The Racquette

Issue date: 2/26/10 Section: News

Media Credit: Andre Ballensiefen: http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreballensiefen/

Recently, bishops from the Irish branch of the Catholic Church gathered in the Vatican to meet with Pope Benedict XVI. This convocation came in the wake of a report released late last year by an independent commission that indicated the church had covered numerous cases of child abuse in Ireland over the course of nearly thirty years.

After the meeting, the Vatican issued a written statement in which the pope called these acts of sexual abuse "not only a heinous crime, but also a grave sin which offends God and wounds the dignity of the human person." Further, he "challenged the Bishops to address the problems of the past with determination and resolve, and to face the present crisis with honesty and courage."

Victims of abuse are not satisfied by this statement, reports CNN, quoting the founder of Irish Survivors of Child Abuse: "[victims are] angered his Holiness did not see fit to take the necessary firm action against those in the Irish Church hierarchy who protected pedophiles." The group also expressed concern that asking the Irish bishops to address the issue in the future will not accomplish anything, as those holding the rank of bishop have allegedly been involved in the obfuscation of previous cases.

The pope also went on to note "the more general crisis of faith affecting the Church," which "he linked … to the lack of respect for the human person." He will issue a Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father during Lent, addressed to the Catholics of Ireland. Presumably this will further address the issue.

This appears to be a sign that the Catholic Church is reeling from the ongoing child abuse scandals that have been coming to light over the past several years. Bishop Joseph Duffy told CNN, "this has done an immense damage to the authority of the church as the mouthpiece of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Of that there is no doubt."

There has not yet been a clear indication of the Vatican's intentions with regards to the victims of such abuses here in the United States.

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