Paedophilia charges only petty gossip.

[modeller]

Pope refutes the chages against the church as a conspiracy and petty gossip.
Is he right to defend the church in this way ?

http://www.guardian.c...-sexual-abuse-scandal

[jno]

I don't think so. If it's a conspiracy, who's conspiring? If it's petty gossip, is he saying the allegations that have been made are untrue? If they are then he is right to dismiss them; but he doesn't seem to have produced any evidence that this is the case

[Sandy-Wroe]

In the face of all the evidence they are still in denial.
Individual paedophile priests abused children. Bishops, and others higher in the church, covered up the crimes of these priests.
If they can't accept that now there seems no hope for them.

[modeller]

Yes I accept what you say but in view of the fact the Pope is the head of the church should he defend it and if not what should he do ?

[LazyGun]

How can one defend the indefensible? I think the Popes PR radar is way off on this whole issue - and to try and reduce the import of the allegations surrounding priests and children they have abused as "petty gossip" is surely crass at best, stupidity and arrogance at worst.

[modeller]

My feeling is that IF he is personally innocent then he should be ruthless. Sack everyone involved in the cover up and start afresh. On the other hand if he was involved directly or indirectly as reports from Germany indicate , admission , resignation and pleading for forgiveness is the only option. However none of these things are likely to happen he and most of his followers are in a state of denial as you suggested Sandy-Wroe

[tamborine]

The pope doesn't monitor priests....that's the job of local Bishops. Paedo/abusers are public felonies and should be dealt with by police. Priests are not above the law.

[modeller]

Isn't that the whole point ? If the bishops do not act against the priests and in fact seem to condone the crime by ignoring or transferring the priests elsewhere. Then the police are helpless.
In the case of the Pope the accusations against him are his failure to act when he was a Cardinal and his dept. was informed of cases of abuse.