Vatican Defends Pope's Record On Sexual Abuse

By Francis X. Rocca
Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI, while still a cardinal, sought in vain to expedite the process for defrocking priests guilty of grave crimes, according to a 1988 letter published in the official Vatican newspaper.

The letter, which appears in the Thursday (Dec. 2) edition of L'Osservatore Romano, could have important implications for the pope's record on child sex abuse.

The letter appears in an article by Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, the No. 2 official at the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts. Arrieta said it recently resurfaced during preparations for a planned revision of the Catholic Church's system of penal law.

Known at the time as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and in charge of the Vatican's doctrinal office, Benedict wrote in February 1988 to the then-head of the Council seeking a "more rapid and simplified procedure" for removing priests found "guilty of grave and scandalous behavior."

As head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the time, Ratzinger evaluated requests from ordained men seeking dispensation from their priestly obligations, including celibacy.

Noting that such dispensations were ordinarily considered favors to the petitioners, Ratzinger argued in the letter that, "for the good of the faithful," the dispensation should not be granted to the guilty before they had been convicted and penalized with "reduction to the lay state."

"Given the complexity of the procedure," Ratzinger wrote, it was unsurprising that bishops "should encounter not a few difficulties in carrying it out."

The response, three weeks later from Cardinal Jose Rosalio Castillo Lara, was sympathetic but discouraging. Bemoaning a "relaxation of ecclesiastical discipline," Castillo said the problem lay with bishops, who held responsibility to initiate trials that could lead to defrocking
guilty priests. Many bishops, he suggested, preferred instead to let the Vatican dispense such priests without a trial.

The exchange is relevant to a recent controversy over Ratzinger's handling of the case of Stephen Kiesle, a priest who was convicted by a California civil court in 1978 of sexually abusing two young boys. Citing the "good of the church" in a 1985 letter, Ratzinger recommended against granting Kiesle's request for dispensation from his priestly obligations. (It was granted two years later.)

Kiesle's bishop in Oakland, Calif., had failed to initiate a church trial in his case, which could have provided the prerequisite for dispensation that Ratzinger stipulated in his later letter to Castillo.

The process of laicizing or otherwise disciplining pedophile priests became much speedier after 2001, when Pope John Paul II gave Ratzinger's office jurisdiction over all cases of clerical sex abuse.

Comments

[SlyKermit]

11:48 AM on 12/03/2010

Is this a surprise to ANYONE? Buehler?

[Kald]

11:15 AM on 12/03/2010

"Vatican Defends Pope's Record On Sexual Abuse"

Now... that comes as a shock!

: )

[Veritas is Pro Life]

11:10 AM on 12/03/2010

Thank God the Church has such a strong leader who is continuing his work in correcting abusive Priests and assisting victims. Unfortunately, some of his attackers are so blind with rage against anything Christian, especially Catholic, that they are not researching the steps taken by the Church, especially in America through the US Conference of Catholic Bishops to rectify the horrendous problem of sex abuse. In fact the Church is doing more to prevent this than any other institution. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all Huff Posters! Veritas.

[cabrobst]

09:07 AM on 12/03/2010

The Pope has hidden felons in order that they may continue to commit crimes. He needs to surrender himself to authorities and end his sorry life in prison.

[caleb36]

04:39 AM on 12/03/2010

And yet the Catholic Church continues to pretend that it is a moral exemplar and can impose its "morality" on others. The Church, through its Catholic Conference, was the leading opponent to the historic civil unions bill that the Illinois legislature passed on Wednesday.

[logicanada]

12:46 AM on 12/03/2010

I love coming to this religion page before bed every night. It makes me chuckle.

[alterego55]

08:28 PM on 12/02/2010

"Ratzinger recommended against granting Kiesle's request for dispensation from his priestly obligations."

Does everyone get this? Kiesle is a pedophile and was proven a pedophile in 1978. Kiesle requested to be removed from his priestly obligations. Ratzinger in 1985 recommended AGAINST granting Kiesle's request.

It is easy to see why NOW Cardinal Mahoney still obstructs justice and tries to keep Church documents confidential - still aiding and abetting criminals - and still won't get arrested for doing so.

