ROME–The Catholic Church's worry about the scandal sex abuse allegations will cause – often leading to their cover-up – reflects a deeply rooted legal principle that governs the church, a leading canon law expert says.

"The principal of scandal is very important in penal canon law," says Marco Ventura, a professor of religious law at the University of Siena, referring to the Vatican's legal code.

"Preventing scandals from taking place is crucial from all points of view. The bishop is in charge of determining how to fight against scandals which could affect the good image of the church," he added in an interview.

This would be “Bishop in charge of covering the Church's ass” This guy screwed up worse than “hell of a job” Brownie during Katrina.

The letter, submitted as evidence this week in a civil case against the Diocese of Pembroke, shows a bishop preoccupied with ensuring there is "little or no danger of any scandal ever emerging."Avoiding scandal was a key concern of the late Bishop Joseph Windle, of Pembroke, Ont., when he wrote a letter to the Vatican about a pedophile priest in 1993 [that would be Bernard Prince]


Prince was promoted to a top Vatican job overseeing missionary groups in 1991.

I would guess that would be somewhere the local law enforcement is not so nosy about the church's “business”


A "redeeming factor," Windle wrote, is that the family of one victim is of Polish background, "and their respect for the priesthood and the Church has made them refrain from making these allegations public or laying a criminal charge against a priest.

A redeeming factor?? Exactly what about a family covering up their own son's sexual abuse by a pervert priest is redeeming?   WTF is wrong with these parents … respect? They have to be joking.

But then, we Atheists have no moral guide so how can we judge?

Tags: Catholics, abuse, church, law, sex

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You can bet your ass that if it were a non-religious group covering up these crimes then some district attorney would be all over them like a pit bull on a beef steak.
I think there are many that are chomping at the bit to do that (some have succeeded); most are stopped because the statute of limitation on rape is only 4 to 5 years. That said, why aren't they hauled in as an ongoing criminal organization? They fit the category.
And you are absolutely right - any other organizations including some religions (the fundy LDS has taken some hits) they would be on them like stink on shit.


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