Will media attention stop Benedict XVI from pursuing justice against paedophile priests and their protectors?

(Catholic Watchdog South Africa)

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Analytical Article by Marc Aupiais

With high ranking Hierarchical official, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Vienna, having recently claimed, as reported by Reuters, that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, was prevented from adequately pursuing at least one case of sexual abuse, under the pontificate of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II: an impression has been made on many Catholics, that Pope Benedict XVI, who on becoming pope, made an effort to apologize for the paedophilic priest scandal cover-up, and to institute reforms, was the man to clear up the crisis. With attacks from anti-Catholic outlets, such as the New York Times, and slanted articles against the church, and papacy, appearing across the world, the question some may be asking is whether or not Benedict XVI, will take the short term risk, of continuing his attempt to revanche the church against those supporting immoral and criminal priests.

His overtures to the FSSPX earlier in his pontificate, suggest a more long term game plan on behalf of Benedict XVI, and while he has had to fight for his own credibility, something which has distracted him from his vendetta, it is certain that however weakened in his fight against these criminal elements in the hierarchy, that he will continue to try and expunge the corrupt elements from the church, though possibly in a more discrete manner, given his campaign’s reception.

Without the power of a loud voice, his efforts, may in fact be somewhat hampered, something the New York Times, and others must have foreseen, when they levelled their unsubstantiated claims of negligence against the Roman Pontiff.

His ignoring of the sexual scandal in recent homilies, could well suggest that the pontiff has decided that it is no longer worth pursuing it to the same extent. This would mean that the one man capable of attacking this issue may have withdrawn. It may also be the case, that having repeatedly apologized, and repeatedly stated his outrage against the conspiracy which allowed abuse, that the pope does not think it prudent to speak at the moment, having already caused the light of day to hit so many cases.

Either way, a wrong focus of media, on the pope, rather than on those who are certainly guilty, could well hamper efforts to root out the corrupt elements that have disobeyed not only civil law, but Canon Law, in their handling of abuse cases.

Most of the cases stem back to previous pontificates, where the issue was quietly swept under the rug, or kept latent, a purposely crafted arcanum.