New pope, same secrecy pledge

February 24, 2014

Many assume or believe that Pope Francis is making significant changes in the church. We're pretty skeptical of this claim.

Last week, he installed new cardinals. As he did, it was clear that one important part of the Catholic culture is NOT changing, according to the National Catholic Reporter:

“When making the oath, the cardinals also pledge 'not to make known to anyone matters entrusted to me in confidence, the disclosure of which could bring damage or dishonor to Holy Church.'”

http://ncronline.org/news/vatican/under-benedicts-eye-francis-tells-cardinals-be-peacemakers

This is, of course, the requirement and mindset that enables bishops to continue to stonewall prosecutors, destroy evidence, intimidate victims, threaten whistleblowers, discredit witnesses and hide and transfer predators from city to city and from nation to nation.

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Showing 5 comments

Timothy Egan commented 2014-05-18 19:56:49 -0500
Pope Francis, first Jesuit Pope in history, is secretly a sworn enemy of God and Christ. His public persona of humbleness and charity is an act designed to fool the Catholic congregations throughout the world. Do not be fooled, as even the elect can be fooled as foretold. Beware, and stay close to God. Pray.
John Thompson commented 2014-03-08 18:40:52 -0600
This pope has not made any changes. Pretty words are not changes. Just because someone goes to Mass and says a Rosary every day does not make them a good person. Remember Claudius in Hamlet who said something like My words fly up to Heaven/ My thoughts remain below/ Words without thoughts/ Do not to Heaven go?
Gerald Van Slyke commented 2014-03-05 14:18:48 -0600
I agree. I can’t disagree. PROTECT is doing amazing work on behalf of all abused children; getting laws passed in states that are to the right of Attila the Hun.
Lani Halter commented 2014-03-05 13:42:46 -0600
Having been a member of SNAP for one year now, and having viewed, read and followed everything that I could about this specific “scandal” in the catholic church, I have decided that my personal current course of action now, is to encourage and “call for” the leaders of SNAP in the United States and those attorneys willingly affliated with SNAP, to please write legal petitions for U.S. members to sign and for them to get signed, that call for a referendum to vote for the abolishment of all SOL laws applied to and regarding crimes committed by pedophiles against children and disabled adults; including but not limited to crimes committed by catholic pedophile priests, heirarchy and laity in the United States and its territories. Please let us do a “grass roots campaign”, via the internet if necessary, as our current president did to get elected; to achieve this very obviously important and necessary change to both our criminal and civil laws. The scourge must be STOPPED! Surely, it must be clear to all of us now, that they, (the pope and all the other leaders of the catholic church), will not do it for us. The scourge must be STOPPED! I believe that the United States of America is a uniquely qualified place to be able to achieve at least this portion of the battle against enabled pedophiles in the catholic church. WE CAN DO IT! WE CAN DO IT HERE!!!
Barbara Dorris followed this page 2014-03-05 09:40:50 -0600

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