Is it true that Pope Benedict XVI participated in sexual abuse?

Question

I have heard that the pope himself committed sexual abuse crimes. Is that true?
I am not blasting the church, and I hope people will not blast me for asking a concerning question. I just want to know the truth.

Answer 1

Nobody can answer that question in an authorative way.

He has not been charged . .let alone convicted.



He has been accused of covering the crimes of those who did . .just as bad in Gods eyes though.

Answer 2

I don't think he's really been accused himself, I hope he was never involved in any way, but while he was Archbishop and held other offices, like so many Archbishops and Bishops in the Catholic church, and possibly officials in some others, he 'swept it under the rug' or moved priests who were accused of things, I don't know about him personally, but other bishops have removed not only priests accused of child molestation, but those accused of having affairs with women or homosexual affairs, moved them to other churches or even other dioceses to get rid of the problem. This was not something only the Pope did and this is not something that seemed to be disapproved of by the Church in general, so at the time, it may be said he was just following the rules.



Of course, nobody can excuse anybody, from the Pope down if he looked the other way when kids were abused.

Answer 3

There not only is no evidence of this, but there is no serious accusation of this brought specifically against him by anyone claiming to be his victim. 6.5 billion people in the world and not one has formally claimed that the pope abused him. So it is very unlikely true. It's probably a result of the telephone game effect - people pass a story from person to person and it changes slightly with every permutation. Of course, some people just hate all things Catholic too, so a person might have intentionally spread this rumor.

Answer 4

From what I've read in relatively recent media, Pope Benedict XVI has never been accused of being an abuser. His culpability comes from the fact that he was for several decades in charge of that department in the Vatican which dealt with reports of sexual abuse and the priests involved. There Benedict has been accused of "turning a blind eye".

Just today I heard him on the radio asking for forgiveness for the abusers.

Frankly, I'm much, MUCH more concerned about the victims (some of whom have committed suicide!).

Answer 5

When he was Cardinal Ratzinger I got to listen to his ideas on love and on St Peter. I have a great deal of respect for his views. I do not mind if people make an issue of his past. It is something that our society has to deal with. Many hurts happened during the war, and anyone can tell that they are not yet fully healed. It is crippling us, for we truly do not know what love is. More people should listen to that talk he made about love.

Answer 6

Many popes have been known to have committed sexual abuse and rape. There are records of some popes having up to 80 children with their nuns.....



The pope has been rumored to have committed sexual abuse, but it hasn't been proved yet. Keep in mind that Catholics still have some strong political power and a pope who has abused somebody could easily cover it up.... and the pope would get away free.

Answer 7

I've not seen one shred of evidence. Ask whomever told you that for evidence.



Regarding the allegation that "while he was Archbishop and held other offices, like so many Archbishops and Bishops in the Catholic church, and possibly officials in some others, he 'swept it under the rug' or moved priests who were accused of things", he allowed a priest from another diocese to come to his diocese to GET THERAPY. One of his underlings put the priest to work in a parish. The priest never molested any children in Ratzinger/Benedict's diocese while he was bishop.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62B4GM20100312



Regarding this alleged "blind eye" as prefect of the CDF:

http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/ratzinger-then-benedict-now/

Answer 8

Sexual abuse is a vicious circle. The abused grow up to be abusers. This is a result of depriving humans of their natural sexuality. Priests are not allowed any sexual contact which causes them to be sexually frustrated and vent these frustrations on the helpless children that they work closely with, these children grow up to be priests themselves and pass on the same abuse that they were taught, completing and continuing this circle. No one in the church addresses this issue in a way that results in any consequence, because it has been going on for so long that they are all involved, and it is their way of life.



Much like how Muslims don't acknowledge the problem of or take a stand against terrorism, Catholics don't acknowledge the problem of or take a stand against sexual abuse.

Answer 9

Priests Rape Children. Pope covered for them and got caught. So HE is being persecuted. That is as backwards as their lying doctrines!



For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant…saith the LORD…Therefore have I…made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways,… Malachi 2:7-9



That MAN Benedict is CURSED of God, as God WILL destroy the Catholic Whore!

Answer 10

There have been no accusations against the Pope for abuse.



Here is an "On Faith" column from the Washington Post entitled "Media decides, then reports": http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/04/media_decides_then_reports.html



Here is George Weigel's column detailing the Media's feeding frenzy on the Catholic Church: http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2010/03/scoundrel-times



Here is Father Thomas Brundage's account (he was the judge) of the trial of Father Lawrence Murphy and the misreporting of the media: http://catholicanchor.org/wordpress/?p=601



See also:

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=5956

http://www.christianophobia.eu/



With love in Christ.

Answer 11

There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that Pope Benedict committed any sexual abuse, and I haven't even seen anyone trying to accuse him of it, only of trying to cover it up (which is false too, of course). The very idea is absurd.

Answer 12

No such information is available at the moment. Personally, I doubt it.

Answer 13

What do you mean by "participate". There is no evidence that Josef Ratzinger ever sexually abused a child. But there IS evidence that he kept reported evidence of abuse secret and intervened on behalf of abusers facing clerical suspension. His apparent motivation was to protect the reputation of the Church and the priesthood.

Answer 14

Well, I am sure he hid it for a reason. He is obviously not a good man. A good man would not look away while little kids were being sexually abused. All this just gives me more and more reason to stick to being an Atheist.



<3

Answer 15

He covered up the crimes of others and that in it's self is unlawful

Answer 16

There is no truth to that.



In fact, he was the one most responsible for putting procedures into place to deal with that problem.













---

Answer 17

what pope hasent

Answer 18

Why not?

Blast away!