Richard Sipe, a former Benedictine priest and psychologist who has commented extensively on the sex-abuse scandal in the US, has accused Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the retired Archbishop of Washington, of recruiting seminarians as sexual partners.The problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church "is not generated from the bottom up— that is only from unsuitable candidates—but from the top down— that is from the sexual behaviors of superiors, even bishops and cardinals," Sipe wrote in an open message to Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news).
Sipe said that he had received evidence that several prelates had preyed on adolescents and seminarians. He claimed to have received reports about the homosexual activities of the future Cardinal McCarrick more than 20 years ago, and to have "documents and letters that record first-hand testimony and eyewitness accounts" to support those accounts.
Sipe-- who in the past has charged that the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin also "partied" with seminarians-- said that although other reporters were aware of Cardinal McCarrick's activities in a beach house in New Jersey, "legal documentation has not been available. And even at this point the complete story cannot be published because priest reporters are afraid of reprisals."
3 comments:
This report is troubling, yet not suprising.
There should be a full and honest investigation into the allegations of this moral rot.
Whatever the reason, all meaningful reform in the Church can be blocked by the Bishops. If charges like this are true, let's get it out into the open and deal with it, so we can all move on to the only thing that matters - the reevangelization of society.
I commend you for your candor and courage in printing this. If immoral behaviour is part of the reason behind the current episcopal liberal mentality of some (many?) churchmen, it needs to be expunged as soon as possible.
May Our Lady of Czestochowa be your strength and support, and may she grant us holy bishops like Cardinals Wojtyla and Wyszinski!
JASNA GORAK
I have heard this as well, from a well known priest who asked to remain anonymous.
Anonymous does not hold water in court nor should it hold water in the Vatican. It's that simple!!!!!
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