Vatican anger over child sex abuse raids in Belgium - Polidicks

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/europe/10431317.stm]Source[/url] [release][B]Last week's police raid in Belgium which broke up a meeting of the country's Catholic bishops - who were discussing how to deal with the paedophile priest crisis - took the Vatican by complete surprise.[/B] [QUOTE][IMG]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48192000/jpg/_48192299_009676251-1.jpg[/IMG] [I]The Pope's reaction to the raids was more measured[/I][/QUOTE] [B]Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone[/B], the Vatican Secretary of State - Pope Benedict's number two - [B]was furious when he learned about how the police prevented the bishops from leaving the building where they had been meeting for nine hours, and took away their mobile telephones to prevent them communicating with their staff or with the Vatican.[/B] The police seized files not only from the headquarters of the Catholic Church in Brussels but also took away the laptop belonging to the former head of the Church in Belgium, Cardinal Godefried Daneels. They also allegedly profaned the tomb of at least one former Belgian cardinal at the cathedral in Mechelen during what seems to have been a frenetic search for possible incriminating documents. Cardinal Bertone angrily told reporters during a conference he was attending at a Catholic University in Rome that not even communist states dared to treat Church authorities and Church property in this way. He summoned the Belgian ambassador to the Vatican and handed him a formal protest note. [B]Change of tone[/B] Pope Benedict's own reaction in a letter to the head of the Belgian Church was more measured. While deploring the way in which the Belgian police had conducted their search for evidence of possible crimes of sex abuse committed by Belgian clergy, he said he was happy to let justice take its course provided the rights of all parties, victims of alleged abuse and accused priests, were respected. This marked a definite change of tone in Vatican reaction to the clerical sexual abuse crisis which has hit the Catholic Church in Europe and the Americas in recent years and particularly in recent months. Some high-ranking Vatican officials have habitually dismissed media coverage of predator priests as "idle gossip". Belgium, like many other countries in Europe, has a strong Catholic history but is also subject to strong secular influences. Although the Vatican claims 75% membership of the Catholic Church, regular Sunday Mass attendances have dwindled dramatically in recent years to about 5%. Last year, the Belgian parliament made a formal diplomatic protest to the Vatican over the Pope's remarks about the use of condoms to combat Aids. The Pope was on his way to Africa, the continent most seriously affected by Aids, and his remarks aroused a storm of protests - including one by the prestigious British medical journal, the Lancet. The Vatican rejected the Belgian protest as an "attempt to silence the Pope's moral teaching". [B]'Recognised religions'[/B] Official relations between the Vatican and Belgium are clouded with a certain ambiguity. No concordat, or treaty, governs relations with the Holy See. Belgium was part of France between 1795 and 1815, and the Napoleonic Concordat between France and the Vatican signed at the beginning of the 19th Century lapsed after Belgium became an independent state and separated from the Netherlands. But the practical effects of the Napoleonic Concordat were profound. Its recognition of the Catholic religion paved the way later for full state subsidies for other "recognised religions". The Belgian state pays salaries for teachers of religion in state schools and stipends and pensions for Catholic clergy and the renovation of Church buildings. Last week, Pope Benedict appointed a new Bishop of Bruges to replace Roger Vangheluwe - the longest serving bishop in the country who resigned in April after admitting that he had been sexually abusing a boy for years.[/release] Why so angry, mr. Bertone? If you have nothing to hide, then there's no reason to be angry about... [I]right[/I]?? Again, this was discussed a few days ago, I support what the belgian police did. This whole child abuse performed by priests and Churches being behind all that is getting out of hand--actually it's been out of hand from a long time.

Pigs won't find shit :catholic: God wills it.

[img_thumb]http://desideriocansino.economiacritica.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/v-for-vendetta.bmp[/img_thumb] "[I]And thus I clothe my naked villainy / With old odd ends stolen forth from holy writ/And seem a saint when most I play the devil.[/I]"

"Can you stop covering up child molestation?" "Stop persecuting us!"

[QUOTE=Pretiacruento;22946442][img_thumb]http://desideriocansino.economiacritica.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/v-for-vendetta.bmp[/img_thumb] "[I]And thus I clothe my naked villainy / With old odd ends stolen forth from holy writ/And seem a saint when most I play the devil.[/I]"[/QUOTE] It's late and I'm too tired to remember what this is a reference to D avinci code?

V for Vendetta. You know with the giant V symbol

[QUOTE=MRTW113;22946605]It's late and I'm too tired to remember what this is a reference to D avinci code?[/QUOTE] Are you joking? That's V for vendetta. Couldn't have missed the mark more. beaten to it

V for Vendetta is an excellent movie, one of my favourites. Although now some guy has gone around spray-painting the V all over town. It's like yeah. We get it. You like the movie, and you're hardcore.

I really doubt this was necessary; they're a bunch of old men, not a cell of armed, fanatical terrorists. While the police have the right to search for evidence and whatnot, a little more tact could have been used.

[QUOTE=Dr_Funk;22946881]I really doubt this was necessary; they're a bunch of old men, not a cell of armed, fanatical terrorists. While the police have the right to search for evidence and whatnot, a little more tact could have been used.[/QUOTE] The police tend to take child molestation seriously. I doubt tact was on their minds when they were trying to protect children.

[QUOTE=Dr_Funk;22946881]I really doubt this was necessary; they're a bunch of old men, not a cell of armed, fanatical terrorists. While the police have the right to search for evidence and whatnot, a little more tact could have been used.[/QUOTE] Honestly, who cares. Maybe it's time the church is shown it's power is dwindling and they don't have any special rights or privileges any more.

why do we have pope ? what good comes out of it again ?

[QUOTE=bravehat;22947902]Honestly, who cares. Maybe it's time the church is shown it's power is dwindling and they don't have any special rights or privileges any more.[/QUOTE] I say fucking finally.

That.

Pope pissed that police pressure pedophile priests to produce papers protecting previous perverted pastors?

[QUOTE=Lambeth;22950558]Pope pissed that police pressure pedophile priests to produce papers protecting previous perverted pastors?[/QUOTE] Preposterous!

[QUOTE=Lambeth;22950558]Pope pissed that police pressure pedophile priests to produce papers protecting previous perverted pastors?[/QUOTE] Pretty perfect poetry mr. person.

Why does the Vatican have to be a bunch of old pedophiles instead of some awesome shadow government with insanely overpowered hitmen like it is in Hellsing?

haha fuck you vatican

Vatican City should lose its sovereignty.

Now time to end this, Red October style.

[QUOTE=Janus Vesta;22947849]The police tend to take child molestation seriously. I doubt tact was on their minds when they were trying to protect children.[/QUOTE] After all, they were obviously right in the middle of a gangrape - after all, they're priests!