Pope Alters Status of Sex Offender Priests

Pope quietly trims sanctions for sex abusers seeking mercy as a way of showing that the church is merciful, even though one case now haunts him after one priest was convicted in an Italian court, now has to have a second church trial against that priest.

Do these priests deserve mercy?

Pedophiles are born that way I think is the scientific trend.

The current pope is completely oblivious to reality. The negative stereotypes surrounding the Catholic Church regarding molestation is well deserved.

the pope is just another peasant like us. there is only one god who can forgive and decide all. who gives a flying **** what the pope says IMO

Yes sir and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to get out of their cult.

The Catholic Church should have had criminal charges pressed up against the whole organization by numerous governments in clear conspiracy in condoning and covering up this shit that has been breaking the law in this regard for hundreds of years..

I'm wondering why the church even has a say in this at all; is this not a matter for whatever country the crime occurs in?

Or is this an issue because it occurs at the Vatican which is sort of it's own sovereign city-state?

Not often I agree with you but, yeah, totally agree. Francis is no different than the others.

Honestly, I can't answer why the church is allowed to handle such cases instead of criminal courts where the should be. I don't care if the church does not want bad publicity, they have earned it for sweeping such under the rig for so long and letting it happen time and again with the same priests.

This ruling by the Pope is more about the spiritual life of the priest then it is about anything else. The Pope is not granting clemency of the legal ramifications of their actions. Any priest who commits an atrocious act of pedophilia is still subject to all legal ramifications of his actions just like any other person would be. However the Church also believes that there exists no sin that God can't and won't forgive. Even a sin as terrible as pedophilia is subject to the mercy and forgiveness of God. This is all that the pope is affirming. The official Church rule is still any priest accused of molestation is stripped of any and all duties and then subject to the investigation and subsequent court proceedings and judgement resulting from his actions. Nothing has changed on the legal level only a softening of the spiritual actions associated with these priests. Overblown story is overblown, and misunderstood.

lol religion.

Why wont it die already?