When religion and the state become one, death follows.
Father Christian von Wernich, 69, was accused of being one of the members of the Church who took sides with the then-ruling military junta, the Buenos Aires Provincial Police Force, from 1976 to 1983. The reverend was found guilty of his involvement in "seven murders, 31 cases of torture and 42 kidnappings," says the New York Times.
Source: Argentine Priest Sentenced to Life for Crimes Against Humanity
Father Christian von Wernich joins the infamous ranks of those who have committed crimes against humanity. Of course, the Vatican disavows all knowledge of this rouge priest who acted completely on his own. And... no rational person believes this.
Technorati tags: Christian von Wernich, theocracy, murder, crimes against humanity, Argentina, Catholicism
Von Wernich was a bad rip. During the trial, dozens of witnesses testified against him.
ReplyDeleteHe operated in the so-called “camps circuit” outside Buenos Aires in the role of a sort of junta-chaplain. He would try to squeeze detainees further after they had endured excruciating torture sessions by offering phony compassion in order to get them to talk. There are accusations that he also personally engaged in torture.
Your point about Roman Catholic knowledge of this is well taken. They have a record of supporting hideous fascist uprisings (for example the support given by the Franciscans to the Ustashi in Croatia in WW2) - and then trying to whitewash their involvement when the fascist coups failed to deliver. I have no doubt whatever that Vatican officials knew what Von Wernich was all about.