: Vatican Minister Covered Up Sexual Harassment Scandals

 

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 - 19:44 Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone Written by Ahmed Baraa German media sources have revealed more information about the sexual abuse scandals against children in some Catholic churches, as a German newspaper confirmed that a senior Vatican official covered up one of these abuses that affected deaf children, while an investigation was launched in Chile into sexual assaults described as minor. The German weekly newspaper "Die Zeit" reported that the Vatican's Secretary of State covered up a sexual abuse scandal carried out by an American priest in the late 1990s. It added that Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone covered up in 1998 a sexual abuse scandal carried out by American priest Lawrence Murphy against deaf boys who were under the care of the church. The newspaper published documents that reached the Vatican via fax, including a confidential record of a special session on the scandal that discussed correspondence between the Vatican and Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland, who was investigating Murphy’s case at the time. The website added that Father Murphy, who is currently facing death and was running a Catholic school for the deaf at the time, sexually assaulted up to 200 children between 1950 and 1974, explaining that this sometimes happened during confession sessions. Patrick Schwarz, deputy head of political affairs at the Zeit newspaper, said yesterday, Monday, in an interview with the German News Agency, “Contrary to what was previously believed, the one who covered up this case is not the current pope, but Burton himself.” The American newspaper, The New York Times, published Murphy’s sexual assaults against the deaf in a report last March, and considered the current Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) responsible for the cover-up, as he was the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1998, while Burton was his general secretary. In Chile, Archbishop Francisco Javier said the Catholic Church was investigating “a few cases” of sexual abuse by priests. Javier did not specify the number or date of the abuse, and the media representative for the Diocese of Santiago said she did not know how many cases were being investigated. Pope Benedict XVI avoided addressing the issue of sexual abuse that has engulfed the Catholic Church during his Easter Mass. The Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, defended the pope and his handling of the issue. Addressing the pope at the Easter service, Cardinal Sodano said the Catholic Church would not be influenced by what he called “the petty gossip and tribulations that sometimes befall the community of believers.” The pope’s personal preacher, Father Raniero Cantalamessa, apologized for his comments in which he likened the attacks on the Catholic Church and the pope over the sexual abuse scandals to
































On children with the collective attack that Jews have been subjected to throughout history.

Cantalamessa's statements were met with sharp criticism from prominent Jewish figures, headed by the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany and the vice president of the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors and Descendants, who considered the comparison "insulting, rude and intolerable."


Download the document:

http://youm7.com/images/issuehtm/pdf/vatikan462010.pdf


http://www.youm7.com/News.asp?NewsID...D=88&IssueID=0

Vatican minister covers up abuses

More information has been revealed about child sex abuse scandals in Catholic churches, as a German newspaper confirmed that a senior Vatican official covered up one of these abuses that affected deaf children, while an investigation was launched in Chile into sexual assaults described as minor. The

German weekly Die Zeit said on its website that the Vatican’s Secretary of State covered up a sexual abuse scandal carried out by an American priest in the late 1990s.

It added that Cardinal Tarcisio Burton covered up in 1998 a sexual abuse scandal carried out by American priest Lawrence Murphy against deaf boys who were in his church care.

The newspaper published on its website documents that reached the Vatican via fax, including a secret record of a session on this scandal that discussed correspondence between the Vatican and Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland, who was investigating Murphy’s case at the time.

The website added that Father Murphy, who is currently facing death and was then running a Catholic school for the deaf, sexually abused up to 200 children between 1950 and 1974, explaining that this happened sometimes during confession sessions.

Patrick Schwarz, deputy head of political affairs at the Zeit newspaper, said yesterday, Monday, in an interview with the German Press Agency, "Contrary to what was previously believed, the one who covered up this case is not the current pope, but Burton himself."

The American New York Times published Murphy's sexual abuse of the deaf in a report last March, and considered the current Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) responsible for the cover-up, as he was the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 1998, while Burton was its general secretary.

Investigation in Chile
In Chile, Archbishop Francisco Javier said that the Catholic Church is investigating "a few cases" of sexual abuse by priests.

Javier did not specify the number of these abuses or their date, and the media representative of the Archdiocese of Santiago said that it does not know how many cases are being investigated.

Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI avoided addressing the issue of sexual abuse that has surrounded the Catholic Church during his Easter Mass.

In turn, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, defended the Pope and his way of dealing with this issue.

Addressing the Pope during the Easter celebration, Cardinal Sodano said that the Catholic Church would not be influenced by what he described as "the petty gossip and tribulations that sometimes befall the community of believers."

For his part, the Pope's personal preacher, Father Raniero Cantalamessa, apologized for his statements in which he likened the attacks on the Catholic Church and the Pope due to the child sexual abuse scandals to the collective attacks that Jews have been subjected to throughout history.

Cantalamessa's statements were met with sharp criticism from prominent Jewish figures, led by the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany and the Vice President of the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors and Descendants, who considered the comparison "insulting, rude and intolerable."

Source: Agencies

http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3...urrent_Current