The Pope gets even more implicated...

[Rum]

The RC church is more important than the protection of children..there is no other interpretation!

The BBC at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8612457.stm

Pope Benedict hit by new Church child abuse allegations

Pope Benedict XVI has become embroiled in new revelations over child sexual abuse, over a letter he is said to have signed in 1985 before becoming pontiff.

Associated Press said it had obtained the letter, signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, resisting the defrocking of offending US priest Stephen Kiesle.

Cardinal Ratzinger said the "good of the universal Church" needed to be considered in defrocking, AP reported. (my bold)

It said the Vatican had confirmed the cardinal's signature on the letter.

However it quoted Vatican spokesman Rev Federico Lombardi as saying it was "not strange that there are single documents which have Cardinal Ratzinger's signature".

He added: "The press office doesn't believe it is necessary to respond to every single document taken out of context regarding particular legal situations."

The Catholic Church has been hit by a series of child abuse scandals, including in Ireland, the US, Germany and Norway, and has faced criticism for failing to deal adequately with the problem.

AP said the Rev Kiesle was sentenced to three years of probation in 1978 for lewd conduct with two young boys in San Francisco. It said the Oakland diocese had recommended Kiesle's removal in 1981 but that that did not happen until 1987.

Cardinal Ratzinger took over the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which deals with sex abuse cases, in 1981.


ALLEGATIONS FACING POPE
In 1980 as archbishop of Munich and Freising, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger unwittingly approved housing for a priest accused of child abuse. A former deputy later said he made the decision
Cardinal Ratzinger failed to act over complaints during the 1990s about US priest Lawrence Murphy, who is thought to have abused some 200 deaf boys in Wisconsin
Cardinal Ratzinger allowed a case against Arizona priest Michael Teta to languish at the Vatican for more than a decade despite repeated pleas for his removal
Cardinal Ratzinger resisted the defrocking of California priest Stephen Kiesle, a convicted offender, saying "good of the universal Church" needed to be considered

AP says the 1985 correspondence, written in Latin, shows Cardinal Ratzinger saying that Kiesle's removal would have "grave significance" and would need careful review.

Cardinal Ratzinger urged "as much paternal care as possible" for Kiesle.

Kiesle was sentenced to six years in prison in 2004 after admitting molesting a young girl in 1995.

Kiesle is now 63 and is on the registered sex offenders list in California.

The Vatican on Friday urged Catholic dioceses around the world to co-operate with police investigating sex abuse allegations against priests.

Father Lombardi acknowledged that the Church had lost public trust and said Church law could no longer be placed above civil laws if that trust were to be recovered.

He also said Pope Benedict was prepared to meet more victims of abuse to offer them moral support.

This court... deems it necessary to consider the good of the Universal Church together with that of the petitioner

BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott says this is an abrupt change of tone by the Vatican.

He says officials had previously accused critics of trying to smear the Pope personally and only last weekend said he should ignore petty gossip directed at him.

Meanwhile Italian media have reported that the Vatican is to issue guidelines on its website on Monday on fighting paedophilia.

The Vatican has ruled out any possibility of a papal resignation over the scandals.

[colubridae]

I'm no legal eagle but doesn't make him guilty of perverting the course of justice?

[Rum]

I'm no legal eagle but doesn't make him guilty of perverting the course of justice?

Well clearly the perverting bit anyway.

[colubridae]

I'm no legal eagle but doesn't make him guilty of perverting the course of justice?

Well clearly the perverting bit anyway.

Bugger me!

[Xamonas Chegwé]

I'm no legal eagle but doesn't make him guilty of perverting the course of justice?

Well clearly the perverting bit anyway.

Bugger me!

I'll ask his holeyness on your behalf but I fear you may be a little old for his tastes.

[RuleBritannia]

I'm no legal eagle but doesn't make him guilty of perverting the course of justice?

I don't think The Vatican has any extradition treaties with any other country, neither are they part of the Council of Europe, European Union or the United Nations, which pretty much makes them untouchable.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

I'm no legal eagle but doesn't make him guilty of perverting the course of justice?

I don't think The Vatican has any extradition treaties with any other country, neither are they part of the Council of Europe, European Union or the United Nations, which pretty much makes them untouchable.

We could bomb the fuckers back to the bronze age! Oh, wait...

[Azathoth]

I'm no legal eagle but doesn't make him guilty of perverting the course of justice?

I don't think The Vatican has any extradition treaties with any other country, neither are they part of the Council of Europe, European Union or the United Nations, which pretty much makes them untouchable.

Arrest him and drag him to the nearest nick the moment he steps on British soil.

[Feck]

Rendition ... whisk him off to one of those friendly states that do allow torture ...

[maiforpeace]

I'm no legal eagle but doesn't make him guilty of perverting the course of justice?

I don't think The Vatican has any extradition treaties with any other country, neither are they part of the Council of Europe, European Union or the United Nations, which pretty much makes them untouchable.

It's asking too much to extradite the pope right now, but the church is responding to extraditions which is a step in the right direction...

Priest accused of US abuse won't fight extradition

[charlou]

He also said Pope Benedict was prepared to meet more victims of abuse to offer them moral support.

[JimC]

The existing decline of the catholic church in terms of power, influence and numbers will accelerate, one would imagine...

I can imagine a wide range of other christian churches, particularly of the evangelical persuasion, are actively planning and working to bring disgusted catholics into the fold...

(hopefully, many of the smarter ones will ditch the whole deusion anyway, but many will shop around for another church...)

[rab]

The vatican has already ruled out any possibility of Pope Benedict resigning.

In the meantime, a rocker from Poland may spend 2 yrs. in prison for ripping up a bible.

[Pappa]

The existing decline of the catholic church in terms of power, influence and numbers will accelerate, one would imagine...

They're growing massively in Africa though.

[beige]

The existing decline of the catholic church in terms of power, influence and numbers will accelerate, one would imagine...

They're growing massively in Africa though.

You'd think condemning large numbers of them to a slow painful death would be offputting, but no.