Cardinal barbarin continues to see himself as not “guilty”

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Cardinal barbarin continues to see himself as not 'guilty'

Trial of Philippe Barbarin © Pierre-Antoine Pluquet (CBA)

Nearly nine months ago, Cardinal Barbarin was convicted of failing to report cases of abuse. The archbishop has appealed. He does not see himself as guilty. "Errors," on the other hand, he probably concedes.

Lyon Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, 69, who was convicted of failing to denounce a clergyman, continues to consider himself not "guilty" of the following. In his appeal, which began today (Thursday), he did admit to "errors," French media report from Lyon. However, he had not spoken of "guilt" in the legal sense.

Suspected cases of abuse not reported

Barbarin had been sentenced in March to a six-month suspended sentence. He had not reported a priest who allegedly sexually abused numerous minors between 1970 and 1991. In France, there is a mandatory obligation to report suspected cases of abuse to the judiciary. Barbarin appealed the ruling at the time.

In the appeal, Barbarin testified that he never confronted the accused priest about what exactly he had done to the children. This, however, he asked one of the victims, Alexandre Hezez, who revealed to him. Barbarin characterized the accused priest's case at the hearing as a "monstrous" special case.

Trial to begin in January 2020

The cleric, whose acts Barbarin had not reported between 1970 and 1991, was dismissed from the clergy in July 2019. On 13. His trial starts in January. Before the hearing, Barbarin's lawyer told French media he was confident he could secure an acquittal for his client. Since the guilty verdict, Barbarin has rested his post as Archbishop of Lyon. Pope Francis had rejected an offer to resign, citing the "presumption of innocence".

Pope John Paul II. Was apparently not fully informed about the abuse allegations against the founder of the "Legionaries of Christ". This is according to a Vatican document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In the letter of 17. In a November 2007 statement published Tuesday by the Italian daily Il Giornale, the prefect of the Congregation, Cardinal William Levada, informed the canonization authority that John Paul II. was in no way personally involved in the proceedings against Marcial Maciel Degollado. However, there had been some letters addressed to the pope with accusations against the Mexican founder of the order. Whether these reached the church head, is not clear from the letter Levadas. The prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had responded with the letter to a request from the curia authority in the course of the beatification procedure for John Paul II. replied. Critics had claimed that the head of the church from Poland had protected Maciel and thus prevented decisive action against him. Long history According to Il Giornale, former seminarians of the Legionaries of Christ had already written letters to the Pope in 1978 and 1989. In 1998, some victims made an official petition to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Today's Pope Benedict XVI. In his time as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he initiated a canonical investigation against the founder of the "Legionaries". After the change of pontificate in 2005, Levada, as successor to Joseph Ratzinger, continued the investigations. Maciel had been accused of sexually abusing seminarians. Thereupon the Vatican had reprimanded the order founder 2006. In addition, in March 2010, the first part of an apostolic visitation of the "Legionaries of Christ" was completed, a kind of investigative procedure of the Vatican. The results of this investigation are currently being evaluated at the Vatican. In November 2009, the general director of the "Legionaries of Christ," Alvaro Corcuera, apologized to the victims. At the end of March 2010, the "Legionaries of Christ" officially distanced themselves from their founder. They also confirmed that he was the father of three children. Maciel had died in the U.S. in early 2008 at the age of 87. He had always denied the accusations.

Homosexual couple © Manuel Lopez

Australian Bishop Van Nguyen is positive about "gay marriage". In a pastoral letter on the occasion of a survey on the introduction of "gay marriage," the clergyman stressed that the Church must also move with the times.

A church no-no on gay marriage: The Catholic bishop of Parramatta in Australia, Vincent Long Van Nguyen, has called on the faithful of his diocese to do some real soul-searching.

Church must perceive signs of the times, Long writes in pastoral letter on state questioning of introduction of "gay marriage". Even the introduction of civil divorce in Australia did not shake Catholic doctrine at the time.

Gay marriage "deeply personal" ie for many people

Long stresses he stands by church teaching that marriage is a union of a man and a woman. But he also recalled the promise he made when he took office in 2016: He stands for a church that "conveys less an experience of being excluded and more an encounter with radical love, inclusion and solidarity".

Homosexuals had often enough not felt welcome in the church, Long stressed. For many people, the ie of "gay marriage" is not just theoretical, but "deeply personal".

Don't answer with a simple yes or no

In families and circles of friends, deep feelings for close relatives competed with love for the church and its teachings. He therefore wants to encourage Christians not to answer the government's question with a simple yes or no, but to examine their own conscience to see what is Christian and what the Holy Spirit says about the needs of the time.

Australians to give opinion on possible introduction of 'gay marriage' in postal survey by mid-November. The church is divided on the ie.

The 55-year-old Long is a colorful dot in the Australian Bishops' Conference. Pope Francis appointed the Vietnamese-born Franciscan bishop of Parramatta in 2016. Born in Dong Nai in 1961, he came to Australia as a boat refugee at the age of 19.

Criticism of hierarchical structures

Before the Australian Abuse Commission, Long recently explained that as a young man he himself had been the victim of sexual abuse by a priest. The assault had occurred shortly after his arrival from Vietnam.

The bishop also criticized hierarchical structures in the church at the time. Titles, privileges and the "institutional dynamic" are a breeding ground for "clerical superiority and elitism".

Laity would have "no significant say" in appointing, supervising and de-longing a priest. The marginalization of women must also change.

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