Victims demand trial in Rome of cardinal, archbishop and bishops

Victims of abuse in the Church have asked the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith to bring Cardinal Danneels and Archbishop Léonard among others before the special new tribunal which should examine negligent priests.


Pope Francis announced in early June the establishment of a tribunal, under the auspices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The tribunal should interview bishops who would have been remiss in addressing cases of pedophile priests.


An investigation shows that in Belgium several victims wrote to Rome asking for Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard, Cardinal Godfried Danneels, former Bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe and the Bishop of Hasselt, Patrick Hoogmartens to be tried. They wrote a personal letter on this matter to Cardinal Müller, who is the head of the Congregation.


Léonard is internationally one of the few bishops who have been held liable in a case of sexual abuse. But that certainly does not mean that he certainly will have to appear before the tribunal in Rome, said canon lawyers, Rik Torfs and Kurt Martens.


The Vatican spokesman would not confirm whether the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has already received files on the Belgian bishops.

Source

Video report on new abuse allegation against Belgian bishop

He took the victim out for the day to the beach which is where the abuse is alleged to have taken place. The Sisters who had a share in the running of the home deny all knowledge, and then say their spokesperson says that there will be no further comment.

Church moves to distance itself from former Bishop of Bruges

The Church "expressly distances" herself from the behavior of the former Bishop of Bruges Roger Vangheluwe and other perpetrators of sexual abuse, said Paul Quirynen, lawyer of the Belgian bishops, Tuesday morning on Radio 1 (TRV) after a new complaint was filed against Roger Vangheluwe by a former resident of a foster home.

The new complaint is "shocking information", according to Paul Quirynen. The Church  according to him distances herself from the behavior of abusers and choses "the side of the weak and the victims." It also demonstrated its willingness to heal the wounds of victims, both emotionally and financially. Renaat Landuyt, a socialist MP who sits on the Commission to monitor sexual abuse in the Belgian Parliament, acknowledged that "what is happening today revives pain in many lives ". "As far as I am concerned, the statute of limitations should be eliminated completely because of the nature of the facts," he said. He did not rule out that more recent events would be revealed.

Source

Did Cardinal know of new abuse allegation against Belgian Bishop?

The federal prosecutor confirmed Monday that a complaint with a civil action was brought against Roger Vangheluwe July 18, the former bishop of Bruges.

The complaint originated from a former resident of Huize Godtschalck in Loker (Heuvelland), in the Westhoek. Previously orphanage, it is now a welcome centre for children experiencing learning difficulties.

The man in question has spent much of his youth in this institution. The complaint was filed on July 18 by his lawyers, Tine Verbeke and Walter Van Steenbrugge. "The complainant has been sexually abused, physically and emotionally in the years following his eighth birthday by the former Bishop Roger Vangheluwe in the foster home Huize Godtschalck in Loker, all taking place when he spent his holidays in Oostduinkerke with other children of the institution. "

The complaint is not directed solely against Mr. Vangheluwe but also against X, that is to say people who have been guilty of negligence to a minor in distress, and against the competent authority which has avoided investigating the facts: the Catholic Church.

Source

Cathcon- is X, Cardinal Danneels, who is widely suspected of being negligent in other cases? The big question is when did the Cardinal know about this case, and what did he do about it, when he did.  More details below by clicking on the links for the Cardinal and his friend the Bishop.

Wife and accomplice of pedophile and murderer to enter convent

Belgique: l'ex-femme de Marc Dutroux va quitter la prison pour entrer au couvent - RTBF Societe

Michelle Martin, the ex-wife and accomplice of the Belgian pedophile murdered, Marc Dutroux, will be released after serving more than half of her sentence of 30 years imprisonment, in order to enter a convent in Belgium and provided she "keeps distance" from the victims' families.

The Parole Court in Mons (TAP), which looked for the fifth time since 2007 on the application for parole of Michelle Martin, authorized her on Tuesday to stay in the convent of the Sisters of the Poor Clares Malonne near Namur in the south, provided they "keeps distance" from the victims' families.

