Hmm, it's a slow news day on the international scene, but here's an article that caught my eye. The Pope is actually taking action against priests who have a little problem with alter boys. While I'm glad to see that God's messenger to humanity is finally acknowledging that there's a problem, I'm still a little disappointed too. The Pontiff’s new regulations require bishops and Vatican courts to investigate and handle any suspected abuses. But this leaves some interesting questions up in the air.
Are priests to be considered immune from prosecution under state and federal laws for these crimes? If the Vatican wishes to deal with this as a matter internal to the church, do they not feel a responsibility to notify secular authorities? How are these cases handled for repeat offenders? And how can this be satisfactory to the millions of people (in the US, at least) who aren't convinced of the Vatican's infallibility? While I respect the Vatican's right as a sovereign country to do as it pleases inside its own borders, being an ordained priest cannot excuse you from the laws of the United States. If the Vatican thinks otherwise, I'm deeply disappointed.
