MALTA
Malta Independent
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
We had expressed our opinion on this subject once, but of course, the powers that be in the Maltese Church took no notice of us.
The Curia’s legal representatives recently made their submissions in court in reference to the abuse of boys at the St Joseph’s Home. Just as Bishop Scicluna had claimed right from the start of his appointment, the Church’s legal team said its client is not legally responsible for the (pedophile) crimes committed by ordained and practicing Churchmen. It said that while it sympathized with the victims, the Church does not intend to pay any compensation. This is an ugly scene, a very ugly one.
We can think of no other country in the world where Church leaders tried this argument and got away with it. The defendants would have been laughed right out of court with such an argument, which is why no other diocese used this sort of argument and why many have bankrupted themselves in paying out compensation, rather than try it. Can we say that it is only in Malta that Church finances outweigh all other considerations?
Around the world, faced with charges and accusations from victims who told of infinite pain they suffered, the Church suffered a huge loss of face. Popes, such as Pope Benedict and even Pope Francis have been scathing in their condemnation of the crimes committed by priests and have apologized to the victims, in some cases, as happened in Malta, the Pope personally to the victims.
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