Michelle Martin will not get out of jail immediately. The Prosecutor General shall have 24 hours to lodge an appeal and the defense a period of 15 days.

Sister Christine, abbess of the Poor Clares of Malonne, confirmed that her institution was ready to welcome the former wife of Marc Dutroux. "It was a challenge for us, we were upset by the horrible suffering of the victims and their families" she says in a statement.

" How to bring these two realities at once? (...) Our heart of women was troubled. We chose to welcome both these suffering, one with the other, "she added.

Incarcerated since her arrest in 1996, Michelle Martin, 52, has served more than half of 30 years imprisonment to which she was sentenced in 2004.

A former teacher, she was convicted of having kidnapped a number of young victims of Marc Dutroux and to have starved to death Julie Lejeune and Melissa Russo, aged eight years, immured in a dungeon built his house in Marcinelle, near Charleroi.

His lawyer, Thierry Moreau, acted on RTL-TVI that it " this is not the woman who returned to prison in 1996."

"Her guilt will to continue into the grave, the only thing she can try to do is try to redeem herself, "he added.

”Irreducible sentences"

The families of the victims denounced the court ruling. "Victims' rights are violated", accused one of their lawyers, Georges-Henri Beauthier.

"It's the fox that will be thrown into a chicken coop , "said Jean-Denis Lejeune, Julie's father (Julie was one of the victims), who believes that Michelle Martin was" responsible for the deaths of four children . " " I do not accept forgiveness and reintegration , "he said. In May 2011, a petition for early release had been accepted by the TAP Mons.

As part of his rehabilitation program, the former wife of Marc Dutroux, who says he became very religious, had proposed to reside in a convent in France. But the French Ministry of Justice had blocked this option, saying it risked creating a disturbance of public order.

On Tuesday came the reactions of the political world. The President of the Reform Movement Charles Michel said it was " urgent "to" revive the struggle "for the establishment of" mandatory sentencing".

Marc Dutroux was sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping, false imprisonment and rape, between June 1995 and August 1996 of six girls and adolescents, as well as the deaths of four of them.

The community of old and 

a distorted image of St Clare which they now worship.

After all the scandal in the Belgium Church, 

they could not be more insensitive

"No doctrinal obstacle for SSPX reconciliation"- member of the Curia

„Keine doktrinellen Hindernisse für Versöhnung“ – Msgr. Arrieta über die Piusbruderschaft › Katholisches:

Monsignor Arrieta on the SSPX

Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, confirmed that there are no doctrinal obstacles to reconciliation with the Society of St. Pius X. "I think we were able to clarify the doctrinal problems, even if it was not easy writing this down on paper. The real problem as it seems to me, is the separation, the distance between humans, which dates back to 1988. "

Monsignor Arrieta, a Spanish Curial bishop belongs to the Opus Dei, stated this on Monday, 7 May in Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium, as reported by the Belgian daily La Libre Belgique . Topics of the presentation by Archbishop Arrieta were among other issues the canonical inclusion of Anglicans into the Catholic Church, who asking for full unity with Rome and the case of the former scandalous bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe.

Monsignor Arrieta is directly involved in the reconciliation talks between the Holy See with the SSPX. He  personally deals with the question of the canonical inclusion and thus concerned the future canonical status of the SSPX.

The Spanish bishop has been since 2008, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. n February 2012, he ordained members of the Fraternity of St. Peter in Wigratzbad to the Lesser Orders and Sub-diaconate.

Pedophile bishop remains unpunished by church or state

Vangheluwe nog altijd niet gestraft - Het Nieuwsblad

Two years after he was forced to resigned as Bishop of Bruges, Roger Vangheluwe has still not been punished by the Pope. The pastor may no longer lead worship but still retains the title of bishop. This should not be taking place according to the Working Group on Human Rights in the Church "Archbishop Danneels and Leonard his successor did not insist in Rome on a punishment and meanwhile let the victims continue to suffer."

Church criticises Cardinal's analogy for homosexuality

Iglesia critica ejemplo de cardenal sobre homosexuales | País | La Tercera Edición Impresa:

Bishops' Conference spokesman cites the statements of Cardinal Medina in Faces,  in which he referred to the Zamudio case.

