Letter shows Pope Paul VI knew of child abuse decades ago

[Amerigo Vespucci]

KUDOS to ZeitgeistObserver, below...I copied and pasted the story as Raw Story had it, and it was incorrect. I updated the subject line but left the story intact, so just realize it was Pope Paul VI, NOT Pope John Paul.

:patriot:

Letter shows Pope John Paul knew of child abuse decades ago

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0331/letter-shows-pope-john-paul-knew-child-abuse-decades/

By Andrew McLemore
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 -- 9:30 pm

According to a newly released letter, Pope John Paul and the Vatican knew about clergy abuse of children almost 50 years ago.

The 1963 letter is from the head of a Roman Catholic order dedicated to the treatment of priests who had committed pedophilia. In it, he tells Pope John Paul that he recommends removing the priests from active ministry.

The letter was released in Los Angeles by attorneys for California clergy abuse victims who obtained the document during litigation.

It summarizes the Rev. Gerald M.C. Fitzgerald's thoughts on problem priests and appears to have been requested by Pope John Paul after Fitzgerald's 1963 visit to the Vatican.

Tod Tamberg, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, came to the Vatican's defense, saying it was unlikely Pope John Paul ever saw the letter.

[ZeitgeistObserver]

1. Pope Paul VI.

LOS ANGELES – The head of a Roman Catholic order that specialized in the treatment of pedophile priests visited with the then-pope nearly 50 years ago and followed up with a letter recommending the removal of pedophile priests from ministry, according to a copy of the letter released Wednesday.

In the Aug. 27, 1963 letter, the head of the New Mexico-based Servants of the Holy Paraclete tells the pope he recommends removing pedophile priests from active ministry and strongly urges defrocking repeat offenders.
The letter, written by the Rev. Gerald M.C. Fitzgerald, appears to have been drafted at the request of the pope and summarizes Fitzgerald's thoughts on problem priests after his Vatican visit.

A message left with the Paraclete order at one of their two existing facilities in Missouri was not returned. A number for the second facility was disconnected.
Tod Tamberg, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, defended the church and said it was unlikely Paul VI ever saw the letter.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100331/ap_on_re_us/us_church_abuse_letter

[xchrom]

2. Recommend

[MichiganVote]

3. That's only when victims started talking. They "knew" long before that.

Seriously..why the fuck do people keep kidding themselves about this. Beyond me.

[progressoid]

4. Of course he knew.

All the way up the hierarchy; they all knew.

[ZeitgeistObserver]

5. I'm sure they all knew about it.

I read an article a week ago about an order founded in 300 AD or so, to deal with this kind of problem, but I'm darned if I can find it now.

[grahamhgreen]

6. Ugh...!