[asta1968]

08:26 PM on 12/02/2010

For decades the church publicly called this "problem" an American anomaly. It was unique here and not happening anywhere else. Right!

As upset as I am about all those victims who were ignored, belittled and blamed, my thinking goes now to future victims.

Let's ask ourselves where the church is seeing growth right now.......Latin America, Asia, and Africa. In all these regions the poorest are targeted. Lack of education and resources make for a rich environment for predators. Especially those who are protected by the Catholic Church.

[Hysterian68]

07:56 PM on 12/02/2010

Benny Baby, you can run but you cannot hide. You're getting a cell. Just a matter of time.

[mcmutter]

07:26 PM on 12/02/2010

... ship Cardinal Law back to Boston to face the police ....

[MNKen]

05:57 PM on 12/02/2010

Would be great if Wikileaks could obtain and release all Cardinal Ratzinger's correspondence relating to priests abusing children. I would guess this letter would be greatly overshadowed by all the correspondence showing he protected the abusers.

[Whinger]

04:44 PM on 12/02/2010

How many of the victims are defending his record?

[Waltfl]

04:38 PM on 12/02/2010

1. Whether Ratzinger asked in 1988 if there was a faster way to remove abusive priests does not matter. Fact is, few attempts were even made to remove these priests. In most cases the Church tried to cover up, and moved priests around, enabling more abuse. 

2. There is no such thing as "canon law" in the USA. There is only US federal, state, and local law. If a felony in this country is discovered, it ha to be reported to the proper authorities, and the proper US law has to be applied, and not "canon law". If this is not being done, the responsible people are guilty of obstruction of justice. s Anyone who tries to apply the laws of a religious institution in this country tries to muddy the water. 

3. A letter supposedly written by Car. Ratzinger and published by the Vatican's press office means nothing as far as evidence goes. it is not even circumstantial evidence. What's next? Someone is being accused of a crime, holding up a self-written letter in court, saying that he didn't commit the crime? 

4. Even if the letter had a meaning, fact is, that tenthousands of abuse cases went on since the 80-ies. Card. Ratzinger himself was in charge of handling these cases. This is the reality. One letter does not make this go away, even if the letter was written with good intentions.

[Edward Standley]

12:56 AM on 12/03/2010

I think that your point #2 is the most important point. I do not expect the Vatican to do the right thing regarding the abuse of children. I do, however expect the U.S. civil authorities to do what is legally mandated. I expect the Vatican to cover up the crimes of priests and their leadership. I hold the civil authorities responsible far more than the Vatican. Why haven't these people been arrested? I have never subscribed to crazy "conspiracy theories, but the blatant child abuse coupled with the non-action of all civil authorities makes it hard to believe that there isn't conspiracy between law agencies and the church.

[MarandaLaw]

04:00 PM on 12/02/2010

Sex Crimes,and the Vatican??Since my family ownes a"Holy Infant of Prague"Stained glass window,in a Orthodox Catholic Church,in Wickliffe,Ohio,,I have to Comment!Since my Uncle(Archbishop),,was killed,because of his Greatness,his name,what he Stood for,what i stand for,and because,,He Did NOT STAND FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY,,within the Catholic Church.I have been hurt,sickened,(as in Purposely made Sick,With,Bacteria,E.Coli)by the Vatican,,and the Ignorance within it!!!How long do we,,as a Nation(A Great Nation),,Put up with this Ignorance,Killings,that happens,,within the Vatican,The Commonwealth,The Ignorant??Now that the "Truth"comes out,,about all of the "Above",May you All Get What You Deserve!!!
From,
Washington Dc.White House
9 Judge Name Change

[gregory57]

10:23 PM on 12/02/2010

I was just about to say the same.

[Schoolgirl666]

10:38 AM on 12/02/2010

and the Pope must be continuing to defend Cardinal Law.....

Bernard Francis Law (born November 4, 1931) is an American Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the Archbishop emeritus of Boston, member of the Roman Curia, archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, and titular Cardinal Priest of Santa Susanna, the American Catholic church in Rome.

He resigned as archbishop of Boston on December 13, 2002, in response to the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal after Church documents were revealed which suggested he had covered up sexual abuse committed by priests in his archdiocese