Aussie Bishop Wards off the State's Manipulation of Abuse Hysteria and Defends Confession

Edit: this is simple, but it's courageous and edifying. The message is, "hands off the Church, you vulgarians."

Ballarat bishop says confession is sacred

BY TOM MCILROY

BALLARAT’S Catholic bishop has rejected calls to force priests to report admissions of child sexual abuse taken during confession, to police.

South Australian independent senator Nick Xenophon this week called for priests to be required to report all admissions of child abuse to police, breaching the confidence of a priest and his parishioner.

Bishop Peter Connors called on law makers to respect the sacrament of confession...

Link to original...

You may also read the letters being written in Ireland about this orchestrated dog and pony show, thanks to Father Levi, who doesn't approve of everything we're about here, but provided us with the link, thank you very much. Here's a sample:

Sir, – In the maelstrom of criticism directed at the Catholic Church and some of its hierarchy, we should not forget that it is the State that has ultimate responsibility for the protection of our children. It is right to criticise the shortcomings of the church and set to rights the appalling wrongs that have been perpetrated by some clerics against children. We must not forget, however, that the problem of child sexual and physical abuse is as big (in fact, bigger) in the lay community than it is in the clerical community.

I am no apologist for the shortcomings of the church, but the almost exclusive focus on those shortcomings fails to address the overall problem. I would now like to see an equally powerful light shone on the issue of state protection of children. I have very little doubt that another appalling vista of inadequate procedures, dereliction of duty, protection of self-interest and inadequate resources will be revealed.

No doubt our politicians feel a certain sense of moral gratification in wrapping the knuckles of the Vatican and basking in the political dividends of doing so. The overall problem will not be solved,however, until our politicians are prepared to examine the failures of the State in this area with a similar intensity. – Yours, etc,

FELIX McTIERNAN,

Fitzwilliam Place,

Dublin 2.