Cardinal Jorge Medina, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship who in 2005 was assigned to announce that Joseph Ratzinger was the new Pope Benedict XVI yesterday caused a stir following an interview given to magazine Caras . In this paper, he compares homosexuality to living with an amputated arm.

"You have to help a person to cope with that burden, which I would compare, for example, to a child born without an arm. It is an embarrassment and one must attend to that child so that his limitation does not prevent him from leading a life as normal as possible, "he said.

Medina's statements are produced in an interview with that magazine, which referred to the murder of Daniel Zamudio, who was attacked on March 3 by a gang who, according to the investigation of the prosecutors, attacked because the victim was gay.

Gay groups were outraged by the statements of Medina and they generated a response from the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

Conference spokesman, Jaime Coiro said that "unfortunately, sometimes, by the desire to make clear the mind of the Church on certain matters, the examples used ultimately end up damaging what in reality you want to protect: respect and dignity. "

He added that following the discussion on non-discrimination, the Church has promoted in their parish communities awareness of an approach based on the Gospel.

The statements of Medina were also answered by the spokesman of Homosexual Liberation Movement (MOVILH), Rolando Jiménez: "Medina's hate speech, protected by the Catholic hierarchy, is the breeding ground for violent actions such as those which affected Daniel Zamudio ".

Journalist Juan Carlos Cruz, one of the complainants about former priest Fernando Karadima, condemned by the Vatican for sexual abuse of minors, also addressed the issue.  He argued that the statements  "only demonstrate a reactionary and offensive mentality, which does not contribute to what we expect of our Catholic Church."

Medina had already caused controversy in April 2011, on the subject of the sentence for abuse given to Karadima when he said "the case of an eight or nine year old is very different to one involving  a 17 year old (...). I hardly think that it is an abuse of the same category. "

Cathcon- the last comments has echoes of the Bishop of Bruges who last year said that it was only a bit of fun, as it involved older boys.

The comments on homosexuality echo those of my friend, the late, great Cardinal Joos, who said

he wanted it written down – “in blood” – that the majority of gays and lesbians were “sexual perverts” and gave this advice: “Don’t become gay, you will end up sad.” In all cases, it would have been more constructive to refer to the official teaching documents.

Vatican taken to court by Belgian abuse victims

Belgische slachtoffers misbruik naar rechter | nu.nl/buitenland | Het laatste nieuws het eerst op nu.nl:

Belgian court to abuse victims

Published: June 1, 2011 6:02 p.m.

Last edited: June 1, 2011 6:22 p.m.

BRUSSELS - A group of seventy victims of sexual abuse in Belgium announced on Wednesday that it is taking legal action against the Catholic Church. They want to obtain damages.

The lawyers of the victims will mount a group action in September against the Holy See in Rome, the Belgian bishops and the superiors of religious orders.

Earlier this week the Belgian bishops announced compensation for all persons who have been sexually abused by clergy.

An arbitration board will be estabished. But the victims have started their legal action anyway because they want to remain vigilant, says one of their lawyers.

Vangheluwe

Belgium last year was repeatedly shaken by reports of sexual abuse by church officials. Especially the affair of the bishop of Bruges Roger Vangheluwe caused a stir.

Vangheluwe stepped down last year after he had confessed to abusing for years a nephew who was a minor. The former Bishop, who is now the charge of the Vatican left Belgium after a second case of abuse later emerged.

Related articles

• Belgian plaintiffs to sue Vatican (bbc.co.uk)
• Belgium child sex victims sue Holy See (expatica.com)

Maverick Belgian politician asks if Cardinal's brother protected Bishop of Bruges

Dedecker veut "castrer Vangheluwe avec deux briques" -- RTL info

Dedecker also wants to "castrate Vangheluwe with two bricks"

Jean-Marie Dedecker was wanting to speak on pedophilia cases that have shaken the church. And he did not beat around the bush.

