Photosales
niJobfinder
niCarfinder
Home Delivery
Propertynews
Pope declined to defrock priest who molested deaf children
Friday, 26 March 2010
More pictures
The Vatican is under renewed pressure to explain its handling of historical child abuse scandals after documents emerged showing that an office which was once headed up by Pope Benedict XVI decided not to defrock a US priest who had been accused of abusing over 200 deaf children.
Lawyers acting on behalf of victims in the United States released a series of letters yesterday from two Wisconsin bishops asking the Vatican for permission to press ahead with a church trial against Reverend Lawrence Murphy.
Many of the letters detailed correspondence between the bishops and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the influential Vatican body tasked with investigating abuse cases that was run by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger until he became pontiff in 2005.
Murphy had been accused of a string of sex attacks throughout the 1960s and 1970s and, although no criminal charges had been brought against him, the Catholic Church in Wisconsin was under pressure from the deaf community to strip him of his priestly duties.
In 1996 the then Archbishop of Milwaukee, Rembert Weakland, wrote to Cardinal Ratzinger's office asking for permission to begin a canonical trial for Murphy, who worked at the St John's School for the Deaf in Milwaukee from 1950 to 1974 and had admitted to many of the abuse allegations. Initially the Congregation recommended a secret disciplinary hearing for the priest, but the following year it backtracked after Cardinal Ratzinger received a personal appeal from Murphy begging for clemency. He died a year later in 1998 and was buried in full priestly vestments. The Congregation did not contact the police about the allegations.
The letters are both enlightening and potentially embarrassing for the Vatican because they illuminate the secretive workings of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the man who ran it for more than 20 years before becoming Pope.
One of the Congregation's tasks is to investigate all child abuse scandals in the Church, and in the past 15 years it has dealt with thousands of cases of clerical abuse. But much of the work it has done on paedophile priests remains shrouded in secrecy.
American victims of clerical abuse rounded on the Vatican yesterday, criticising its handling of their complaints and calling on the Pope to personally account for his time as head of the Congregation. Four victims from the US-based Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests (Snap) travelled to Rome yesterday to hold a demonstration in St Peter's Square calling on the Vatican to open up all its files on paedophile priests and immediately defrock anyone found to have abused a child.
"The goal of Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, was to keep this secret," said Peter Isely, the Milwaukee-based director of Snap. "This is the most incontrovertible case of paedophilia you could get. We need to know why [the Pope] did not let us know about [Murphy] and why he didn't let the police know about him and why he did not condemn him and why he did not take his collar away from him."
The group handed out photocopies of the letters between the bishops and the Vatican on Murphy. Shortly afterwards they were stopped by police officers who confiscated their passports and led the group off for questioning.
The Catholic Church is currently battling a series of historical clerical abuse scandals that have emerged in Europe in the past two months. The Pope has already been personally dragged into the scandals after it emerged that a paedophile priest was allowed to continue working in the Munich diocese when Ratzinger was a bishop there in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Survivor groups are also angry that the leader of the world's Roman Catholics penned a now controversial 2001 order handed down by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reminding churches around the world to investigate abuse allegations internally before deciding whether to report them to the authorities.
The Vatican yesterday hit back at allegations in Milwaukee insisting that there had been no attempt to cover up Murphy's actions.
The Vatican spokesman, the Reverend Federico Lombardi, issued a statement noting that the case had only reached the Vatican in 1996, that Murphy died two years later, and that there was nothing in the church's handling of the matter that precluded any civil action from being taken against him.
Earlier in the day one of the Pope's top aides repeated the often-voiced Vatican line that the new rash of abuse allegations coming out of Europe and North America are part on an ongoing "conspiracy" against the Church.
"This is a pretext for attacking the Church," said Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins. "There is a well-organised plan with a very clear aim."
Sex abuse row: Letters of a scandal
The following are edited extracts from letters about Father Murphy's crimes
*From: Reverend Lawrence Murphy
To: His Excellency Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Dear Cardinal Ratzinger
My case can be summarized as follows: In 1974, I resigned from the St John School for the Deaf, St Francis, Wisconsin, in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, because of accusations of sexual misconduct
Nearly five years ago, however, some former students of St John's began contacting the Archdiocese of Milwaukee raising allegations against me. These were not allegations of recent misconduct, but were for offenses allegedly committed between the years 1963 and 1969. Some of the allegations involved solicitation in the confessional.
