UNITED STATES
Bilgrimage
William D. Lindsey
In what I posted earlier today about Pope Francis’s recent statement that a bishop who moves a priest to another parish when a case of pedophilia is discovered is irresponsible man and should resign, I stated,
But, of course, if that statement is to have teeth, then the Vatican needs to get cracking right away and do everything it can to assure that such bishops do resign. Which would make for a huge number of episcopal sees for the Vatican to fill down the road from the crop of resignations . . . .
And then I referred to the case of Bishop Arulappan Amalraj of Ootacamund, India, who recently placed Father Joseph Jeyapaul back in ministry — with Vatican approval — though Jeyapaul has been convicted of sexually assaulting a teenaged girl in Minnesota.
Here’s an excerpt from the very important response of Megan Peterson, who was sexually abused by Father Jeyapaul, to what Pope Francis has just said:
Yesterday, Pope Francis added insult to injury when he said a bishop who transfers a predator should resign and asked “Is that clear?” Just days ago, the Vatican lifted the suspension of my perpetrator, even though he was pled guilty to child sex crimes. So, no, Francis, you are NOT clear. Your words do not match your actions.
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