The former president of the LDD and MP Jean-Marie Dedecker believes that the ex-Bishop Roger Vangheluwe must "as a convicted pedophile, be arrested, jailed and neutered. "

" I am ready to carry out this last task using two bricks, "he said in an interview published in Het Nieuwsblad op Zondag.

Mr. Dedecker finds it unacceptable that the Catholic Church investigates pedophiles and other
sex offenders in its own ranks. For him, "it is the Justice authorities, and nobody else, who must establish what sexual offenses have taken place and prosecute."

"Conspiracies between the justice authorities and the Church"

The MP also wondered about the number of "cases of sex abuse by priests in the last thirty or forty years that were actually prosecuted " and the number that have been hidden. "How many conspiracies have there been between the justice authorities and the Church? "

Mr. Dedecker speculates further. "Remember that Danneels brother was until 2007 Chairman of Court of First Instance of Bruges. These are elements that must be addressed urgently " the MP believes.

Voluntary laicisation for Bishop of Bruges?

Canonist and Christian Democrat Senator Rik Torfs has suggested the Bishop asks for laicisation to save the church further humiliation and the Pope from having to demand it. He would also save the Belgian state some money because they hopefully would not have to pay his pension.

He dressed as a layman even when he was a Bishop.

Danneels admits to serious mistakes

De Standaard Online - Danneels erkent dat hij ontslag Vangheluwe had moeten eisen

Cardinal Godfried Danneels realizes that he ought have immediately urged Bishop Vangheluwe to resign. He says not doing so his "most serious error of assessment".

He says this in an interview which appears tomorrow morning in Knack. It is the first time the Cardinal has given an interview about the Vangheluwe case.

From the conversations with the victim of the bishop of Bruges which Danneels had, published in The Standard, it appeared that he was not asked to resign. He has always denied that he wanted to cover-up the abuse by Bishop Vangheluwe.

"It was for me in the first place about reconciliation within the family," he says now Knack. "I thought, wrongly, that the family had kept the case private for 24 years , so also wanted to keep it that way."

"That's why I suggested waiting another year until the bishop retired. When there was no immediate explosion, then I have indeed said that something can be forgiven. "

Pastoral approach

Resignation was a "consequence" of that reconciliation, he says now. "But as I suspected dissension within the family, I thought of adopting a pastoral approach."

Danneels denies that he has treated the victim arrogantly. The greeting "Zeg ne keer" (thought patronising) is a common greeting in West Flanders.

"Later in the conversation, I actually told the victim said that I did not wish to hear the story, because I knew the facts. And that was wrong. I should have let him tell the story, however long it lasted. "

Danneels regrets that the conversation ever took place. "I did not go into his (Vangheluwes, ed.) demand for me to meet the family. What Vangheluwe hoped to achieve with this meeting, I can only guess. "

Cardinal denies cover-up even after leaking of the tapes

De Standaard Online - 'Kardinaal heeft écht nooit geprobeerd om zaak in doofpot te stoppen'

Even after the leaking of the tapes, Cardinal Danneels case denies he wanted to cover-up the Vangheluwe case. That he let us know yesterday through his spokesman, Toon Osaer. "The cardinal has never really tried to cover up the case."
At his press conference on April 24, the cardinal said that he "had mostly listened" to the victim. It now appears that he had suggested a couple of "solutions" ?

"You say that from the tape it is shown that he provided strong incentives to wait for the bishop's retirement for the story to come out to the bishop in order that there be no public scandal. The cardinal admits that he actually suggested this as a solution, but that was only in his role as mediator. "

"The family had asked him to mediate, and this he has done. It is to say, afterwards Archbishop Leonard showed that the family had expected, but that did not know Cardinal Danneels. He has tried to reach consensus which everyone felt comfortable with. He did not think the victim in the first place wanted the resignation of the bishop. "

The cardinal has also suggested "questions of forgiveness and reciprocity" as a solution for thirteen years abuse.

"Yes, but that is simply the pastoral approach to matters. You must not look for mischief behind this. "

Why did not the cardinal say earlier that in the conversation of April 8 he had done more than just listening?

