CRITICISMS by some parts of the media of Pope Benedict’s handling of clerical sex abuse allegations have been described by a Brisbane Church leader as “lacking factual basis”.
Holy Spirit Seminary rector Monsignor Anthony Randazzo based his opinion on his time in Rome as an official with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) when he worked alongside the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the body’s prefect.
Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane has also asserted the Church’s continuing vitality despite the ongoing criticism, noting that the crowds attending Easter celebrations this year “were extraordinary”.
Msgr Randazzo said, contrary to some media commentary, the Pope had been a driving force behind the reform of Church laws to bring clerical sex abusers to justice.
“If anyone has attempted to deal effectively with the matter in the last 10 to 15 years it has been this man,” the monsignor said.
“My own experience working in the CDF alongside Cardinal Ratzinger from 2004 was that he never attempted to cover up these crimes or walk away from dealing with them.
“In fact the then cardinal had already been instrumental in organising a whole range of initiatives which supported Pope John Paul II’s reform to the laws of the Church so they could deal adequately with the grave crime of child abuse.
“As Cardinal Ratzinger he was also instrumental in assisting in the preparation of Pope John Paul’s 2001 apostolic letter Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela on the issue.”
Msgr Randazzo said when Cardinal Ratzinger became pope this commitment to supporting victims of such abuse continued and is apparent “to this very day”.
“He has always shown extreme sensitivity to the victims of abuse and the Church in general in this regard.”
Meanwhile, Archbishop Bathersby, in a statement on the child abuse controversy, said “such horrible abuse was vehemently condemned by Jesus in Mark 9:42 when he spoke lovingly of the little ones of the world, especially the children”.
The archbishop said there was “no doubt that such sins have hurt the Church badly but, despite their ugly presence and apologies offered by its leaders, the Church will live on because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ”.
