Apostolic Letter calls for

Battle lines against Sexual Abuse:

Pope Franciscus has called for an increased effort in the battle against abuse of children and other vulnerable individuals.

He called it: „Vos estis lux mundi“ ( You are the light of the world.)

When looked at carefully it is not much different from the Epistle of his predecessor, Pope Benedict 16, who issued the proclamation that cases of sexual abuse are not to be reported to civilian authorities, but are to be dealt with within the juristiction of the Roman Catholic Church.

If I understand this correctly, Mr. Ratzinger placed his Church in a higher field of authority and responsibility than the State in which the crime had been committed, and where it should be prosecuted.

We all know what happened after such a report to the „Authority of the Church“.

The miscreant was transferred to another Diocese where he could continue his criminal activities unhindered and without fear of any consequence.

The number of Priests and other members of the Catholic Hirarchie who actually faced time in jail, where they belong, is, I suspect, infinitesimal when compared to the number of perpetrators.

And now we are confronted by the cute saying:

„You are the light of the world“ . ( some „light“ )

which simply establishes Reporting Centres in each Diocese, to whose attention such crimes are to be brought. There is still no mention of the Police, the Prosecuting State Attournies or any other Civilian Authority, charged with dealing with criminal activities.

Only Officials of the Church are compelled to „forthwith“ report such crimes and/or any effort to hush-up the crime and to protect the criminal.

Simple lay-members of the Church are under no compulsion to report the crime to these „Reporting Centres“, and I cannot imagine a Priest reporting a Priest or a Bishop, or a Bishop reporting a Priest.

Come on, Francis, you can do better than establishing an internal „Reporting Centre“ which, I suspect, will develope into a „Hush-Up Centre“

Why don't you come down with „Fire and Brimstone“ and tell them that they shall all burn in Hell forever. Surely, if Non-Attendance of Sunday-Mass is a deadly Sin, the buggering of little children should be one too. Don't you think?

Bertstravels

freely admits that he has not read this „Apostolic Letter“ but takes his information from an article in the „Kleine Zeitung“ of Friday, 10^th of May 2019. and looks forward to reading the whole Writ.