I ask that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declare the decree of citation by the Diocese of Superior invalid. The accusations against me were from actions alleged to have taken place over 25 years ago.
I am 72 years of age, your Eminence, and am in poor health. I have just recently suffered another stroke, which has left me in a weakened state ... I have repented of any of my past transgressions, and have been living peaceably in northern Wisconsin for 24 years. I simply want to live out the time that I have left in the dignity of my priesthood. I ask your kind assistance in this matter.
*From: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Congregatio pro Doctrina Fidei in Rome
To: Rev. Raphael Michael Fliss, Bishop of Superior, USA.
Your Excellency,
I am writing in relation to the case, already known to you, of Fr Lawrence MURPHY, a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee who resides in Boulder Junction, accused of solicitation in confession against disabled minors.
Fr MURPHY wrote a letter dated 12 January 1998 to this Congregation requesting that the Decree of citation issued from your diocesan Tribunal on 6 January be declared invalid.
Fr Murphy also stated that he wished to live out the time that he has left in the dignity of his priesthood...taking into consideration what has been expressed by Fr Murphy in his letter, and before deciding upon a judicial process to establish the canonical responsibilities of the accused priest, the Congregation invites Your Excellency to give careful consideration to what canon 1341 proposes as pastoral measures destined to obtain the reparation of scandal and the restoration of justice.
I take the opportunity to wish you a blessed Easter in the joy of the risen Christ and with sincere respects, I remain,
Yours devotedly to the Lord,
Tarcisio Bertone
Source: Independent
- Text Size
Also in this section
- Egypt candidates woo middle ground
- Clinton: End Assad 'rule of murder'
- Rebel groups agree on Islamic state
- Another Eurovision disaster for UK
- Second body found in Indian river
Comments
29 Comments
1 Timothy 4
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
Why aren't the church members protesting over the rape and molestaion of children.? I would not allow my children around a secret ring of molesters. I don't believe all priests have or will do this, but how do you know who is who? You should stand up to evil, especially when it hurts children. What hold does the church have on its members that they can't walk out and quit paying tithes, even temporarily? Don't get it.
We have only scratched the surface.
Posted by JustCurious | 10.05.10, 02:44 GMT
Somebody asked what Jesus would do.
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
Posted by JustCurious | 10.05.10, 02:20 GMT
Since these RCC Paedophiles/criminals cannot possibly be described as Priests in the truest sense, it must follow that all the 'sacraments' that they administered are null and void. Therefore all the Weddings, Baptisms etc. are illegal.
I would also have thought that at this point it would be beneficial to the world if all priests, bishops, cardinals & popes made an affidavit stating whether or not they have ever physically or sexually abused anyone.
Posted by Paul | 03.04.10, 20:34 GMT
This is just a thought? Isn't hiding the truth and promotion of hiding the truth considered bearing false witness in these cases. Should anyone be considered exempt because their rules gained them power on this earth? We are not less than the CEO and we are not more than the unfortunate homeless or unwanted. We are all fortunate being allowed to be here and fortunate being allowed to read simple truths or listen when it is presented.
Posted by Robert David Wright | 27.03.10, 03:15 GMT
The BT should at least try and publish the vatican's response...the claim only reached Vatican ears 20 years after the abuse occured and many of the LOCAL american priests who had been involved in a cover up had passed away. The american police investigated (including interviewing the victims) and pressed no charges(!!)...so what exactly was the Vatican to do? I'm all for locking up pedos and throwing away the key, but lets get ALL of the facts and stories before beginning a witch hunt eh?
Posted by Sean D | 26.03.10, 20:48 GMT
I really think that the Catholic Church as a whole has to take responsibilty for the actions of what is now quite a lot of priests. This denying responsbility and 'it was someones elses responsibilty' is absolutely pathetic and not the leadership qualities that a mass religion should have. Stand up and unreservedly apologise for the actions of every abuse ever commited and start to deal properly with the problems. Whilst I agree that every victim deserves some form of compensation the money that the Vatican has should be used for the proper training of priests and for victim support. And the public (especially the devout catholics) should no longer tolerate this behaviour.
Posted by Karen | 26.03.10, 20:42 GMT
re: Ian below.
I agree there should be a new Pope, and a new beginning. There should be a proper enquiry, with access to the vatican files. All priests should be made accountable, and all abusers punished according to law. You need to read my comments carefully, as you didn't. The abusers are everywhere, not just in the catholic church.
