Friday, April 09, 2010

Ireland, Canada...

...it's the same Church.

Here's a letter sent in 1993 from a concerned bishop, Joseph Windle of Pembroke, Ontario, urging that the Vatican not give a pedophile priest, just promoted to the Vatican, any further honours.

This wasn't exactly a breaking of the ranks, as the following passage makes very plain:

One redeeming factor is that it would appear that the victims involved are of Polish descent and their respect for the priesthood and the Church has made them refrain from making these allegations public or laying a criminal charge against a priest. Had this happened elsewhere there would be every danger that charges would have been laid long ago with all the resultant scandal. Unfortunately one priest, who was talking with one of the victims who partially revealed Fr. Prince's activity while living with him in Ottawa, has been somewhat indiscreet in his comments about Fr. Prince, and has had to be cautioned by the Vicar General in this respect. [emphasis added]

So much for resolving these matters internally. "Child rapist? No promotion for you!"


After he had fetched up in Vatican City, the pedophile, Bernard Prince, began to travel extensively, and once had supper with a Canadian Embassy official in Thailand. (Yes, Thailand. I wonder what he was up to there?) He was eventually convicted in 2008 of molesting 13 boys between 1964 and 1984.

And here's the man Bishop Windle sent his letter to, papal nuncio Archbishop Carlo Curis: "I don't remember anything and I don't permit that we continue with this conversation."

Time for us to recall our Ambassador to the Holy See?

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