Popenator: Child abuse now illegal in Vatican City

[Her3tiK]

Because, apparently that 1) has to be spelled out explicitly, despite already being "illegal" by RCC law, and b) somehow isn't fucking obvious that you shouldn't so much as look at children sexually.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/11/world/europe/vatican-child-abuse/index.html?sr=reddit

"For the Vatican's image, this is a successful move. For children's safety, this is another setback ... because it will help foster the false impression of reform and will lead to more complacency," said SNAP director David Clohessy in a written statement. "The church hierarchy doesn't need new rules on abuse. It needs to follow long-established secular laws on abuse. And it needs to push for, not oppose, real reforms to archaic, predator-friendly secular laws (like the statute of limitations)."

Meanwhile, nothing of consequence is actually being done to stop/punish God's Rapists. Good on you Francis, for being completely worthless to everyone.

[Valerius]

[clockworkgirl21]

I doubt this will change anything.

[Commissar Kaz]

I find it more troubling that it wasn't already illegal.

[Sigmaleph]

Bergoglio certainly has elevated the useless gesture into an artform, but this case seems somewhat different. This appears to be a general updating of the laws of the Vatican.

[Witchyjoshy]

Updating the law is pointless if you don't enforce it.

[wrightway]

Maybe this will encourage them to enforce it?

[Clochette]

Funny that the Vatican saw no need for laws against child abuse, yet abortion is illegal there.

[Sigmaleph]

Updating the law is pointless if you don't enforce it.

Of course, but I suspect it's mostly irrelevant either way. This is a law that applies in the Vatican only, which has a population of less than a thousand people, probably zero of which are children. Lack of prosecution for the abuse that takes place inside Vatican City was never the problem, but rather priests molesting children all around the world and the Church covering it up.

[Dakota Bob]

Too bad there was no law against covering up child abuse.

[PosthumanHeresy]

Updating the law is pointless if you don't enforce it.

Of course, but I suspect it's mostly irrelevant either way. This is a law that applies in the Vatican only, which has a population of less than a thousand people, probably zero of which are children. Lack of prosecution for the abuse that takes place inside Vatican City was never the problem, but rather priests molesting children all around the world and the Church covering it up.

There's nothing really they can do about the individual priests. They can stop covering it up, and I would like that, but let's be honest, the current stable of priests is destined to be fucked up. Many priests became priests because they were gay, trans, paedos, or one of the other groups that would have been burnt alive when they joined the priesthood.

[Sigmaleph]

I don't have the statistics right now, but from what I remember, priests aren't that much more likely to be paedophiles than any other occupation with easy access to children. The major part of the problem has always been the shuffling around and covering up, which is entirely in the Church's power to fix.

[ironbite]

Updating the law is pointless if you don't enforce it.

Of course, but I suspect it's mostly irrelevant either way. This is a law that applies in the Vatican only, which has a population of less than a thousand people, probably zero of which are children. Lack of prosecution for the abuse that takes place inside Vatican City was never the problem, but rather priests molesting children all around the world and the Church covering it up.

There's nothing really they can do about the individual priests. They can stop covering it up, and I would like that, but let's be honest, the current stable of priests is destined to be fucked up. Many priests became priests because they were gay, trans, paedos, or one of the other groups that would have been burnt alive when they joined the priesthood.

While you can't stop a predator from preying, you can stop the cover-ups.  And that's what's got people up in arms.  The Church honestly believes itself to be some sort of major power in the world when in reality, nobody really cares.  They just wish they were a bit more Christ like and less greedy.

Ironbite-but they have the power and they will never change.

[mellenORL]

Not that I care all that much for the RCC, but the only truly effective means of ridding the church of child predators is for the normal priests, nuns, monks, school teachers, etc. on the local levels to seek-and-destroy any pederasts they already know about, and regularly check in with random altar boys, choir members, students, etc. during confession and teacher/student meetings to monitor for any hidden pedos left.

Fuck the hierarchy, all the way up to Rome. Stop playing church politics. If the higher-ups are hiding and reassigning pedos, they are in fact at least pedos-by-proxy, and no doubt a lot of higher-ups are actual pedos. It needs to be about local police getting anonymous tips from the lower level church clergy, consecrated religious (nuns, monks), and teachers in parochial schools.

[Her3tiK]

Not that I care all that much for the RCC, but the only truly effective means of ridding the church of child predators is for the normal priests, nuns, monks, school teachers, etc. on the local levels to seek-and-destroy any pederasts they already know about, and regularly check in with random altar boys, choir members, students, etc. during confession and teacher/student meetings to monitor for any hidden pedos left.

Fuck the hierarchy, all the way up to Rome. Stop playing church politics. If the higher-ups are hiding and reassigning pedos, they are in fact at least pedos-by-proxy, and no doubt a lot of higher-ups are actual pedos. It needs to be about local police getting anonymous tips from the lower level church clergy, consecrated religious (nuns, monks), and teachers in parochial schools.

I've always thought public crucifixion in Vatican Square might be a nice deterrent. But I kinda have this no-strikes thing for rapists and religious leaders.