the same old mistakes

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Apr 13, 2010

In an op-ed column appearing  in USA Today (along with a contrasting view from our own Phil Lawler), Stephen Prothero of Boston University writes that Pope Benedict should confess his crimes-- whatever they might be. Frustrated by what he sees as mismanagement in Rome, Prothero asks:

Why is the Vatican repeating many of the same mistakes Cardinal Bernard Law made after this scandal broke in Boston in the 1990s?

The scandal didn't break in Boston; it first appeared in Louisiana, then in Dallas and in Fall River. When it did hit Boston, it wasn't the "1990s;" the full impact hit in 2002. But never mind those details; let's address Prothero's question. To repeat:

Why is the Vatican repeating many of the same mistakes Cardinal Bernard Law made after this scandal broke in Boston in the 1990s?

Which mistakes, exactly, is the Vatican repeating?

• Is the Vatican assigning known pedophiles as pastors?
• Is the Vatican sending letters to multiple-offense predators, congratulating them on their long years of productive ministry?
• Is the Vatican refusing to accept phone calls from parishioners who complain about a priest who is a serial molester?
• Is the Vatican telling victims of abuse that they must keep things quiet, because they are bound by the confessional seal?
• Is the Vatican signing reference letters for priests who spoke at the foundational meeting of the North American Man-Boy Love Association?

It's a funny thing, but in the gazillion recent stories about the alleged misdeeds of Pope Benedict, none of those "same mistakes" has even been mentioned.