France 24: An investigation into sexual abuse in the French Catholic Church has found that an estimated 216,000 children were victims of abuse by clergy since 1950, Jean-March Sauvé, head of the commission that compiled the report, said on Tuesday.
The 2,500-page document details how an estimated 3,000 child abusers, two-thirds of them priests, worked in the Catholic Church in France over seven decades.
The revelations in France are the latest to rock the Roman Catholic Church, after a series of sexual abuse scandals around the world, often involving children, over the past 20 years.
The abuse was systemic, Sauvé said at a public, online presentation of the report.
The Church not only did not take the necessary measures to prevent abuse but also turned a blind eye, failing to report abuse and sometimes knowingly putting children in touch with predators, he said.
Pope Francis reacted to the devastating report, expressing “great sorrow” for the victims. The message was relayed Tuesday via a Vatican spokesman who said the pontiff had learned the contents of the report “with pain”. “His thoughts turn first to the victims, with great sorrow for their wounds and gratitude for their courage in speaking out.”
The commission was established by Catholic bishops in France at the end of 2018 to shed light on abuses and restore public confidence in the Church at a time of dwindling congregations. It has worked independently from the Church. Read More …
Opinion: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” 1 Timothy 4:1-3
Another latter times prophecy in fulfillment. We are reminded that in 2017, one year before the investigation began, Pope Francis spoke out against President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.
December 6, 2017
Respect ‘status quo’ of Jerusalem, says Pope in response to Trump move
“Pope Francis, speaking hours before U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem, called on Wednesday for the city’s “status quo” to be respected, saying new tension in the Middle East would further inflame world conflicts.”
In an appeal at the end of his weekly general audience, Francis called for all to honor United Nations resolutions on the city, which is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims.”
Israelis were in the midst of the Knife/car ramming intifada started by Palestinian leaders in 2015 encouraging Arabs to use their kitchen knives and cars to kill Jews. Thirty-eight innocent Jews were killed, but the pope wanted to keep the statue quo.
An ancient prophecy from Genesis 12:3 called for curses on those who curse Israel. It is hard to imagine a more hideous curse than pedophilia.
