Pope Francis is preparing to roll back some of the reforms calling for tough treatment of priests accused of sexual abuse, reports Michael Brendan Dougherty of The Week.
Dougherty reports that the Pope has discussed the possibility of taking the responsibility for sex-abuse prosecution away from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), and having the cases handled by another Vatican office—presumably because the CDF is seen as relentless in its attitude toward abusive priests. The Pope reportedly discussed this possibility in December with the Council of Cardinals, although that conversation was not mentioned in public reports on the meeting.
Pope Francis has made numerous tough statements against clerical abuse, most recently in his message to the world’s bishops on December 28, the feast of the Holy Innocents. Yet he has also advocated for compassionate treatment of fallen priests, and defended prelates who have been charged with negligence in handling abuse complaints. In one noteworthy case, the Pope reversed a CDF decision laicizing a notorious Italian priest—who was later convicted of multiple charges in a civil court. [Editor’s note: story following]
Full story at Catholic Culture.
Father Mauro Inzoli
Fr. Mauro Inzoli, an Italian priest, was accused of molesting children. He allegedly abused minors in the confessional and taught children that sexual contact with him was legitimated by scripture and their faith. When his case reached CDF, he was found guilty. And in 2012, under the papacy of Pope Benedict, Inzoli was defrocked.
But Inzoli was “with cardinal friends,” we have learned. Cardinal Coccopalmerio and Monsignor Pio Vito Pinto, now dean of the Roman Rota, both intervened on behalf of Inzoli, and Pope Francis returned him to the priestly state in 2014, inviting him to a “a life of humility and prayer.” These strictures seem not to have troubled Inzoli too much. In January 2015, the priest participated in a conference on the family in Lombardy.
This summer, civil authorities finished their own trial of Inzoli, convicting him of eight offenses. Another 15 lay beyond the statute of limitations. The Italian press hammered the Vatican, specifically the CDF, for not sharing the information they had found in their canonical trial with civil authorities.
Full story at The Week.
bela lugosi’s make-up artist could have taken tips from fr inzoli on how to do the vampire look….or maybe it’s more than a look. pope burke will reverse all this undoing of good that the ‘bergoglisti’ are so worried about being rolled back.
something seems seriously out of touch with reality in thees moves, not to mention out out touch with morality, natural and divine. an intervention is needed beyond the level of the dubia..
In the name of compassion, Pope Francis defends priests preying upon children.
Such a so-called “Church” envisioned here by Pope Francis– if these news articles are true!– is not of Christ, it is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the Devil himself, impersonating Christ! Very, very dangerous!
We cannot possibly have ourselves and our families involved in an untrustworthy– even possibly CRIMINAL!!– “Mafia”-style, false “Church,” that protects her own, evil, child-molester criminal “Mafia clan” of clergy!! Such a false, Satanic “Church” of weak, cowardly, ego-centric, Godless, power-seeking, false Popes and criminal clergy– should be burned to the ground!!
It’s disturbing news that the Pope would pardon a priest that had committed egregious acts, & equally disturbing that the CDF under Pope Ratzinger did not send its information to the Italian police. But the article gives the implication that his handling of a single case plus his thoughts about relocating future investigations add up to some sort of brewing scandal is simply another attempt to discredit the Pope.
I believe St. John Paul had CDF take over investigations, probably because then Prefect Ratzinger was closer to him & more of a rotweiller than those at Rota and Clergy, even tho they are the more natural dicasteries for this kind of thing.
…. and yet, “In January 2015, the priest participated in a conference on the family in Lombardy,” is a direct result of the Holy Father not protecting the flock from a wolf. A known wolf. A wolf that was previously caged.
If this were a single incident, YFC, of poor off-the cuff judgement, then you may have a point. But where there is smoke there is fire. His Holiness is making his own bed here. He’s going to have to lie in it. Attempting to blame those who report on the Pope resting amid the sheets and blanket he’s chosen is to abuse the flock even more.
It’s a CONFERENCE Ann Malley. With boring speakers and bad lighting. It’s not camp with 14 year olds, for crying out loud.
And it IS a single incident. That’s the point. The Pope has sidelined dozens and dozens of other priests and Bishops. One incident, about which we know nothing other than what is published here on CCD. I went looking into it, and all I found was in Italian, which I do not read. A single incident. Only those who genuinely hate the Pope use this single incident to blow it into a forest fire.
YFC writes, “Only those who genuinely hate the Pope use this single incident to blow it into a forest fire.” = This paid troll is threatened because this CCD story topic IS currently “The most read.”
How incredibly cold and insensitive not to mention utterly delusional and absurd! What good mother or good father of a child who was victimized by clergy abuse will view this as a “single incident” The poster who calls himself YFC (Your fellow Catholic) promotes same sex unions on this Catholic website. So, it stands to reason, to point out how this paid activist is really no different than those who ignore God’s revealed truths to politically scurry to make an excuse for the inexcusable.
continued…..
continued from January 6, 2017 at 2:31
Only those who genuinely hate the teachings of the Catholic Church, (especially, regarding homosexuality) will accuse others, (who do accept Church teaching) of hating the Pope. On the contrary, due to the horrific sex abuse scandals, if we didn’t love the Pope, then we would choose to remain complicit through silence or try to make up “deplorable” excuses like our paid troll just tried to do.
Thank you, Catherine, for speaking reason. It is, however, for crying out loud, the sure sign of having hit the “tender” spot to witness YFC howling about hate, etc. Sadly, this kind of poker player still believes that shenanigans won’t be recognized in a room with bad lighting and boring company.
Only those who truly hate children, the Catholic Faith, and Holy Mother Church would carry water for those who want to pretend that a demonstrated track record of loose, off-the-cuff behavior with serious back blow is a single incident.
Those who love the Holy Father are those who call out foolish actions as FOOLISH.
Thank YOU, Ann Malley, for your spot on posts!
John Podesta’s emails certainly assisted in exposing the poorly crafted plots of behind the scenes corruption.
If, the news story above is true, then it also gives AND allows the scandalous appearance that the same kind of evil plotting (Vatileaks) that contains the blackmailing information powerful enough to already cause a living Pontiff to so-call “early retire”. Pray the rosary, daily! Implore our Blessed Mother to protect her son’s Church and all of her children from scheming ravenous wolves. “In the End My Immaculate Heart Will Triumph!”