Juan Carlos Cruz, victim of the Rev. Fernando Karadima in Santiago, Chile, gave an interview about his experiences with the Church. The Vatican has recently found Karadima guilty. Cruz said
I understand that, if accusations are made, the innocence of the accused is presumed until the contrary of proven. With Karadima it should have been so until sentence was pronounced, independently of the fact that I know what is the truth of everything that happened to me. But it is also necessary to presume the truthfulness if the victims, and that the church in Santiago has not done, it treats you as a leper. I sent some e-mails to a bishop whom I considered a friend and he told someone it was not suitable that he answer me, because of his office… They are not good pastors. It seems we are a thorn in their side rather than human beings who need help.
As Cruz says, when an accusation is made (whether against a priest or anyone else) it is necessary to do two things: presume the innocence of the one accused and the good faith of the accuser, until the matter is resolved. Logically, either the accuser is wrong or the accused is guilty, but judgment about both must be suspended until a determination is made.
Cruz is very mature to realize that an accusation should not automatically transform into a condemnation, even if he as the victim knows the truth of the accusation. But what the clergy in Santiago (and many other places) did was jump to the defense of the accused and condemn the accuser.
A newspaper in Chile has obtained many of the documents in the Karadima case and promises to put them on line. Karadima seems to be a mini-Maciel: he targeted the rich, and cultivated many vocations in his group of young male friends: four bishops and fifty priests. Whether any of those knew about or participated in the sexual activity has not been established. There are also financial questions and allegations that Karadima facilitated the escape of the assassins of General Schneider, who was blocking the coup against Allende.
My sense is that your depiction of Fr. K as a “mini-Maciel” is right on target Lee. . .
If you read the stories of the women of Plaza de Mayo and the missing from the Dirty War these ,you come away with the sense that South America and Mexico are filled with very poor and a small number of very wealthy aristocracy. That the Church there caters to the aristocracy and that anyone who defends the poor and tries to improve their lot is dubbed,” Marxist” including priests.I am now confused like never before as to just what Liberation Theology really is.Certianly the behavior of the late Cardinal Pio lLghi was anything but Christian regarding the plight of those arrested, tortured and dropped naked into the Atlantic Ocean.He did nothing to improve the seminary situation here either as Papal Nuncio Maciel was no different.He wined and dined the rich and famous and sodomized the poor and helpless all in the name of the Catholic Church.
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/42a/044.html
http://usf.usfca.edu/fac_staff/webberm/plaza.htm
I wish someone could give me a credible defense here on behalf of the Vatican! furthermore , I have seen videos made of grade school age children in S America who are convinced they have to join Opus Dei and not marry.
Why are the creeps more effective at gathering followers and encouraging vocations than the non-creeps?
In the States many of us don’t realize how much the Catholic Church in Mexico and South America has controled the media in the past, thus making it very difficult for Survivors to come forward. Since the Maciel debacle, the media finally realized that people in South America and Mexico really want to know how the Church has systemically handled Priest Pedophilia and tried to silence the abused, despite the efforts of the Church to keep Pedo-Priests out of the news. It’s important that our brothers and sister in South America and Mexico know that they can learn from Survivors in the States how to deal with the Church and play hard ball with Her. All roads lead to the Vatican. which sent out world-wide directives like “Crimen Sollicitationis,” instructing bishops how to intimate those who came forward with allegations of abuse. We’ve had enough of “Mini-Maciel’s” and by now we know that even the big guys can be brought down and into criminal court, regardless where they live. I predict over the next few years we will see a literal flood of Survivors in Mexico and South America, who will come forward to share their experience of abuse in the Church. May God grant them good speed!
the part about innocent until proven guilty, works well for the alleged perpetrator yet the perpetrator and his “followers” and
“supporters” and his attorneys are allowed to trash the victim??
Just more examples of the perps having all the protection and rights..
laws need to be changed to balance out the rights of victims with the perps..