"It is true that the cardinal at his press conference on April 24 did not say that he had suggested solutions, but he did not know that he was violating confidentiality during the interview. Besides, the interview with the family there was no consensus to say the least. "

"There are many more things than what you said quote, though. There was even a fight. The cardinal thought there would come a new conversation. But the victim has chosen a different path. "

Why has the Cardinal recommended no other solution than the two he suggested? To approach the Adriaenssens Committee, for example?

"He thought he still was not allowed to under the confidentiality of the talks and to ask for things to be settled internally. The cardinal never really pressed the victim not to go Adriaenssens commission or the courts. The essence is: the Cardinal has tried to mediate and now he is himself a victim. "

Did the Cardinal not know in the first place what to do to save the bishop and the Church a scandal?

"I cannot see into his head. He has in any event not told me that . Perhaps that unconsciously has played a role. "

The Danneels Tapes- Part I

Obamicon of Danneels posted by Cathcon earlier this year. 

Danneels original story.

"The Dutch-language daily De Standaard reported on Friday that two former priests had personally informed Cardinal Danneels, 77, about Bishop Vangheluwe's abuse several times between the mid-1990s and early 2000s.

View Full Image

European Pressphoto Agency

Cardinal Godfried Danneels

In a news conference Saturday, Cardinal Danneels rejected the allegations. "With the best will in the world I cannot remember such a discussion," he said. "I'd be surprised that I wouldn't have paid attention, or forgotten about such a statement."

Cardinal Danneels said he had been told about the abuse case a few weeks ago by Bishop Vangheluwe, and agreed to mediate a conversation between the bishop and the victim, at the request of the victim's family.

"He had no plans of keeping it a secret, but was waiting until after a second meeting between the two parties to speak out," said Hans Geybel, an assistant to Cardinal Danneels. Of the accusations of ignoring reports of abuse, he said: "We checked archives and I interviewed all the cardinals secretaries, and there was no record of his having been informed.""

What actually took place!

INTERVIEW PART 1
Participants:
Godfried Danneels (GD)
Victim (S)
Roger Vangheluwe (RV)

The victim enters the room. There is some buzz back and forth. (...)

RV: It is suggested that S first speaks a moment with the Cardinal.

S: I thought it would be the other cardinal?

RV: We have only one cardinal, right?

S: But yes, we thought it was going to be the archbishop.

RH: But you still will put questions to the Cardinal? (...)

Roger Vangheluwe goes outside.

GD: S, sit down. Take your time

S: So I lost my entire youth to abuse by my uncle Roger. Sexually and still mentally and I think I should do something and that I have a duty to report that to a higher authority.

GD: What would you really want? I know the story, he has already told me. You should not tell me it all again, but what would you really want me to do?

S: I give the responsibility to you, I cannot decide, I have this burden on my shoulders and I want to rid myself of this burden and to give that burden to you. That is my intention.

GD: Yes ...

S: And you do what you think should be done, because I do not know how the whole system works, so ...

GD: Do you want it to be published, anyway?

S: Euuhm ... I leave it to you.

GD: Actually, Monsignor will resign next year, wouldn't it actually be better that you wait?.

S: No, no, no.

GD: What you are going to do, you leave open to speculation, eh.

S: That may be, it is your responsibility to resolve that speculation ...

GD: But that we cannot resolve ...

S: But I cannot solve the situation, I'd rather put it in your hands.

D: Well, I would suggest that we might be better to wait for a date next year when he would usually resign.

S: No, I do not agree, and him taking glory in saying goodbye, no I cannot. The cover-up technique that you have used for so many years as you have, I'll have to learn to live with, but eh ...

GD: But I have no authority over Monsignor Vangheluwe.

S: And who does?

GD: Actually, no one except the Pope.

S:  I asked to speak to his employer, and I did not specified who that should be. I have also mentioned the Pope.

GD: Now I have nothing more to say, I have resigned.

S: Ah yes, what am I doing here then really, we would be better to arrange an appointment with the Pope, surely?

GD: Or the new archbishop.

S: I do not know, you say that the Pope was his boss, so we have to go there and not to the archbishop.

GD: We have no authority over other bishops, we are just .... our own boss.

