Rome – Catholic clergy must report pedophile priests to police, a top Vatican official told the Holy See’s first conference on the sex abuse crisis on Monday, but victims’ groups demanded the Vatican face up to its past and publish its files on abuse.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Pope Benedict called for a “profound renewal of the church at every level” in a message delivered to senior churchmen summoned to discuss the Church’s handling of sex abuse cases and accusations the Vatican had encouraged secrecy.
The scandal has led to costly legal action, is blamed for an exodus of believers in some European states, including the pope’s native Germany, and damaged its moral standing in hitherto staunchly Catholic countries.
Cardinal William Levada, the Vatican’s head of doctrine, said clergy guilty of abuses would have to face the secular legal system, not just the canon law which governs church affairs.
It took them this long to come out and say this??
Even our Rabbanim who have been critisized so frequently on this matter have said this a while ago.
It appears that this is one instance where halacha differs from, lehavdil, christianity. The rabbis have always said that abuse cases should be handeled by rabunim rather than the police.
That is a shocking change of course for them. BH the Orthodox community will follow suit and remove this stain on Judaism.
“Mekol melamdai hiskalti”
It’s time our Holy Rabbis learn that sexual abuse is just as rampant amongst the orthodox as anyone else. Wake up TZADDIKIM and save the children, do not allow your little children into a mikvah.