010

..... and yet you don't see Teabaggers protesting Catholic Churches being built near schools, playgrounds or neighborhoods with small children. How odd.

[bisbeeornotbisbee]

01:32 PM on 09/13/2010

That's a great point, Island Tyme!  Fanned and faved.

[TeeSC]

02:02 PM on 09/13/2010

And I certainly hope they don't start.  I see the point you're trying to make but this isn't the right way to make it.  :-)

[75thRanger]

02:09 PM on 09/13/2010

Morning TeeSC:) How was your weekend? Of course mine was tainted by a horrible loss to Kansas but I'm better now. I'm looking forward to watching your Tigers this weekend against Auburn. So glad it's televised. We start conference play at UNC this week and since the entire Coastal division of the ACC lost this week we still have a chance to win it:). I'm kind of glad that this game is away so I can watch your Tigers beat up on Auburn:)!

“Sua Sponte”

[relians]

03:58 PM on 09/13/2010

it most surely is. not only should they not build any of these superstition temples near these places, no person under 21 should be allowed to have to suffer the lies of the superstitions. "threatening a kid with a non-existent hell is child abuse" stop the abuse!

[TAIsabel]

06:49 PM on 09/12/2010

Why is this and all other priests like him not in jail? Why are they not treated like the sexual predators that they are? This is exactly why I left the Catholic Church many years ago. I simply could not stand the hypocrisy and the sense of entitlement.

Throw them all in jail and throw away the key already!