Cardinal Brady refuses to resign over Smyth revelations

[Dukeboxgeorge]

Originally Posted by Harry Bo

I can't stand when people are posting here about Ireland being a different place 35 years ago. It almost sounds like you are saying, "er sure, they didn't know what they were doing, so by the standards of the time, it was ok".

Let me clear something up, its not.

Peadophillia is not a new thing.

Does that make it ok to abuse or cover up an abuse? Even if it happend 35 years ago? No, it doesn't. Ethical standards weren't non-existent 35 years ago.

And even if they were as non-existent as you appear to be claiming, they certainly didn't just pop up in 2010...that's a 35 year gap where this mans evil was concealed and not spoken about (oh, apart from the other bunch of children Smyth raped and abused during that time that time).

There was a fear in Ireland when it came to the Church. People were afraid of the once powerhouse and thankfully we no longer seem to care about the institution.

He absolutely should resign.

If he is dedicated to preventing child abuse then he should do so outside of an organisation that allowed it to flourish.[/QU

True, its not a new thing, but the receditive nature of paedophilia was not understood 35yrs ago. It was understood that if someone was sent for therapy, then the would be cured of their addiction.

[Bannasidhe]

Raping a child is a crime now - it was a crime 35 years ago - Smyth should have been handed over to the secular authorities the first time he was reported to the church. He wasn't - instead they tried to hush it up. Smyth continued to rape children. The church did nothing. End of story.

[Serenitatis]

Originally Posted by Bannasidhe

Raping a child is a crime now - it was a crime 35 years ago - Smyth should have been handed over to the secular authorities the first time he was reported to the church. He wasn't - instead they tried to hush it up. Smyth continued to rape children. The church did nothing. End of story.

This sums it up really. Rape is a crime and rapists need to be punished. It makes no difference how long ago it was, it was illegal then too.

[Bannasidhe]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010...urch-sex-abuse

'..there is a sharp distinction between his attitude while a cardinal and his activities as pope that could yet leave an indelible stain on the reign of Benedict XVI.

In 2005 he was elected days after declaring that the time had come to sweep "the filth" from his church. By then he had read – and was disgusted by – files on more than 3,000 clerical abuse cases that were channelled to his department by a decree issued four years earlier by John Paul II.

Most of the cases dealt with by the Vatican department in recent years resulted in the accused being removed, if not defrocked.

The problem for Benedict is that, as in many other theological respects, he changed his mind. The US Vatican-watcher John Allen this week published in National Catholic Reporter an extract from the transcript of a conference in Spain that showed that, as late as November 2002, Ratzinger dismissed the American abuse scandals as the result of a "planned campaign" in the media.

By 2002 the then cardinal had signed what critics claim was an incitement to the obstruction of justice. A letter he circulated to bishops the previous year reminded them that internal church inquiries into certain serious offences were covered by what is known as papal secrecy, for which the penalty is excommunication.'

Can't even say I'm surprised...