Vatican attacks media on ‘Pope role’ in sex abuse cases

March 26, 2010 04:44


A Vatican newspaper editorial said the claims were an “ignoble” attack on the Pope and that there was no “cover-up”.

via BBC:

The Vatican has attacked the media over charges that the Pope failed to act against a US priest accused of abusing up to 200 deaf boys two decades ago.

A Vatican newspaper editorial said the claims were an “ignoble” attack on the Pope and that there was no “cover-up”.

Archbishops had complained about Fr Lawrence Murphy in 1996 to a Vatican office led by the future pope, but apparently received no response.

One victim told the BBC the Pope had known of a cover-up “for many years”.

Arthur Budzinski, now 61, said Pope Benedict XVI should confess about what he knew.

Arthur Budzinski receives his first Holy Communion in 1958 (family  photo)
The Pope knew for many, many years
Arthur Budzinski
Alleged Wisconsin child abuse victim

He said through an interpreter: “It goes all the way up to him – he was in charge of these types of cases.”

The Catholic Church has been plagued in recent months by abuse cover-up claims in Europe, echoing paedophilia scandals that rocked the institution in America eight years ago.

Fr Murphy is suspected of abusing some 200 boys at St John’s School for the Deaf in St Francis, Wisconsin, between 1950 and 1974.

According to Church documents, an archbishop wrote in 1996 to a Vatican morals watchdog led by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope, to complain about Fr Murphy.

FULL STORY



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