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Sex Crimes Cover-Up By Vatican

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Sex Crimes Cover-Up By Vatican?

(CBS) For decades, priests in this country abused children in parish after parish while their superiors covered it all up. Now it turns out the orders for this cover up were written in Rome at the highest levels of the Vatican.

CBS News Correspondent Vince Gonzales has uncovered a church document kept secret for 40 years.

The confidential Vatican document, obtained by CBS News, lays out a church policy that calls for absolute secrecy when it comes to sexual abuse by priests - anyone who speaks out could be thrown out of the church.

The policy was written in 1962 by Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani.

The document, once "stored in the secret archives" of the Vatican, focuses on crimes initiated as part of the confessional relationship and what it calls the "worst crime": sexual assault committed by a priest" or "attempted by him with youths of either sex or with brute animals."

Bishops are instructed to pursue these cases "in the most secretive way...restrained by a perpetual silence...and everyone {including the alleged victim) ...is to observe the strictest secret, which is commonly regarded as a secret of the Holy Office...under the penalty of excommunication."

Larry Drivon, a lawyer who represents alleged victims, said, “This document is significant because it's a blueprint for deception.”

Drivon said the document proves what he has alleged on behalf of victims in priest-abuse lawsuits: that the church engaged in Mafia-style behavior -- racketeering.

“It's an instruction manual on how to deceive and how to protect pedophiles,” Drivon said. "And exactly how to avoid the truth coming out."

“The idea that this is some sort of blueprint to keep this secret is simply wrong,” said Msgr. Francis Maniscalco, spokesman for the the U.S. Conference of Bishops.

The conference said the document is being taken out of context, that it's a church law that deals only with religious crimes and sins. And that the secrecy is meant to protect the faithful from scandal.

“This is a system of law which is complete in itself and is not telling the bishops in any way about how to handle these crimes when they are considered as civil crimes,” Maniscalco said.

But Richard Sipe, a former priest who has written about sex abuse and secrecy in the church, said the document sends a chilling message.

“This is the code for how you must deal with sex by priests. You keep it secret at all costs,” Sipe said. “And that's what's happened. It's happened in every diocese in this country.”

According to church records, the document was a bedrock of Catholic sex abuse policy until America's bishops met last summer and drafted new policies to address the crisis in the church.

I find it funny that the church itself protects/hides pedophiles from the law, but many have a problem with a gay bishop. This is just completely fucked on many levels and makes me even more proud than ever to be atheist.

Nothing new here, maybe the catholic church could co-host a pedophile conferance with Jehovas Witnesses.

Tax all religions until they dissapear.

what's next?? pope gets accused of molestation (that wouldnt surprise me).

Just another reason to ban religions - the world would be a lot safer and happier.

That would very likely cause WW3.

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Originally posted by Arc101
Just another reason to ban religions - the world would be a lot safer and happier.

What reason is that? Safer and happier world....are you nuts? Just about every war is fought with some religious overtone, you think banning them would end that?

Banning almost everything is NEVER a solution in my opinion.

How about we punish those who violate the law? It's usually a pretty good solution. However when we fail to do that somehow the only solution is more laws? Crazy isn't it.

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Where I come from we have name for that....

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Originally posted by j8ear
What reason is that? Safer and happier world....are you nuts? Just about every war is fought with some religious overtone, you think banning them would end that?

Banning almost everything is NEVER a solution in my opinion.

How about we punish those who violate the law? It's usually a pretty good solution. However when we fail to do that somehow the only solution is more laws? Crazy isn't it.

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Where I come from we have name for that....

I agree completely with j8ear. Banning would solve nothing.

Punish those who break the law, and throw in jail those who conspire to cover it up. If anything, the Vatican should be publicizing its attempt to "purify" its church, rather than hide the filthiness which seems engrained in it.

I think the church is going to get off very easy. If a private school system had a policy of moving teachers around who were abusive there would huge federal investigations and the leaders of the school would certainly be facing long prison sentences. Policies like the one outlined above make it clear why only the Catholic Church is having widespread problems.

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Originally posted by BadForm
I think the church is going to get off very easy. If a private school system had a policy of moving teachers around who were abusive there would huge federal investigations and the leaders of the school would certainly be facing long prison sentences. Policies like the one outlined above make it clear why only the Catholic Church is having widespread problems.

You are absolutely right. There would be a federal investigation resulting in no charges, covering up of the truth, and a recommendation for more money. That is it. No one would be fired, everyone would be vindicated, all court judgements would be vacated, and the blame would be shifted elsewhere.

Oh wait...you said 'private schools'...different story. Then your also right....except... the investigation would last a week, the results would be additional federal regulations (which would surely destroy the last bastion of quality education remaining in this country), taxes on those sending their children for quality education, with all revenues being poured into public schools (probably the worst ones would get the most), administrators particularly, and a huge propoganda campaign against private schools as corrupt, out of touch, and dangerous to the national interest would be initiated.

Both 'investigations' would be conducted by the NEA.

~sigh~

I love this country!

On a side note...here in DC recently the school chancelor (or what ever the fuck that piece of garbage is called) was recently discovered to have embezzled millions of dollars from the teachers pension. He remains on the street with nothing have been paid back. NOTHING. People around here are so jaded..that you rarely hear a thing about it anymore.

I have tears welling up in my eyes as I write this.

Religions in this country are doomed. To many reasonable restrictions on existence. Granted, much hypocracy, but many a soul has been guided and directed by it's (you pick the demonination) teachings. It's not for everyone, but thank goodness that most, not some, or even a few, but MOST are able to take from it something positive. I have many a good thought for those damaged by it's constant hyperbole. I hope the bad can be erradicated. Much like life, this is a pipe dream....but hey...a man can yearn for progress in everything right?

i think we're far off from banning any religions. that would need an ammendment to do and even then it would be real hard.

the govt just needs to downplay religion and things like what's goin on in the alabama courthouse does not certainly help.

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Originally posted by The_Dude
i think we're far off from banning any religions. that would need an ammendment to do and even then it would be real hard.

the govt just needs to downplay religion and things like what's goin on in the alabama courthouse does not certainly help.

You do realise that Bush believes that God talks to him right? No way you'll even begin to diminish religion's influence in the US and some other countries for hundreds of years. I would like to live to see the day that religions mostly went away though. It would be quite a spectacle.

BTW here is another link to a similar article.

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