French cardinal in court on charges of not reporting historical abuse
The Archbishop of Lyon, Cardinal Barbarin, will attend court, alongside six other priests
The Archbishop of Lyon and six other priests are to be tried on charges of not reporting historical abuse, according to news channel France24.
Cardinal Philippe Barbarin and his co-defendants have been ordered to appear in court in April, for a trial expected to last three days.
The 66-year-old cardinal is accused of failing to report Fr Bernard Preynat to authorities after a former scout in 2014 accused the cleric of abusing him in the 1980s. Cardinal Barbarin left the priest in his post, where he had contact with children, until 2015. The cardinal denies any wrongdoing.
In 2016, Cardinal Barbarin was summoned as a witness on the request of the victims who filed the complaint against Preynat. He said at the time: “Their suffering is as painful today as it was 30 years ago. For them, it is appalling and unacceptable that he was allowed to carry on serving as a priest,” Barbarin said.
In May the same year, Pope Francis defended Cardinal Barbarin, telling French Catholic newspaper La Croix: “Based on the information that I have, I believe that Cardinal Barbarin in Lyon took the necessary measures and that he has matters under control.”
With respect to the abuse scandal in the diocese, Pope Francis said: “It is not easy to judge the facts decades later in a different context, but there can be no statute of limitations for the church in this field. … As Benedict XVI said, there must be zero tolerance.”
Cardinal Barbarin was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI, and the 2013 conclave which elected Pope Francis.
PAT SAYS:
The one Irish senior cleric that should have been through the courts is Cardinal Sean "The Wounded Healer" Brady for his role in the cover-up of the Father Brendan Smyth case and his disgraceful CIA like interviews of two of Smyth's little boy victims.
PAT SAYS:
It is good to see that one European country's authorities are not afraid to move against a senior Catholic Church figure over the historic abuse scandals.
Whether or not Cardinal Barbarin and his 6 clerical colleagues are found innocent or guilty will be a matter for the courts.
But, in principle, the French as doing us all a big favour by showing us that senior Catholic clerics are no longer exempt from the laws of the land.
For far too long now many countries in the world - especially in Europe - have been slow to act against bishops and cardinals.
But every priest, bishop, and cardinal is also a citizen of their country and they are as much bound by the law as any other citizen.
In Ireland particularly the government and the authorities showed far too much deference to clerics for too long.
I can remember when |Archbishop Dermot Ryan was evicting Father Michael Keane from a Templeogue presbytery the judge allowed Archbishop Ryan NOT to sit in court - but in a private room - where he was treated to tea and biscuits and when he was asked a question a court official was sent from the courtroom to the private to ask Ryan questions.
I can also remember that when I sued Father Michael Cleary for libel in the Dublin High Court the judge on my case was sitting in his chambers with a statue of Our Lady, a lit candle and a Rosary beads praying that I would not win!
The one Irish senior cleric that should have been through the courts is Cardinal Sean "The Wounded Healer" Brady for his role in the cover-up of the Father Brendan Smyth case and his disgraceful CIA like interviews of two of Smyth's little boy victims.
Now that France - "The Eldest Daughter of the Church" is bringing cardinals and bishops to court hopefully that procedure will spread and that senior Catholic clerics will no longer be above the law anywhere.
The Catholic Hierarchy will only take abuse and corruption seriously when the public see bishops in handcuffs.
PS: Cardinal Barbarin's Archdiocese of Lyon had 743 parishes in 1970.
Today that number is 143.
A drop of 600 parishes in 47 years.
If people think Pope Francis will be the great white hope of a Pope to finally stamp out abuse, they are very wrong. Pope Francis defended and protected Chilean Bishop Juan Barros in 2015 and called people dumb who protested outside Barros installation Mass. People held protests and candle lite vigils for months in protest against Barros who it was claimed covered up the abuse of a prolific abuser, Fr Karadima, for over 30 years.
ReplyDeleteLet's remember Fr. Joe McCluskey, Kilanny Parish, Monaghan, who was tragically killed yesterday. This goid priest in his 70's was out visiting the sick elderly housebound, a true Priest of God, whose life is a shining example of dedication in love and service. A prayerful, humble man. Before this blog today begins tearing into priests, let us honour this good priest servant. God rest his good soul and kind heart.
ReplyDeleteWhat you report is sad. I am sure the Good Shepherd will reward this good priest.
DeleteAs you say it is right that these matters take their course in civil court
ReplyDeleteDo you know anything about Rasputin or do you just ass nicknames in an attempt to appear witty?
ReplyDeleteHe looks like Rasputin and behaved like him!
DeleteSo you are linking cleary to the death of untold millions in russia? As an analogy.