S: Then perhaps you can go through and that you can arrange an appointment with the Pope and then we'll go there. It is already 42 years that I suffer and I want no more, I cannot stop, I cannot, and I do not wish to leave everything as it is.

It has a very big impact in the family in everything in my relationship with my wife in everything, I'm tired of that life and that the matter remains so dominant, and I would agree to that. I have arrived at the age that I want my freedom for life.

GD: Actually, the first responsibility lies with he, himself rather than with his superiors.

S: But if he does not want to do what has to be done ...

GD: What do you ask of him? that he would resign?

S: But he must decide, I just want to inform, that's it. If you wish me to say something that I cannot say I cannot, I do not know how to proceed, or should I look for another way for me to obtain closure?

And today I had demanded that he confess openly speaking to the family, saying that he did those things. While everyone is there.

GD: He will do that.

S: I had expected for today that we can do better in direct contact and we'll see, if nothing happens, then I go to the Pope.

GD: The Pope is not so easy to get though to ...

S: But you can still make a decision, this is still important enough to inform someone higher up, or you would  let matters rest, that's probably the intention.

GD: I have nothing to do with it.

S: I wonder what you doing here, I asked to speak to his superior and that is apparently not so.

GD: I can also give advice.

S: If I do something wrong on my work, I go to my boss. I thought about this in the same way.

GD: It is actually he who is responsible for the case that really is not good.

S: What do you think?

GD: I don’t want to say ...

S: That he should not and cannot function and that he can not keep silence, I guess that would be the most normal reaction. How can you still go through life so hypocritically?

GD: You should ask him that.

S: But I ask your advice

GD: Oh yes ... You can also forgive

questions, huh, and you plead guilty.

S: Who should I ask forgiveness? I have to ask for forgiveness?

GD: He can do that, it's true.

S: And so take the cover off.

GD: I do not know if it would benefit either you or him to give a dramatic deadline.

S: I still think that the victim's privacy should be respected, there should not be no names used.

GD: But yes, you put him in a quandary.

S: I have all my life been in a difficult position, I'm not planning to have pity, I want that fight to finish, it is enough  for me, that I finally once again have a clean slate for myself that I do what I want to do.

I was in a Catholic school and I was brought up Catholic. I'm very upset with that institute, I also read the newspapers, so I think I have an obligation to do so. How can I get my children to believe in something with such a background that will not move on, then you just move straight into the next generation. And everything remains as it is, and that is not the intention of the church.

GD: No, it's not the intention to discredit someone?

S: You give me another solution- I should forgive and it is resolved.

GD: No, no, no.

S: And he goes on as normal.

GD: You could also say he will resign next year anyway, and that for example, he says, look, I no longer go on television and such. With things left like that, and you come to a year.

S: No, I want it placed in your hands and then you decide.

GD: You can grab us and blackmail, hey, and say look, you have to do something.

S: What?

GD: You can blackmail and say, look if you do not say anything ...

S: Why should I want to blackmail? I'm not going to blackmail.

GD: Well, if you for example say they do nothing, and you bring it to public notice ...

S: Then let me once more give you all a chance to address the church and to do what I myself am unable decide and be ready enough to give a clear answer.

Therefore I prefer to go to the institute, which still must have someone who regulates such things. There are things from the first that are not true, I think there's someone there to link to, who receives a complaint and who does something.

We were forced to be married by him, for everything, the children were baptized by him, how can I explain to them? I now have my oldest son who asked yesterday: Look, what happened to me? They do not yet know what happened.  That is still true, that cannot continue, and waiting for everything to return to the same situation- that's still no solution?

GD: Ah! We can also, as I said, ask forgiveness and give forgiveness, which is also a possibility.

S: That's not possible for me, I do not believe anymore, as you do in these things, no, it is not possible.

GD: That much has happened in history, and not in the church, and also later. It is and remains very bad, it does not change, but uh, yeah, you see, if you sincerely ask forgiveness, then we all share the burden, that's a possibility, eh

S: That would obviously be the easiest for you, huh.

GD: Oh, I do not know if that is so easy. It is not so easy to ask forgiveness in public so, it's not so simple, eh

S: I think it not too difficult.

