A 350-page document leaked to German media and published today documents nearly 3,700 cases of alleged sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests, deacons and clergy in Germany over a 68-year period.
The release of the document caused shock in Germany, with many criticizing the German Bishops' Conference for its detailed knowledge of the abuse and their silence about it.
The four-year study examined cases from the postwar era in 1946 to 2014. Approximately 1,670 Priests were implicated in the study, the news outlet Deutsche Welle reported. According to Welt news, more than half the victims were 13 years old or younger at the time of the abuse.
Deutsche Welle reported the Church pursued only one-third of alleged abusers, who received minimal sanctions or none, while other accused priests often were relocated to other parishes without any information about the allegations being made public.
The Bishops' Conference denounced the publication of the document by the media, calling it "irresponsible."
Bishop Stephan Ackermann of Trier released a statement on behalf of the conference, stating the Bishops had planned to discuss the study during their autumn plenary assembly September 25 and would continue to do so, in order to "handle ... the consequences to be drawn from it."
"Handle" it....what does that mean?
"This development is even more aggravating, as until now the comprehensive study was not known even to [some] members of the German Bishops' Conference," said Bishop Ackermann.
"We know the extent of the sexual abuse exposed through the results of the study," the Bishop said. "It is depressing and shameful for us."
All 27 Dioceses in Germany participated in the research project, led by forensic psychiatrist Harald Dressing of Mannheim and conducted to achieve more "clarity and transparency," said the bishops' conference.
Bishop Ackermann said the study provides data for the bishops to analyze to gain insights into the actions of perpetrators and the behavior of church officials in recent decades.
The conference said that from September 24-27, it would make phone counseling available to people upset about the media reports.
What in the world does that mean?
The report was made public the same day the Vatican announced Pope Francis was calling the Presidents of every Catholic Bishops' Conference in the world to Rome February 21-24 to discuss the prevention of the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.
The dam is breaking and the world-wide extent of sexual abuse of minors by Clergymen is coming to light.
I do believe the Holy Spirit is not only allowing this to happen but is actively engaged in the work of revealing the extent to which homosexuality has entered the ranks of the Priesthood and the Episcopacy.
Still, from the reactions of the Holy See and the various Bishops’ Conferences, it appears the hierarchy sees this as the devil’s work.
How men of faith and truth could hold to this position amazes me.
Is this how far our Bishops have fallen from the redemptive grace of the Lord Jesus and the mission of the Church to bring the Lord’s cleansing and purifying grace to bear upon the evils of this world.
This German report and developments in Chile, Honduras, Argentina, Madagascar and elsewhere show the how pervasive this scandal is.
Whether the Church will be able to recover from its devastating effects upon the faithful is yet to be determined.
Thanks, Holy Spirit, for starting this purification and revival process. Help us survive it!
No comments:
Post a Comment