The Vatican finds itself on a full media offensive following accusations that the Catholic hierarchy did not respond to, report or take action regarding incidences of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests in several countries. Even Pope Benedict himself has been accused of covering up cases which took place in Germany while he was Archbishop of Munich. However, as Pope, he has immunity against charges of negligence.
In February 2010 around 100 priests and laity were accused of the sexual abuse of minors in their care in Catholic schools and children’s homes in Germany up to 1995. 150 victims came forward, according to Der Spiegel.
Then the Pope’s own brother was implicated in abuse cases in Germany. As if this were not bad enough, in March Pope Benedict was accused of approving, whilst Archbishop of Munich, the transfer into therapy of Peter Hullerman, a priest accused of abuse. After attending therapy sessions, the priest was reinstated and again abused minors. He was convicted of the crime in 1986. The Vatican says that Pope Benedict did not personally approve the transfer. However, earlier this month it was discovered that Peter Hullerman was still practising as a priest. He was immediately suspended from his duties by the Vatican.
When the scandal of the 100 German priests broke, Pope Benedict was already responding to claims of similar crimes that had happened in Ireland. He delivered a strong message of condemnation to Irish bishops and on March 20th issued a letter of apology to the victims. However, the letter stops short of admitting any responsibility on the part of the Vatican.
On March 24th a further scandal broke in the United States, where Father Lawrence Murphy was accused of the sexual abuse of deaf boys in Wisconsin in the 1960s and 1970s. According to The Times, three bishops of Milwaukee knew about the abuse, yet Murphy was allowed to continue practising as a priest. In 1996 proceedings against Murphy were halted after he wrote to the then Cardinal Ratzinger claiming ill health. Murphy died in 1998.
Claims that the Roman Catholic Church’s celibacy rule is to blame for so many incidences of sexual abuse by priests have been firmly repudiated by the Vatican. Meanwhile the Vatican’s Chief Prosecutor for sex crimes, Monsignor Charles Scicluna, has suggested that the Vatican’s Statute of Limitations for sex abuse crimes, which stands at ten years after a victim has reached the age of 18, be removed altogether.
The scandals have shaken Catholic congregations from Pope John Paul’s native Poland to the United States. In 2003 Pope John Paul 11 declared that,
“There is no place in the priesthood and religious life for those who abuse the young”.