The thing is, the church is right to have a high standard for accusations against priests. Scripture says “do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” (1 tim 5.19)
Obviously the church went way too far in that direction, and does seem to have adopted a policy of silencing and intimidating accusers, but we don’t want to go so far in the other direction that any accusation can derail a priest’s ministry.
“In the States many of us don’t realize how much the Catholic Church in Mexico and South America has controled the media in the past’
NON-SENSE!
In Mexico the press has been for DECADES ANTI=CATHOLIC, the same in most of Latinoamerica.
Maybe the difference between criminal procedings versus excersizing prudence. You can not convict some one of assault just because some one is 6’4 and has a menacing demeanor. But at the same time that does not mean that you let your guard down sharing the street after dark with such a person.
Same thing -some one is weird around kids – you
and then you get an accusation – you keep them away from kids. The bishops and chancery officials did the opposite.
Because lawyers and media in Latin America stay far away from priest pedophile cases, we have accumulated pedophile cases over the years. Bishops who confront this crime are gravely intimidated by the predators.
Why are the creeps more effective at gathering followers and encouraging vocations than the non-creeps?
Because the creeps prey on the vulnerable who feel profoundly unloved and need somebody to love them, the naive who have no internal means to discern truth from fallacy, and the idealistic who, also, don’t have such means.
Please help support victims of sexual abuse by demanding honesty, transparency, and accountability from Church leaders. Please visit our website and create productive discussion about how we, as a society, can prevent future children and vulnerable adults from sexual abuse inside and outside the walls of the Catholic Church.
The site is founded by a victim of clergy childhood sexual abuse. We provide Victims and Supporter discussions, News Headlines, Live 1-on-1 Chat, Links & Websites for victims and supporters.
http://www.Victims4Justice.org
Joseph, your answer to Crowhill is exactly right. Also, the creeps succeed in making themselves look attractive, and they offer a holier than thou option to people who cannot find their niche in parish or diocesan activities. One reason I do not have much use for doctrines and man made religious rules is that I have known four people who were quick to defend doctrines and enforce rules on others, but who in their private lives were breaking the Commandments to the point of villainy. A public example, whom I did not know personally, Thank God, is the mole, Robert Hanson.
Italy has it’s own public example Janice. Only he is the Cardinal that saw to it Escriva was canonized for opus dei and gave special permission for a mafia boss to be buried in a crypt reserved for saints and martyrs under the opus dei owned Basilica, St Appolinaire in Rome.Italian Catholics have been scandalized too.
http://www.pagesofmary.com/2011/03/mysteries-behind-opus-dei.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTj8TY-aETw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99nqLrgzuCo
Mary, I do not have audio for videos and cannot understand Italian anyway. Can you tell me if that poor child was ever found?
No Janice ,The kidnapping of Emmanuela Orlandi is still an open case and under an ongoing investigation. I saw a brief news clip that Depedis crypt was opened but the Italian Investigators still want to know what favor the mafia boss Depedis did for Cardinal Ugo Poletti to warrant being exhumed from the local cemetary and re-interred in the crypt of opus dei owned basilica St Appolinaire.
I truly believe that the Roman Church was taken over by the men who were called Pharisees in Jesus’ time and whom HE addressed many times.,rebuking them for their rigid ways, even called them names.
St Paul warned the new believers, to not listen to those who were infiltrating their little prayer groups. He said anyone who teaches a gospel other than what Christ taught, was not to be listened to. St. Paul was very emphatic on the subject, as he saw this was happening.
The Pharasees were were very smart and saw an opportunity ,to turn these dumb new believers, to their cause. Some stayed and some didn’t. Guess where the RCC came from? Run by just the people that Jesus Christ said was a group of vipers.
And that’s what you have in the RCC now and from the very beginning.
Too bad we were all generationally brain washed. No More…We know better Now!What Jesus Christ wanted as HIS CHURCH. was US! Believers in HIM, not an Institution.