Massive church sex scandal comes to haunt Pope's visit to Portugal next week
The Pope's arrival in Lisbon on August 2 marks the 42nd international trip of his papacy and the fourth World Youth Day, a significant gathering of young Catholics held in various cities worldwide every few years.
However, this occasion is overshadowed by the ongoing struggles of the weakened Catholic Church in Portugal and the broader developed world.
In February, an independent commission published a disturbing report revealing that over 4,800 children had been abused by Catholic clergy members in Portugal since 1950.
Shockingly, the commission's chairman suggested that this number was likely just the beginning, hinting at a much deeper and widespread issue. The revelation sent shockwaves throughout the nation's Catholic community.
Traditionally, World Youth Days have been celebrated with enthusiasm, featuring concerts, vibrant youth festivals, and daily catechesis and prayer services. However, the shadow of the abuse scandal looms large over this event, forcing the Portuguese Church and Pope Francis to encounter this reality head-on.
Filipe d'Avillez, a religion reporter in Portugal, believes that for Pope Francis' message in Portugal to be effective, it must resonate with both the victims of abuse and the bishops.
For survivors of abuse, d'Avillez argues, they must receive "encouragement and assurance that if they step forward and summon the courage to file complaints with diocesan abuse commissions there will be fair and swift action."
On the other hand, he believes that the Pope must call for transparency from the bishops, as many dioceses seem to be handling these cases with a lack of openness, returning to their old ways.
Before the commission's eye-opening report, senior Portuguese church officials had downplayed the extent of abuse, claiming that only a few isolated cases existed.
https://www.wionews.com/world/massive-ch...eek-619766#
The Pope's arrival in Lisbon on August 2 marks the 42nd international trip of his papacy and the fourth World Youth Day, a significant gathering of young Catholics held in various cities worldwide every few years.
However, this occasion is overshadowed by the ongoing struggles of the weakened Catholic Church in Portugal and the broader developed world.
In February, an independent commission published a disturbing report revealing that over 4,800 children had been abused by Catholic clergy members in Portugal since 1950.
Shockingly, the commission's chairman suggested that this number was likely just the beginning, hinting at a much deeper and widespread issue. The revelation sent shockwaves throughout the nation's Catholic community.
Traditionally, World Youth Days have been celebrated with enthusiasm, featuring concerts, vibrant youth festivals, and daily catechesis and prayer services. However, the shadow of the abuse scandal looms large over this event, forcing the Portuguese Church and Pope Francis to encounter this reality head-on.
Filipe d'Avillez, a religion reporter in Portugal, believes that for Pope Francis' message in Portugal to be effective, it must resonate with both the victims of abuse and the bishops.
For survivors of abuse, d'Avillez argues, they must receive "encouragement and assurance that if they step forward and summon the courage to file complaints with diocesan abuse commissions there will be fair and swift action."
On the other hand, he believes that the Pope must call for transparency from the bishops, as many dioceses seem to be handling these cases with a lack of openness, returning to their old ways.
Before the commission's eye-opening report, senior Portuguese church officials had downplayed the extent of abuse, claiming that only a few isolated cases existed.
https://www.wionews.com/world/massive-ch...eek-619766#
teachings of the Bible are so muddled and self-contradictory that it was possible for Christians to happily burn heretics alive for five long centuries. It was even possible for the most venerated patriarchs of the Church, like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, to conclude that heretics should be tortured (Augustine) or killed outright (Aquinas). Martin Luther and John Calvin advocated the wholesale murder of heretics, apostates, Jews, and witches. - Sam Harris, "Letter To A Christian Nation"
