ROME (Parliament Politics Magazine): When he was archbishop of Munich, former Pope Benedict XVI failed to act on four child abuse incidents, according to a German investigation into the Catholic Church.
From 1977 to 1982, Pope Benedict, then known as Josef Ratzinger, served as Pope. He has vehemently disputed the allegations.
However, a new research by a German law company exploring previous abuse claims implicated the former Pope.
Abuse allegedly continued during his tenure, and the accused continued to be involved in church duties.
In the year 2013, the former pope, who is now 94, became the first Church leader in over 600 years to resign. He has lived a mostly calm life in the Vatican City since then.
According to a recent investigation, ex-Pope Benedict XVI failed to act in the face of abuse.
As per a new investigation commissioned by the Catholic Church, while serving as archbishop, he was informed of the facts of child abuse instances but did nothing.
“Two of these cases concern abuses committed during his tenure and sanctioned by the state,” lawyer Martin Pusch stated on announcing the study.
The culprits stayed involved in pastoral care in both situations.
Certain changes were made in the previous year with regards to the punishment for sexual abuse.
What had been changed?
Priests who abuse their authority can now be victims of both adults and children, according to Vatican law. Previously, the Church believed that adults could grant or withdraw consent based on their age, and did not consider that adults might also be victims, particularly when power is imbalanced.
A priest can lose their job if they engage in sexual practises with “force, threats, or abuse of his authority,” according to the code.
For the first time, laypeople functioning within the Church system, like as administrators, can be fired, fined, or expelled from their communities if they are found guilty of abuse.
The new rules make it illegal to “groom” adolescents or vulnerable adults in order to persuade them to participate in pornography. It’s the first time the Catholic Church has acknowledged grooming as a tactic employed by sexual predators to exploit and abuse victims.
The law also removed the discretionary authority that permitted high-ranking Church authorities to overlook or cover up reports of abuse in order to protect priests. Anyone found guilty of it might now face charges of negligence for failing to investigate and prosecute sexual offenders adequately.
