Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga - head of the Papal Cabinet of Cardinals (C9) |
Time’s up on Pope Francis and Catholic Church leaders being able to handle clergy abuse crisis
"Time’s up for Pope Francis and the leaders of the Catholic Church.To faithful Catholics, that's a shocking statement, even if we admit that there are some bad actors involved in cover-ups who are deeply embedded into the Church's structures of governance.
Catholics everywhere — and anyone who cares about children — should demand that our criminal justice system start treating the Roman Catholic Church for what many victims believe it is: an international criminal conspiracy to cover up the rape of what in the United States alone might amount to 100,000 children." Read more.
Here is a list of some powerful men close to Pope Francis, some of whom serve as his advisers. All, with the exception of Cardinal Pell, have some history of covering up sexual abuse or stymieing investigations into sexual abuse. Three have been chosen by the Pope to be members of his exclusive nine-member Papal Cabinet of Cardinals (C9).
- Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga - head of the C9. He's embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal involving a seminary in Honduras and his auxiliary bishop and protege, Auxiliary Bishop Juan Jose Pineda.
- Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa - another member of the C9. Stymied investigations into the crimes of the notorious Chilean sexual abuser Father Fernando Karadima, causing great scandal to the Church in that country. Pope Francis exacerbated the scandal by publicly impugning the victims, words he later had to take back.
- Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio - a close adviser of Pope Francis and president of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts from 2007 to 2018. Spoke positively about homosexuality many times before his private secretary, Monsignor Luigi Capozzi, was arrested by the Vatican police for hosting a cocaine-fueled homosexual orgy in an apartment building housing Vatican VIPs. Once tried to get Capozzi elevated to the episcopacy. Asked Pope Francis to rescind Pope Benedict's decision to laicize notorious abuser Fr. Mauro Inzoli. Inzoli was later convicted in an Italian court, to Pope Francis's great embarrassment.
- Cardinal Godfried Danneels - This Belgian cardinal scandalously pressured a victim of sexual abuse to be silent and even urged the victim to ask his abuser (his uncle, a bishop) for forgiveness (the Vangheluwe affair). Invited by Pope Francis to stand by his side in 2013 when he was introduced as the new Pope. Invited by Pope Frances to the 2014 Synod on the Family.
- Cardinal Donald Wuerl - Archbishop of Washington, D.C. Currently embroiled in sexual abuse cover-up scandals uncovered by the recent Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report.
- Cardinal George Pell - Another member of the C9, now facing criminal prosecution for sexual abuse in his home country of Australia. His guilt is unknown.
Nothing surprising by the current evil. Satan entered the Church hundreds of years ago. And he attacks relentlessly. Two books to be read and acted upon by all Catholics (including priests, bishops, cardinals and the pope), as well as lay faithful:
ReplyDelete1. first from 1982 by Fr. Enrique T. Rueda, "The Homosexual Network: Private Lives and Public Policy."
2. second from the 11th century by St. Peter Damian "The Book of Gomorrah"