A preliminary report on proposed anti-pedophilia guidelines within the Catholic Church is ready to be published, according to the Vatican Insider :
In recent weeks bishops from across the world sent the Holy See their guidelines for preventing and combating sex abuse against minors perpetrated by clerics. In the next few days the Vatican will publish a preliminary report containing the assessment of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This is a delicate task given the diversity in the various Episcopates’ opinions on such a distressing topic.
Distressing for who ? The victims ? Or rather the Church hierarchy who sees their coffers, donations and congregations dwindle in the light of the horrendous crimes that its clergy have committed over centuries ?
Whatever the Inquisition will come up with in terms of procedures to deal with sexual abuse by clergy is not going to be good enough. What is needed to prosecute offenders is full disclosure of abuse to civil authorities, police and courts, and mandatory reporting of abuse learned during confessionals. That would be a useful first step. And then we can look at how to prevent abuse by clergy from happening in the first place. Getting rid of celibacy laws and the discrimination and condemnation of homosexuality would be a good move in the right direction. Not having potential abusers in a position of power and influence over children would be another.
And since these things will not be included in the coming report, we are left with a more radical cure for this particular cancer. Cut it out. Dissolve the whole criminal organisation and sell the Vatican. It’s the only way to be sure that the abuse will stop.
