but what about those who knew and did nothing? Pedophile Priest Enablers from the former Pope Benedict (previously Cardinal Ratzinger) to Cardinal Mahoney and now, Cardinal Domenico Calcagno - three men in some of the highest positions of authority within the Catholic Church who KNEW children were being abused by fellow priests - and
DID.
NOTHING.
Pope Benedict XVI has been accused of inaction over allegations of child sex abuse against an Italian priest.
Former priest Nello Giraudo, allegedly committed numerous sexual abuses on minors in the diocese of Savona, near Genoa, from 1980 to 2005, of which then-cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was made aware of in 2003 but failed to take action.
One of Nello Giraudo's victims told Cardinal (then Bishop) Calcagno as soon as Calcagno was appointed to the dioscese. That was in 2002. Calcagno didn't write Ratzinger until 2003.
"Nothing has yet emerged on newspapers and no legal proceedings have been started," wrote Cardinal Calcagno in a letter to then Cardinal Ratzinger, who was then cardinal-prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's office tasked with overseeing the church's goodness and therefore to investigate sex abuses committed by clergymen.
"I ask your advice on how to deal [with Giraudo], as the priest intends to continue in his pastoral duties...I intend to keep him [Giraudo] away from responsibilities that will put him in contact with children or youngsters."
Instead of launching an investigation or reporting the allegations to police, the pedophile priest was simply punted to another diocese just 12km away.
Cover-up at the Highest Level
As I wrote in a previous diary, Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, this culture of coverup starts at the very top of the Catholic Church.
Prior to his election to Pope, Cardinal Razinger served as the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) from November 1981 through April 2005.
In 2001, Ratzinger put out a teaching approved by then pope John Paull II stating every sex abuse case that involves a minor comes to Ratzinger's desk.
The year before the Globe story, then-German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was designated to oversee complaints against priests from all over the world. In that job, he ordered that every sex abuse case in the church be brought to his attention, which means that the man who is now the head of the Roman Catholic Church was once in a position to know more than any other single individual in the church about the extent of the issue of pedophilic priests.
The CDF has documents from 4th century councils in Spain, that talks about sex abuse and children.
Due to the chuch's inaction, other children were put at risk. In 2005, this pedophile priest became "spiritual advisor" to a Boy Scout Troop, where and ended up abusing a 17-year-old boy. This time it was reported to police and Giraudo was sentenced. Was justice served? Depends on your definition of justice...
Justice?
In 2012 Giraudo agreed a plea bargain with prosecutors and was handed down a one-year suspended sentence in relation to the last offence. Under Italian law, the limitation period for the previous offences had already expired.
Domenico Calcagno is now a cardinal and is now taking part to the conclave that will elect a new Pope, following Benedict XVI resignations in February.
The victims expressed their anger at the fact Cardinal Ratzinger - who was elected Pope less than two years later in 2005 - did nothing despite his attention being drawn to the priest's behaviour.
In my opinion, unless and until the Vatican releases all files on suspected pedophile priests, there is no justice. There are files today in the Vatican detailing the suspected abuse of children. Open the files. Children today are at risk. Stop protecting pedophile priests and start protecting the most innocent souls among us.
Mon Mar 11, 2013 at 3:32 PM PT: CNN ran a special on this last night - they said that Fr. Giraudo "was reported in 1980 for abuse of minors." But rather than inform the police, Giraudo was simple moved from parish to parish - even allowed to set up and run a care home for troubled children in the church rectory.
Father Giraudo self-reported his pedophile tendencies in a letter dated 2002, but was still allowed to remain a priest.
CNN had an interview with one of the victims who said the church was only concerned with getting caught than with the impact to the victims.
Giraudo resigned in 2010. Vatican gave this response to charges of cover-up - "the accusations regarding Cardinal Domenico Calcagno ... and the accusations were without foundation."