The Pope thinks that penance is sufficient punishment for priests who sexually abuse children.
The speech "Continuing reflection on St Hildegard" can be seen at Zenit, the Vatican’s own site.
The relevant passage reads: “Hildegard opposed the movement of German Cathars. They -- Cathar literally means "pure" -- advocated a radical reform of the Church, above all to combat the abuses of the clergy. She reproved them harshly for wishing to subvert the very nature of the Church, reminding them that a true renewal of the ecclesial community is not achieved so much with a change of structures, but by a sincere spirit of penance and an active path of conversion. This is a message that we must never forget.”
Are priests above the law? Apparently the Pope thinks so. Why would anyone send their kids to a catholic school or church anymore? This is the wink wink nod nod approach to the problem. It’s like saying they are sorry that Farther Frank raped you daughter, but he said he’s sorry to God so everything is ok? Where is the justice in that?
Catholics, Clergy Sexual Abuse
