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RED
HAT ALERT - FINAL CALL !
That Archbishop Murphy-O'Connor is fortunate
to have avoided formal charges for criminal negligence in the Fr Michael
Hill paedophile case, as summarised in the October CO, is reinforced
by the charges brought against the French Bishop of Bayeux-Lisieux.
Msgr. Pierre Pican recently confirmed in court that he and his staff
had done nothing to halt the alleged activities of Father Rene Bissey
for two years after a parent made a complaint in late 1996. In an unprecedented
legal action against the Church, Bishop Pican has been under criminal
investigation for the past year for alleged failure to report sexual
crimes. Similarly, Archbishop Murphy-O'Connor's name was prominent in
a recent English report that senior detectives are now investigating
"senior figures in the Catholic church who covered up the activities
of paedophile priests" [Sunday
Telegraph 22/10/00]. In light
of all this, it would surely be the height of folly and injustice for
Archbishop Murphy-O'Connor now to be rewarded with a red hat
at the next consistory in February 2001. To raise our voice en masse
in this case is, above all else, a matter of justice and charity for
the victims of the Archbishop's negligence and Fr. Hill's abuse; a powerful
act of solidarity with them in acknowledging the devastating effect
of this gross betrayal of clerical trust on their lives. Beyond that,
there is the scandalous message the bestowal of such an honour on the
Archbishop would send to the British populace at large - i.e. that the
Church, having recently called for paedophilia to be treated as "a crime
against humanity", is utterly hypocritical and devoid of all credibility.
The latest controversy surrounding Archbishop Ward's complicity in the
Fr. Joe Jordan paedophile saga would only compound this impression in
the event of Murphy-O'Connor being raised to the College of Cardinals.
Readers who still have not done so are therefore urged to write and
lodge their protests with the following Roman Congregations as soon
as possible:
His Eminence Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger,
Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Piazza del
S. Uffizio 11, 00120 Vatican City State, Europe.
His Grace Archbishop Giovanni Battista
Re, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Palazzo delle Congregazione,
Piazzo Pio XII 10, 00120 Vatican City State, Europe.
His Eminence Dario Castrillon Cardinal
Hoyos, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, Piazza Pio XII 3,
00120 Vatican City State, Europe.
His Eminence Jorge Arturo Cardinal Medina
Estevez, Prefect of the Congregation for Worship and Sacraments, Palazzo
delle Congregazione, Piazza Pio XII 10, 00120 Vatican City State, Europe.
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