GD: It is not that simple.

S: I should do something with respect to my family.

GD: Do you want us to dismiss him, for example.

S: Ah yes, of course

GD: That's not so easy, huh.

S: I do not know, of course I want that. That's logical. If I cause an accident, drunk, I will also be punished.

GD: A punishment sentences. You have penalties that are public and private penalties, that's a big difference huh. Your name gets out, pulled through the mud ...

S: My name?

GD: His name.

S: He has ensured that my whole life is pulled through the mud. From 5 to 18 years old. Can you imagine?

GD: Yes, I can imagine that that is very difficult... Indeed.

S: You cannot imagine, I'm sure.

GD: So forgiveness is not enough? If you agree, they can say what they want. If you say, I do forgive ...

S: I think that's not enough.

GD: But it would be nevertheless a humiliating thing to do

S: For me it was also humiliating.

GD: I'm not saying that is not true.

S: I have wanted to go through it all. For him the only honest and the easiest way to die with an easy conscience would be to give up his responsibilities. It will be much easier for him. And before you actually go through the mud and everything you need to undergo, and then you come to terms with yourself.

GD: That is quite a strong thing to ask. It is quite strong to say: you must be publically humiliated in front of everybody

S: You need it in any case. He should just cease activity.

GD: Ah yes, that's the proper humiliation that he must resign, hey.

S: Yes yes.

GD: Then people say: why should he resign? So, they're going to find out. you know, why he resignedp, they're going to find out. Which is quite a burden ...

S: But why are you so sorry for him and not me?

GD: I can tell you that.

S: You always try to defend him, I thought I was going to have some support, I must defend myself here from things I cannot do anything about.

GD: No, I'm not saying you can do anything about it but something should be done differently.

S: But what should be done?

GD: Questions of gorgiveness anyway.

S: And that is enough for you

GD: When you say ...

S: Why should I? He had been able to do that much earlier but it was not found necessary. When I was 18, my father told him. We are now 25 years on and he has never asked forgiveness, why could he not do that much earlier, then it might never have come this far.

No, I will not accept that he just disappears from the scene in heavenly glory and that  the matter is finished. He has his responsibility that he has taken all this and I wish that you now take your responsibility as the superior. That is my intention.

GD: Yes, I cannot injure because I did not do it.

S: Ah yes it is, we should not continue to speak. Then we'd better stop. I must not talk to you because you really cannot do anything.

GD: No, not directly, actually. No no, you're asking from me the maximum possible...

End call

A second interview to follow. Done in great haste.
Source

The Danneels Cover-Up - there are tapes

Danneels wilde seksueel misbruik Vangheluwe geheim houden - Gva.be

Danneels wanted sexual abuse by Vangheluwe kept secret

Cardinal Godfried Danneels attempted to cover up the sexual abuse of Bishop Roger Vangheluwe . This is evident from his conversation with the victim Vangheluwe.

The newspapers are considering today the transcription of two soundtracks that the victim made of his conversation with Danneels and Vangheluwe. It appears that Danneels wanted to keep secret the scandal until the bishop retired one year later . This however, the cardinal has always denied.

The victim himself, a nephew of the bishop has come out with the recordings because he says he is the victim of a smear campaign by the Church. It us a fact that Roger Vangheluwe has given money to his nephew over the years. The victim has never been questioned, but always has asked for the resignation of Vangheluwe.

Confidential

The Cardinal now regrets that talks with the victim made public. According to his spokesman Toon Osaer it was a discreet and confidential conversation. "It was also the first visit and there was a prospect that a sequel was coming. It is important to to underline this briefly," he states

Child abusing bishop mocked in obscene children's circus

Politie bij eerste voorstelling 'Circus Vangheluwe' - Hbvl.be

The public prosecutor of Gent sends representatives to the first Sunday performance of "Circus Vangheluwe" at the Ghent Festival, said their spokesperson, Annemie Serlippens.

At the show, which is provided by comedians Gunter Lamoot and Peter De Praitere, only children less than 1.35 meters are welcome. They need first to crawl underthe legs of a wooden image of Roger Vangheluwe, who resigned as bishop of Bruges because he had abused a child.

