News outlets are now reporting that Polish television broadcaster TVN24 has just aired a report stating that "Pope St. John Paul II knew about sexual abuse of children by priests under his authority and sought to conceal it when he was an archbishop in his native Poland." This statement is from Monika Scislowska in an AP report picked up by National Catholic Reporter with the title "Polish TV report: John Paul II knew of abuse as archbishop."
See also Le Monde and Agence France-Presse, "John Paul II covered up child abuse while cardinal, Polish television says"; and Derek Scally in the Irish Times, "Late Pope John Paul II accused of covering up child abuse by priests."
As these reports state, Michal Gutowski, whose investigative reporting lies beyind the Polish television report, states that "Karol Wojtyla, as he then was, knew of cases of paedophile priests within the church while still a cardinal in Krakow.
He transferred the priests to other dioceses -- one as far away as Austria -- to ensure no scandal ensued."
Gutkowski reports that the Krakow archdiocese has not permitted him access to its archives. The Polish bishops are, of course, pushing back against his report, claiming — typically — that the Catholic church is under attack by leftists, secularists, and others out to tarnish the reputation of Pope St. John Paul II.
American priest Father Thomas Doyle, long an outspoken advocate for those sexually abused as minors by Catholic priests, says that Gutowski's report is "groundbreaking." It shows that St. John Paul II knew that the problem of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests existed even before he became pope, Father Doyle notes.
Though claims have been made for years now by apologists for John Paul II as he failed to admit and address the problem of clerical sexual abuse of minors that he was significantly unaware of this serious problem in the Catholic church….
Gutkowski's report comes on the heels of a similar report by Polish-based Dutch journalist, Ekke Overbeek, who has a book on this topic, Maxima Culpa, coming out this week. As Derek Scally states,
TVN investigative reporter Michal Gutowski and Dutch-based journalist Ekke Overbeek, working independently of each other, say they have spoken to dozens of victims of Polish paedophile priests, their families and former church diocese employees.
And I'm going to return now to Monika Scislowska's statement with which I opened this posting: "Pope St. John Paul II knew about sexual abuse of children by priests under his authority and sought to conceal it when he was an archbishop in his native Poland."
Not: Pope John Paul II sought to conceal sexual abuse of children by priests.
But: Pope Saint John Paul II sought to conceal sexual abuse of children by priests.
What kind of saint knows children are being abused, has the authority to stop that abuse and protect those children, but protects their abusers instead — putting more children in harm's way?
What does sainthood mean any longer in the Catholic church now that John Paul II has been canonized, declared a saint?
What are those of us preached to and preached at by the Catholic hierarchy who has made John Paul II a saint now supposed to understand by that word, "saint"? What are we supposed to aspire to as we seek holiness? Now that it seems increasingly obvious that Pope Saint John Paul II knew children were being abused by priests, had the ability to protect those children, and chose to protect their abusers instead….
The fact that abuse by Catholic clergy is now being examined from 1950 to the present, basically throughout his entire priesthood and beyond, is not a coincidence. It should not be shocking that the Pope moved abusers around while he was a cardinal. It was done by Pope Benedict, and we worry that Pope Francis may have done this as well. …
What Pope John Paul II helped to enable is a multigenerational deception, where the mother church established policies of secrecy that evolved into the "Bishops' Playbook."
What does sanctity mean any longer in the Catholic belief system?
If Pope John Paul II is a saint…?
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