Leaked tape reveals cardinal trying to silence sex abuse victim

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Permalink Reply by Hugh Kramer on August 31, 2010 at 6:40pm

For some reason, I keep picturing the late WC Fields saying "Great Godfried Danneels!"

But I'm not laughing.

Permalink Reply by sk8eycat on September 1, 2010 at 11:45am

Uh...that was my first thought, too.

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on September 1, 2010 at 7:04am

With all of the turmoil that there has been about sex abuse in the church, and especially in Belgium, how can anybody believe that Cardinal Danneels was naive and unprepared going into a meeting with a sex abuse victim in Belgium? Moreover, why couldn't he have spoken to the press himself about it rather than through somebody else? One must ask why the church does not attach more importance to selecting ethical candidates to be cardinals.

The sex abuse cover up by the church is becoming exponentially more disgusting. At the same time it is providing a great opportunity to Atheists to represent themselves as a better alternative than the church. If the Atheist community accentuates Secular Humanism it may capitalize on the decadence within the church. If it does not the church may still be able to present itself as the lesser of two evils between itself and Atheism.

Permalink Reply by Joseph P on September 1, 2010 at 11:31am

One must ask why the church does not attach more importance to selecting ethical candidates to be cardinals.

Eh, it's all politics. Ethical, holy people don't tend to do that well in politics, because they're not willing to cut the dirty deals.

And no, George W. Bush isn't an exception to that. He got involved with Karl Rove, who dirtied W quite a bit with all of his slanderous attacks against his political rivals. I'm not sure W is all that holy, anyway, despite his constant Biblical talk. He's an armchair Christian who mostly pays lip service, just like most.

At the same time it is providing a great opportunity to Atheists to represent themselves as a better alternative than the church.

Eh, unfortunately, I don't think they're doing this. I think they're turning to evangelicals, like Joel Osteen.

Permalink Reply by sk8eycat on September 1, 2010 at 11:58am

If you follow the "Black Collar Crime Blotter" feature in Freethought Today, you will see that child abuse/rape and other crimes are not limited to the Catholic Crutch. Plenty of "youth ministers" and protestant pastors, especially evangelical churches with grandiose names, have been charged with the same types of crimes. And convicted. Plus a sprinkling of rabbis, too.

One of the major problems with all of this is that parents are reluctant to believe their children, at least at first. And when they do believe the kid(s) they are afraid to try to do anything about it.

Inevitably, congregations all rush in to "support" the accused priest and blame the victim, even when the evidence against the priest is overwhelming.

I think this kind of thing has been going on for centuries.

Permalink Reply by John Jubinsky on September 1, 2010 at 4:01pm

Inevitably, congregations all rush in to "support" the accused priest and blame the victim, even when the evidence against the priest is overwhelming.

I think this kind of thing has been going on for centuries.

Absolutely! At best the "supporters" are afraid they won't be supported themselves if they go against the flow but way too many of them won't do it because they are more interested in status than the welfare of the victims.

Permalink Reply by sk8eycat on September 1, 2010 at 9:15pm

Well, if they eat pieces of their imaginary frieind every Sunday, they'll do anything.

Permalink Reply by Loren Miller on September 1, 2010 at 12:04pm

The perpetrator and the bishop should be strung up, pilloried, and mostly just hauled before the bar of justice where I sincerely hope they get the proverbial book thrown at them! Follow that with a civil suit or whatever mechanism Belgium affords people in this situation, and if the church can't bear up against the strain ... TOUGH.