After the protest in the media on Friday, the prosecutor and mayor Daniel Termont consulted. They found the presence of representatives of the prosecutors office not a bad idea. "If necessary, they will intervene, but we have faith in the common sense of the two comedians," said Serlippens.

"Painful"

The Art of Children organization, The National Youth Choir of Belgium and the Classics for Kids organization groups, has already complained on Saturday about the circus. "This initiative is offensive, shocking and painful," said chairman Tim Devolder. "Cirq has done wonderful performances in recent years, but this goes too far."

Cardinal Danneels receives standing ovation

At the induction of the new Bishop of Bruges, Josef de Kezel, in succession to the child abuser, Roger Vangheluwe. 1500 people attended in the Cathedral Church of the Holy Saviour. De Kezel is a protegee of Cardinal Danneels, having been his auxilliary for eight of the latter's 31 years in Brussels.

Cathcon believes that they had better save the applause until the magistrates have finished their work.

Investigators suspect more victims of the Bishop of Bruges

HLN Belgie- Parket vermoedt meer slachtoffers Vangheluwe (1130911)

Bruges investigating magistrates have broadened the investigation against former Bishop Roger Vangheluwe. There are still indications that he had more than one victim, said attorney Jean-Marie Berkvens on Friday morning . The ex-bishop is risking a prosecution for gross negligence.

In the weeks following the removal from office, some media have reported Vangheluwe about a possible second victim, and a suicide in the family Could be related to sexual abuse by the bishop. The Bruges prosecutor refused to confirm the reports, but has decided to take matters further.

"Reports of other facts"
"The first acts are under the statute of limitations, that's obvious, but we are now investigating reports that there have been other acts," says attorney Berkvens. The ongoing investigation was initially focused on a specific case, but has gradually expanded. We now are in possession in possession of documents sent by intermediaries and have examined a computer. "

The question also arises how Vangheluwe as bishop himself has responded to reports of sexual abuse. "We are investigating whether the former bishop can be prosecuted for ignoring years of complaints about sexual abuse in his diocese. The name of Cardinal Danneels also comes up," says the investigating attorney.

Cathcon- this potentially could get quite serious for the Cardinal. The former Bishop of Bruges was a good friend. Even if he knew about the first case, he could not be charged because the statute of limitations would also cover him- but if there is a more recent case and he knew something, then that is a different matter.

His claims that he knew nothing are greeted with incredulity by family members of victims who went to see him with their concerns. He at the time dismissed what he was told.

Ecumenical Working Group in support of Belgian Paedophilia

De Duivel in de Kerk | The Devil in the Church


In October 1984, Danneels received a letter from a concerned mother about the so-called Ecumenical Working Group on Paedophilia. The activities of this group were announced in the Bishop’s Conference journal, Church and Life on August 9, 1984. The Group, as stated the article, "will raise awareness in the churches of the phenomenon of paedophilia, share information and remove prejudices." It was planned as a meeting point for paedophiles " to exchange ideas with each other and to encourage each other. All are welcome who wish to better understand paedophilia and paedophiles under conditionsof more transparency, respect and trust. "

The mother, who turned to Danneels, had obtained "detailed documentation" which she reported to him as startling.

Some quotes:

If your (small) son or (little) daughter feels fine about relationship with a paedophile, please do not break up the relationship;

The reaction of the immediate society is often more damaging than the events themselves;

Many convinced Christians can still learn from paedophiles;

It is preferable that a trust relationship between the paedophile and the parents should be created.

But the Cardinal did not pay attention and gave them a free hand. Today, 26 years later, Danneels found that one of his own bishops, his best friend Roger Vangheluwe, at the time of publication of the article in Church and Life - and sadly many years later – was molesting his eleven year old nephew.

The journal Knack points out that the inspiration for this group came from the progressive left outside the Church and there is surely also a big story to be told how the left turned a blind eye to pedophilia in the 70s and 80s. But it is still inexcusable that the Church should have given shelter to such perversion