Pope's pastoral letter a disappointment

In his pastoral letter Pope Benedict XVI accuses the Irish Church of "serious sins" in dealing with the sexual abuse of children, but refrains from addressing cases in other countries. The letter comes as a disappointment to many commentators, while others see in the Pope's reaction a chance for the Catholic Church.

Pope Benedict XVI's pastoral letter on the cases of child abuse in Ireland could be an attempt to wash his own hands of any blame, writes the conservative daily Lidové noviny: "This is about more than abortion, condoms or celibacy. This is about criminal penal issues. That's why people tend to see the pastoral letter from a social and legal rather than a theological perspective. But why is this 'general' letter addressed only to the Irish? Why does it deal with the 'problem of child abuse in the Irish Catholic Church'? Isn't the issue broader than that? ... Some will remember that as a bishop in Munich thirty years ago the Pope himself failed to alert the authorities to a case of abuse. Concentrating on the Irish could be interpreted as an attempt to cleanse himself of his own guilt." (22/03/2010)

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In his pastoral letter the Pope took a stance on the cases of abuse within the Irish Church, but the liberal daily Der Standard says it didn't go far enough: "Ratzinger failed to acknowledge his own responsibility and that of the Vatican. He was on the committee that examined more than 20 years ago how to deal with cases of abuse. … The fact that the Pope didn't clearly refer to mistakes in the Church system but rather blamed the 'fast pace of social change' in Ireland leads to the conclusion that either he has understood nothing or doesn't want to understand anything and above all doesn't want to take the necessary steps. For sure, the call to 'submit to the demands of justice' is a first, important step. But Pope Benedict XVI refuses to go further and promise an obligation to report such cases and compensation or even name the root causes, like celibacy." (22/03/2010)

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The media is blowing the scandal over the cases of abuse within the Catholic Church out of all proportion, writes the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita and praises Pope Benedict's pastoral letter as a fitting reaction: "It is particularly painful when a person who one held in high esteem, like a family member or a priest, causes such pain. But the thesis put forward by the media that paedophilia is a crime for which the Church is responsible or typical of members of the clergy is nothing but a lie. The theory that there is a connection between paedophilia and practicing celibacy has been described as absurd by experts. They also say that of all paedophile offenders only a couple of percent belong to the clergy. The majority of such cases take place in a domestic environment. This makes the resolute reaction of Benedict XVI all the more crucial." (22/03/2010)

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Despite its shortcomings Pope Benedict XVI's pastoral letter is an important step towards reforming the Catholic Church in Ireland, writes the daily The Irish Times: "None of it explains any, never mind the epic scale, of the sexual, physical and emotional abuse and neglect meted out by Catholic religious to tens of thousands of children held in orphanages, reformatories and industrial schools throughout those many decades of 20th-century Ireland before the Second Vatican Council and at a time when traditional moral absolutism reigned supreme in Catholicism on this island. ...All that said, there is much in the letter which is as refreshing and clear as cool spring water. Included would be his words of sorrow and admiration for the abused, particularly those who suffered in residential institutions." (22/03/2010)

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» To the complete press review of Monday, March 22, 2010