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Pope on sex abuse: Sin inside the church
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of New York Times
Posted: May 17th, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/world/europe/12pope.html
Pope Benedict XVI on [May 11] issued his most forceful remarks on the sexual abuse crisis sweeping the Catholic Church. He called it truly terrifying and, in a marked shift in tone, suggested that its origins lay with abusive priests and with highly placed church officials who for decades concealed or minimized the problem. The problem, he said, was the sin inside the church, and by implication not accusations from victims or the media. Forgiveness is not a substitute for justice, he said, in remarks that underscored the Vaticans recent if fitful efforts to break with a longstanding practice of handling abuse cases inside the church, rather than reporting abuse to civil authorities for prosecution. Victims groups said they were still waiting for concrete action more than words, and the Vatican has not yet announced whether it will change its norms for handling abuse. Benedict ... has been criticized for not acting aggressively enough against allegations of abuse as archbishop of Munich and later as the head of a powerful Vatican office.
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