An HIV infected Catholic priest who was has admitted to raping close to 30 indigenous little girls will face no consequences for his actions as the Catholic Church has “absolved” him of any wrong doing.
The priest, Jose Garcia Ataulfo, was acquitted of any wrongdoing by the Archdiocese of Mexico, revealed in a bombshell report- on Urgente24.com.
As Ariel Zilber of The Daily Mail reports:
“Ataulfo has admitted to sexually assaulting indigenous young girls from Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico known for its large indigenous population.
The priest has yet to face any criminal charges, most likely due to the significant influence that the Catholic Church wields in Mexico, particularly in areas populated by indigenous ethnic groups.”
Only two of the over two dozen rape victims have come forward to denounce the acquittal, as others feared reprisal.
Despite Ataulfo’s confession police have steered clear from investigating over the backlash they may cause and upsetting the deep rooted Catholic establishment.
The website Anonymous Mexico reported that” the mother of one of the victims asked to meet with Pope Francis in Rome, but she was rebuffed by the Vatican which wrote a letter stating that it considered the matter closed.”
Zilber continues:
“Since assuming the papacy in 2013, Pope Francis has said that the Church would remove bishops who cover up sex crimes committed by priests against children.”
Russia Today reported this year that new church laws would enable the Vatican to strip clergymen of their positions.
Sexual abuse of minors by priests – and the subsequent cover-ups by bishops and other Church officials – have been widespread in many countries, including the United States.
The issue was thrust into the national spotlight in 2002, when the Boston Globerevealed the extent to which the local archdiocese shielded abusive priests from being exposed to the public even though it knew they posed a danger to young parishioners.
The Globe exposé, which detailed abuse cases that numbered in the thousands over a span of several decades, inspired other victims to come forward, leading to an avalanche of lawsuits and criminal prosecutions.
Not only did the floodgates open in the US, but the Catholic Church was also forced to confront cases in other countries, including Mexico.
“In 2004, the Vatican re-opened a prior investigation against Marcial Maciel, who was accused of sexually abusing minors as well as fathering six children by three different women.
Though the allegations spanned decades and the extent of his crimes were known to church officials, it was only in 2006 that the Vatican forced Maciel, one of its most powerful clergymen, to retire from active ministry.”
Catholic news outlets on the other hand are are claiming the story to be false. It is telling however, that this story would seem very plausible in light of the Church’s track record of sexual abuse and sweeping it under the rug.
In the United States alone, sex abuse cost the Catholic Church nearly 3 billion dollars, with half of the cases unsubstantiated, unsolved, or under ongoing investigation.
Absolved or not- all clergy should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. To entrust that what is most precious to us, our children- to someone who in the end abuses them is the most severe of violations which deserves the most severe of punishments. Religious institutions should not be able to self police, and should be held to account by the laws of the land.
What do you think of the said confession? Do you think the Catholic Church’s claim that the story is false is propaganda to save face? Sound off below.
Source : CCN
