Vatican Praised Bishop for Covering Up Pedophile Priest

Say what? Do you mean to tell me that there is a letter from the Vatican actually praising a Bishop for his decision to cover up child abuse rather than expose it to authorities? Well, if you read Latin, you could see for yourself. Here is a translation of the letter by French publication Golias, sent by the Vatican to Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos.

“I rejoice to have a colleague in the episcopate who, in the eyes of history and all the other bishops of the world, preferred prison rather than denouncing one of his sons, a priest....”

A priest who was jailed for three months for not reporting a pedophile priest to the authorities. Funny thing to praise someone for? 

Meanwhile the tone of rhetoric from the Pope has become less defensive.  In his homily on Vatican Radio yesterday he said, “I have to say that we Christians, even in recent times, have often avoided the word ‘repentance,’ which seems too harsh. Now under the attacks of the world, which speaks to us of our sins, we see that the ability to repent is a grace, and we see how it is necessary to repent, that is, to recognize what is wrong in our life.”

This is a major shift in the statements that have come out about the recent scandals, and perhaps signals a change in Vatican attitude.  Who know?  Personally, I think the Catholic Church in this Pope is headed for a major schism.  Glad I am not Catholic, this must be very tough on the faithful.