Pedosexuality in Belgium

The former bishop of Brugge, Roger Van Gheluwe, typically denied that he raped his nephews (VT4). It is unbelievable that this crook could become a bishop in the Catholic Church. Although many victims were hurt watching this interview it is good that a self-serving criminal was exposed.

Godfried ("peace of God" or “loved by God”) cardinal Danneels has no shame. The former Flemish archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and the former primate of Belgium did not recuse himself when the pope appointed him to the commission on what the Church must do to react to the pedophilia scandal. This scandal rocked also the Belgian Church when many victims of sexual abuse made it clear to the Addriaenssen commision, which investigated sexual abuse, that they were victims of clerics. People don’t have the excuse of animals of prey, which follow their instinct. Cardinal Danneels, a prince of the Church, was not following the teachings of the church when he did not make it clear that pedosexuality has no place in the Catholic Church and that the Church always chooses the side of the weaker ones, when he thought the reputation of some was more important whan the well-being of all including the well-being of the weaker.

Cardinal Danneels was not princely either when his ”leadership” didn’t presuppose responsibility. Who doesn't know about the pedophilia scandals that hit the Church in the US and elsewhere? It was certain then that Belgium would be hit also by "the love for children". Pedophilia is a misnomer because there is no love involved. I never noticed that cardinal Danneels did his utmost to chase the perpetrators, that there would be zero tolerance. Recently cardinal Danneels had a chance to improve his standing when he could use almost an hour of airtime of Flemish TV (VRT) to explain himself. Rather he chose to disclaim any responsibility on account of each diocese being run by its own bishop and that he (as the Belgian primate) had no say in it. That was all he could with the softball questions that came his way. Similarly cardinal Danneels avoided any responsibility in the Belgian House. He never before said he had nothing to say outside his archdiocese. He enjoyed being feted as the primate. In this broadcast cardinal Danneels cried hot tears of hypocrisy. Those crocodile tears fit well together with the unctious tone for which he is famous or should I say| 'notorious'? When he apologizes to the pope for allowing the name of a sex offender to contaminate the terna of Brugge he can tell the pope that pedophilia is not a disease that eliminates free will (what an interesting and revolutionary relationship between penal law and responsibility!) but the moral failure of the stronger and more powerful perpetrator, often a person of trust, who pushes his weaker victim to a life full of misery.

Cardinal Danneels had better do a lot of penance and support the idea that the Church is guilty of a crime against humanity in protecting the culprits of pedosexuality and against its statute of limitation. Does cardinal Danneels have the courage to be a prince of the church?

Pedosexuality is a crime and the harboring of criminals, as the Church has done often, is also a crime (against humanity) for which there is no statute of limitation. The Church has to come out much more strongly and stop behaving as a good old boys network. I hope Church leaders will be subpoenaed. The victims need healing urgently. What more is needed to take action?

University Program in Honors + Dept. of Philosophy

George Washington University

Washington, DC