Vatican did not issue a cover-up instruction
Crimen Sollicitationis is a Vatican document dealing principally with solicitation by priests in the course of confession.
As a matter of fact it was NOT sent to all the bishops, only to bishops who had occasion to deal with such a grievous breaches of trust.
What is saddening about Messrs Geaney’s and Ryan’s letters is that they continue to refer to Crimen Sollicitationis as an instruction from the Holy See to ‘cover up’ something.
Crimen Sollicitationis was an instruction on how to proceed in canonical cases of alleged solicitation in the context of the sacrament of penance.
The implication of Messrs Geaney and Ryan’s allegation is that three popes, namely John XXIII, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, have all sought to pervert the course of justice in the secular criminal justice systems.
Sexual abuse of children is an extremely grave evil which has done serious damage. The response of some church officials has been woefully inadequate.
However, the suggestion that the current Pope and his two predecessors, all patently good men, were involved in some form of conspiracy is erroneous and regrettable.
Rev Gerard Garrett
Regional Tribunal Offices
The Lough
Cork