Posted by jomarco | 26.03.10, 20:40 GMT
I was raised Catholic so I dont have an external grudge to settle but as a thinking person I'm not blind to the hypocrisy and absurdity and cruelty found with some good in the RC Church.
So... perhaps Pope Benedict will say... everything's OK with this latest scandal... and it will be OK... he is infallible ya know!
Posted by Chris M | 26.03.10, 20:30 GMT
I think it is time for the Roman Catholic Church to dump clergy over the age of thirty, re-vet the ones left and start all over again. Nevertheless, truth will out and those who ordinary folk who are heading for hell may well find plenty of clergy to take confession, always asuming of course that there will be room in the line after all the priests.
Posted by Nothing will surprise me any more. | 26.03.10, 19:39 GMT
The Vatican has oodles of money.... they can buy their way out of anything.
Let them admit their guilt and pay massive compensation bills. Or else let's have a full international court of human rights investigation, Saville style.
Posted by man dingo | 26.03.10, 18:39 GMT
the delusion of the catholic church is astounding - their organisation is riddled with child abusers who ruined many peoples lives and they have the cheek to call it a "media conspiracy"!! All the media are doing is exposing the truth
Posted by John | 26.03.10, 18:22 GMT
I'm an atheist from the Protestant community. As a young person I always thought if I must believe in God, it would be the Catholic God because drinking and smoking is acceptable! Little did I know! Reform the Catholic church, Priests should be free to marry. Better still disband the Protestant and Catholic churches! John Lennon, ahead of his time!
Stephen
Posted by Stephen | 26.03.10, 17:50 GMT
How to correct the RCC: The VATICAN STATE become part of ITALY so that civil law is present at the VATICAN. POPE BEN 16 resign. The NEW POPE call VATICAN III councel.Tell the full truth to RC members. Stay out of all political matters. End man made rules that control the RC membership by guilt. RCC encourage the members to ask questions and learn the RCC real history. Do away with the fancy robes & hats account all RCs are one of the same.
Posted by phl | 26.03.10, 17:14 GMT
As A practising Catholic, I pray that Pope Benedict will do the right thing and have an urgent and open investigation into child abuse in the Catholic church. All abusers must be reported to the police in their respective countries and the church must fully co-operate in any prosecutions. Only then can the church move forward. The majority of priests and embers of religious orders are good people and are being tainted by association.
Posted by Eleanor | 26.03.10, 17:13 GMT
....i am not religious however the sort of behaviour of Catholic priests is reprehensible...
Shame on the Pope for not showing the courage to deal with these monsters.
Who will these priests go to now when they have to confess their sins...i am sure Jesus is very proud of his followers.....
Posted by Jim | 26.03.10, 16:55 GMT
'Don't mention the war!' I suspect that excessive hyping up of hostility to the Papacy might owe a little to Schadenfreude and Historical Protestant antipathy.
Posted by Malachy McAnespie | 26.03.10, 16:17 GMT
Re: Jomaroo
'conspiracy to destroy the catholic church'
In what way is any of this a conspiracy? Pray tell because to anyone else the abuse and cover ups go and from the bottom right up to the top
Posted by Ian | 26.03.10, 16:06 GMT
Vatican Spin. Does anyone realy tust what is coming out of Rome. As cardinal and now Pope, this man has much to answer for.
Even the Popes man in Prague has been claiming that it is a simple conspiracy against the church, never mind the suffering these poor souls have endured over decades.
Pride will be there fall.
Posted by JD | 26.03.10, 15:47 GMT
they should all be put on trial the way anyone else would be , those guilty of trying to hide these crimes are just as guilty. One thing I wondered , where do these priests get so much money from that they can pay £££ thousands to try and silience victims
Posted by bitsinbobs | 26.03.10, 15:40 GMT
It is not an unnatural institution-the priesthood. Maybe difficult in their 20's , but not after that age. What about spinsters, bachelors, disabled people who can't have relationships, or Buddists, etc.?? It is an individual choice, and to do with strength of character. If a priest prays from the heart everyday, God will protect him. They succumb to temptation, and fail when they give up, fail to pray properly, and give in to temptation. These allegations are threatening to the decent priests who want to be holy and continue in their efforts. These priests need our support, not victimisation, and conspiracy to destroy the catholic church. The abusers should be punished accordingly, and in this day and age, it is properly accountable. Abusers are in all walks of life, in every street in the country, and in every job. Give it a break, and encourage love and support to all.
Posted by jomarco | 26.03.10, 15:30 GMT
29 Comments