Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » Something seems VERY VERY VERY wrong here. Do you think so too?

Something seems VERY VERY VERY wrong here. Do you think so too?

Pope Francis accused Chilean sex abuse victims of the notorious pedophile Rev. Fernando Karadima of slander. The victims accused Bishop Juan Barros of being complicit in covering up Karadima's sex crimes. Pope Francis said until he sees proof of Barros having done that the accusations against Barros are "all calumny". Why would he say that? Why speak about it at all? I thought the days of religious folks rushing to cover up sexual abuse/denounce accusers were in the past . Why would the sex abuse victims falsely accuse anyone of anything? What's going on in the church? More of the same  AGAIN?

Posted - January 19, 2018

Responses


  • 7280
    “The day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, I’ll speak,” Francis said. “There is not one shred of proof against him. It’s all calumny. Is that clear?”

    Calumny---the making of false and defamatory statements in order to damage someone's reputation


    The Pope is as precise as I am when he uses words. Priests are governed by canon law as well as civil law. 

    The reaction of Chileans is understandable.

    We (well, at least "I") and "we") don't have sufficient present knowledge of how this developed to occasion such a statement---so it may or may not be accurately characterized as "very, very wrong."



      January 19, 2018 2:14 PM MST
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  • 113301
     I am just one person tom. I am not Catholic. The stench of the decades of sexual  abuse of children by priests is still in the air and will ALWAYS be there. It is all scandalous and disgusting no matter who the pedophile is. The victims of abuse suffered enough. The Pope doesn't know what is TRUE any more than I do.  He speaks up to defend a priest whose actions are suspect in the eyes of the abuse victims. It isn't the Pope who needs proof. He was not sexually abused. He is not a sexual abuser. No one moved him from post to post or covered up his perfidy He is just another powerful man b laming the victims and defending the alleged perp. I think it is unseemly and unPopely for him to say anything unless directly asked about it. If he were he should not have blamed the victims in such a manner. He should have said he would not comment on it because he had no knowledge of it and let it go at that. What did he do? He attacked the victims and called them liars when the better path in my opinion would have been to remain silent and not cause more pain to them. I am precise with the words I use as well tom. I rarely regret the use of any of them. In hindsight sometimes I think of a word that might have been better but I always stand behind what I say. This is what I say. The Pope was out of line and is less in my eyes now. He is less than I thought he was. He shows no compassion for what the abuse victims experienced. He should be ashamed of himself! He reverted in typical fashion. Attacking the victims instead of remaining silent. I do not regret these words. What I think of him  matters not to anyone but me. We shall see if the priest in question was in fact covering up sexual abuse. Hopefully we will find the truth. In the meantime someone should muzzle the Pope. What he said did not show any love or understanding or concern. He is not the man I thought he was. Not by a long shot. So what, right? Thank you for your reply tom. So we disagree.   Big deal! :)
      January 20, 2018 2:50 AM MST
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