Pope: Belgian sex abuse raids deplorable

[n2doc]

By NICOLE WINFIELD
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

VATICAN CITY -- The pope on Sunday called the raids carried out by Belgian police investigating priestly sex abuse "deplorable" and asserted the right of the Catholic Church to investigate abuse alongside civil law enforcement authorities.

Pope Benedict XVI issued a message Sunday to the head of the Belgian bishops' conference, Monsignor Andre-Joseph Leonard, expressing his solidarity with all Belgian bishops "in this sad moment."

The June 24 raids targeted the home and office of a retired archbishop and also the graves of two prelates. The Vatican has slowly ratcheted up its criticism of the searches, with the Vatican No. 2 on Saturday complaining they were unprecedented even under communism.

On Sunday, Benedict took the criticism to a new level, issuing a personal message of support to the Belgian bishops for the "surprising and deplorable way" in which the raids were carried out.

http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1103ap_eu_vatican_belgium.html

No, Pope Rat, the deplorable action is your own coverup of the issue.

[unhappycamper]

1. Of course those sex abuse raids are deplorable.

Seeing your middle / upper management doing the perp walk is never good for public relations.

[MindandSoul]

13. They are only deplorable because they come years too late!

[msongs]

2. extorting money from poor people with threats of hell - now THAT is deplorable nt

[MindandSoul]

14. I was raised in Belgium, and I was molested by a priest (a hospital chaplain) in August of 1962

I was almost 12 years old.

[RainDog]

15. I'm so sorry to hear this

I hope that you have been able to find some justice.

[Democat]

3. There would be no raids if the Pope was doing his job.

The church refuses to clean house so various governments will try to do it for them. If it was another type of group, they would do the same. What makes the church think they should be untouchable when children are being harmed?

[Vampire Knight]

4. That's to be expected

of an organization that sees itself as the highest authority on Earth. Did you forget that they have exclusive access to God? They see the Belgian police as a hall monitor where they cast themselves as Interpol.

You know, when Jesus defied the priesthood, I don't think He intended His followers to BECOME the priesthood. Jesus taught that His followers were still to be subject to the laws of the land insofar as they governed corporeal matters. It was only if the government tried to usurp spiritual matters that they should resist (eg. emperor worship). What could be more corporeal than sex abuse? In this case, I certainly think that Christ would say that they should submit to local authority. Then again, I think that it would take a while to get to that because He'd be constantly excoriating the catholics on hijacking the faith. He once said of the Pharisees that they blocked the doors of Heaven: that they did not enter themselves and that they prevented others from getting in as well. What better description could be proferred for these pedophile priests and the people who protect them?

[LiberalFighter]

5. Under what authority does he believe that the government can't investigate on their own?

Maybe the rat should appeal to his authority and have them consult with the government.

[DailyGrind51]

6. Where the "prelate sector" fails, the government must act!

[malaise]

7. STFU Rome

What was deplorable was the abuse of children across the globe.

[Scuba]

8. +1

[RainDog]

9. The church has already demonstrated it is corrupt in its "investigations"

If any of these priests abused children they should rot in jail.

[RidinMyDonkey]

10. child abuse is deplorable!

Who the hell stands up for child molestors and rapists? I wouldn't believe the nerve if it was anyone but the Catholic Church.

I hope there is a hell so these priests and the Pope get what's coming to them, since we sure as hell will never do it here on earth.

[GodlessBiker]

11. He's upset that authorities are finally treating the Church as a racketeering enterprise.

[RagAss]

12. What a set of Cannon Balls on this guy !