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Pope Benedict XVI Sex Abuse Report Overview:
- Who: Retired Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged a report commissioned by the German Catholic Church on how the archdiocese in Munich handled cases of sexual abuse from 1945 to 2019.
- Why: The report determined Benedict mishandled four cases of sexual abuse during his tenure as archbishop in Germany from 1977 to 1982.
- Where: Benedict’s response was in a letter released by the Vatican.
The retired Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged on Tuesday his role in mishandling four separate sexual abuse of minors cases during his tenure as an archbishop in Germany from 1977 to 1982.
Benedict, who denied any misconduct on his part, asked for forgiveness for what he called “abuses and errors” that occurred under his watch,the AP reports.
The 94-year-old former pope’s acknowledgement was in response to a report commissioned by the German Catholic Church that investigated how the Munich archdiocese handled cases of sexual abuse from 1945 to 2019.
“I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church,” Benedict wrote in a letter released by the Vatican in response to the allegations. “All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate.”
The report accused Benedict of misconduct by not restricting the ministry of four priests who had been criminally convicted of committing sex crimes during his tenure, the AP reports.
Benedicts Predecessors, Successors Also Faulted In The Report
Benedict’s predecessors and successors were also faulted in the report, which estimated there were a total of 497 sexual abuse victims and 235 suspected perpetrators during the time period researched.
Two of the cases Benedict is accused of mishandling involved priests who were criminally punished for sex abuse crimes but allowed to continue doing pastoral work without any new restrictions, the AP reports.
In his letter, Benedict wrote how in meetings with sexual abuse victims he saw firsthand the damage that had been done.
“I have seen firsthand the effects of a most grievous fault,” Benedict wrote. “As in those meetings, once again I can only express to the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness.”
The Vatican has defended Benedict in the wake of the report, noting he was the first pope to meet with abuse victims and issued new norms meant to harshly punish priests who were caught raping children, the AP reports.
Benedict’s response was not entirely well-received, however, drawing criticism from several survivor advocacy groups, including the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), the New York Times reports .
“He is repeating words of apology that have fallen on deaf ears for decades,” said SNAP Communications Manager Mike McDonnell. “True apologies are followed by true amends, and that is a concept that the church doesn’t seem able to grasp.”
Last month, six Catholic diocese in California set up a settlement fund for victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests.
If you or a loved one was the victim of sex abuse by a Catholic priest or church leader in Pennsylvania, legal help is available. You may qualify to file a Catholic Church sex abuse lawsuit (links to paid attorney content).
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One thought on Pope Benedict XVI Responds To Report That Found He Mishandled Sex Abuse Cases While Archbishop
What about Cleveland Ohio ?? My son abused in the 1980’s