DeleteNo. I am linking him to another side of Pasputin' life - his life as a liar, a manipulator and a man who lived a double life without a twinge of conscience.
DeleteBoth.
DeleteWhat happened in the Clear Case. Did anyone ever think of doing a film about your life. Lots of material to draw from
ReplyDeleteYou are very sad. You spend your day repeating the news or else attempting to destroy very good people. You really are an excuse of a human being.
ReplyDeleteI did not say that I was "very sad".
DeleteI did not know Fr McCluskey personally.
Anyone being killed like that is a sad happening.
If he was as good a priest as is said he will be rewarded - and rightly so.
I spent d my day trying to do good.
This Blog, which is a small part of my day, often exposes the corruption that is at the heart of the institutional RC Church.
If it wasn't so sad and dangerous it would be funny, the backlash you get on here for exposing the endemic ptotection of criminals in the Catholic church. And that's exactly what it is - I feel if anyone else hid criminals, the people who make excuses for the bishops and criticise you for revealing them,wouldn't be so protective of these people.
DeleteObviously good people protect criminals from prosecution...
So what was the outcome of the Michael Cleary case ?
ReplyDeleteAnd what was it about ?
You sure lead an interesting life Pat
I won. It was about him criticising my marriages an radio and failing to give me the right of reply.
DeleteWell that’s a laugh and him rearing a family with his lovely partner.
DeleteIf the pope covered up for someone as noted above, he too should be in court.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes Brady should also have his day or days in court.
Covering up an abuse is scandalous.
Francis' record in Argentina was not good.
DeletePlease be specific.
DeleteIs above not specific enough for you 13:33?
DeleteI think the Pope understands his own responsibilities a lot better than anyone. Not that that stops some people thinking they know better! Some people have very little sense of embarrassment....All talk...
DeleteNot at all specific... Just a lot of uninformed speculation and so I agree with @ 12.17.
Delete9.54 If the church could be trusted to weed it's own garden, this blog would not be needed. Every other institution knows it is legally accountable. The church has not cottoned on yet. Dreadful, soul destroying things have happened to innocent trusting people....and the church thinks it just doesn't matter. It rules over the people like a medieval monarch. The peasants have no rights.
ReplyDeleteThe RC Church cannot be trusted to police itself. Period!
DeleteIt doesn't police itself. Its members are subject to the law of the land like every other citizen.
Delete13:29, it has nearly always attempted to police itself (often with great success) through Canon Law. Clerics in particular considered themselves beyond the reach of Civil Law. (It is in large part why Thomas Becket was slain.)
DeleteSince the pontificate of Pius XI and the publication of the 1917 Code of Canon Law, the Church has even more determinedly sought to police itself...with the scandalous human consequences we're all now depressingly familiar with. (Except you, for some strange reason.)
Silly sausage...
DeleteEven when I was at school 50 years ago, I was on Henry 11 side.
DeleteCarta, Benedict XV was pope in 1917. Pio XI didn’t emerge until 1922.
DeleteI didn't say they were concurrent.
DeleteTry upgrading your comprehension level.
What a scoundrel Father-in-more-ways-than-one-Cleary was... and to think I thought Keith O’Brien was bad.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cleary_(priest)
12.19
ReplyDeleteNow now he wasn’t abusing , which is the most horrendous of crimes.
He was just a liar and a thief, thief in that he used the laity money to fund his lifestyle and leading a double life.hope his children grew into sensible people.
Sexual misconduct and financial misdeeds are often closely related.
Delete13 24 He seduced his partner Phylis who was a 17 year old vulnerable girl with mental health issues.
DeleteUntil the day he died he described her as "an unmarried mother he had taken in".
He was a faithless lecher.
It’s not too late for someone to bring those 2 at 10.32 into the courtroom
ReplyDeletePope or no pope
Cardinal too.
Bishop Pat, I hear the word accountability throughout today's blog. It is clear that there is still a culture of fear in the church because the repercussion is too costly for some? Anyway, I write to you this evening to congratulate you for your consistency in your thirst for Justice. You are leading by example brother and doing your bit I assure you. Maybe one day we will see change from the centre. Lets not hold our breath though eh? Until then lets chip away like Michael Angelo. :) x
ReplyDeleteAccountability is an essential part of taking mature responsibility.
DeleteIf a person is never going to be held accountable for his decisions and actions, then that means that he has carte blanche to behave as recklessly as he wishes. It would hardly be conducive to a decent society.
The real tragedy is that the sexual abuse of children is not a thing of the past.
ReplyDeleteLet us not forget Bishop Crean who covers up abuse today.
ReplyDeleteCan u elaborate, never heard of him ?
ReplyDelete