Church and pedophilia, the abuses that emerged and Ratzinger’s involvement in the investigation
After the appalling numbers relating to sexual abuse committed by priests in France and Spain, a new dossier reveals the figures of the pedophilia of the German church. The same report which also led to an accusation (here) to the pope emeritus Benedict XVI by the Westpfahl Spilker Wastl law firm, which he led the investigation on behalf of the ecclesiastical authorities, of 4 cases of negligence when he was archbishop of Munich (1977-1981). Between new appeals and reforms of old norms, one wonders where the Church is in the fight against pedophilia among the ranks of its intermediaries. Affaritaliani.it talked about it with Don Fortunato Di Noto, the founding priest and president of Meter, association based in Avola in Sicily, which since 1989 has been committed to the fight against pedophilia and child pornography.
Those that emerged in Germany are disturbing numbers, 497 victims …
I think that every dossier is an action of transparency on the part of the Church. This I believe gives merit to the fact that the institution is questioning itself and trying to clarify the facts ascribed to those priests who have carried out execrable acts against minors. The road traveled is not short, but it is certainly not enough. On the other hand, I would also like it to be said that there are 19 million sexual abuse of minors in Europe alone. In the dramatic context of sexual abuse not only within the Church, therefore, we must ask ourselves what went wrong in the protection of minors in general. In any case, having said this, the investigation that the Church is carrying out is correct, and I hope that this will also happen in all the other states.
What do you feel like saying about the accusations against Ratzinger?
It is still early to say anything. We are speaking however, this we can say, of the Seventies, years in which the Church was still sailing on the high seas on these issues, just think that the Convention on the Rights of the Child came much later. Although this certainly does not lighten the gravity of the facts. Certainly, and this nothing can change it, Ratzinger marked a turning point in the fight against pedophilia. In any case, until we read the documents regarding his involvement in the investigation, we cannot say more.
There are those who spoke of a torpedo by the Bergoglian Vatican…
We are talking about an elderly pope, certainly powerful in his wisdom even today and who has made such contributions as to change the face of the Church. But I don’t think there are today Bergogliani still convinced of opposing Bergoglio to Ratzinger. I don’t see why they would want to torpedo an elderly person who is living his life with great exemplarity.
The Church in all this time does not seem to have identified a strategy towards the problem of abuses. You can say?
We must first say that the Church is spread throughout the world. We are talking about dioceses lost in the Amazonian forests, as well as in the Sahara desert. Thousands of dioceses, billions of faithful. Having said that, I would like to say that in recent years there are many documents and guidelines that the Church has produced. Fundamental and important signals were given for the safety of minors. This obviously does not mean that more needs to be done. I hold 130 conferences in Europe precisely to help and foster a greater understanding of the defense and protection of minors, not only in the Church but in society as a whole. For 30 years I have been dealing with sexual abuse and pedophilia, with Meter. And I’m a Catholic priest, to tell you. When I began this sensitivity in this environment was not there.
What has changed today for example?
Nowadays there is no diocese in the world that has not established the minors protection service. In Italy there are about 220 dioceses, a huge machine, but there is not one that does not have this service. Furthermore, there is no parish or oratory that does not have a high sensitivity on this issue. Today, if someone is abused, they know where to turn. It is normal, of course, that the members of these services need to be trained, they are professionals. On a preventive level? In recent years, many dioceses have organized training courses, from parishes to schools… and work networks have also been created with the lay world.
Bergoglio recently announced that he had updated the rules on crimes to make judicial action more effective. In your opinion, was it actually necessary?
Absolutely yes, he renewed some fundamental and important canonical norms which necessarily had to be revised. Evidently the judicial action is allied with the preventive action. There are no secular state prisons in the Vatican. There is a process, a penalty is established, but it is of fundamental importance that in those States where there is the Church there is collaboration with the secular State. The limit is so transversal and complex that collaboration and cooperation are always required, and this is certainly the right way.
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