1962 Vatican Document

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CBS News - Sex Crimes Cover-Up By Vatican

Original Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani Directive

Church in Crisis

    As soon as CBS News uncovered the 1962 Cardinal Ottaviani directive, damage control went into full swing, endeavoring to minimize the document’s role and significance. Understandably, these refutes cleverly omit the actual document for reader analysis and discourage further investigation.  The basic facts outlined in the document null any attempt to diminish its grievous impact on child victims. It would be prudent to examine the actual Ottaviani directive very carefully to avoid being deceived by the recent explanatory articles written with the cunning ability of Michael Jackson’s defense team attorneys. The actual directive itself would make any Christian’s blood boil, regarding both the author and those attempting to conceal its true nature. Defenders of this Ottaviani doctrine claim the secrecy is only to maintain the sanctity of the Confessional, notwithstanding that the document clearly broadens the range and scope to before and after Confession on the very first page, which could entail years. Furthermore, articles attempting to diminish the significance of this Ottaviani directive claim that it does not bar the child victims from making separate charges about the priest's sexual misconduct. On the contrary, in the event the injured party declined absolute secrecy (sought protection and/or justice from the authorities), the directive clearly mandates the molester victims be excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church for life.  The Ottaviani directive makes this unmistakably crystal clear throughout the document.

1. It’s immediately obvious that the document was specifically designed to silence the child victims. Any attempt of the victim to communicate the abuse to authorities results in excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church for life.

   Preliminaries – 11 (restrained by perpetual silence)

   Preliminaries – 13 (accuser must be silenced)

   Title 1 – 18 (excommunication)

   Title 1 – 21 (secrecy till death)

   Title 1 – The First Knowledge of the Crime – Paragraph 23 (threaten the victim)

2.    The pedophile priest is treated in a protective and opposite manner.

        The Process – Chapter 3 – 48 "The judge should paternally and gently exhort the accused"

        The Process – Chapter 3 – 52 "In every way the judge is to remember that it is never right for him to bind the accused by an oath to tell the truth." But notice that it’s mandatory to bind the victim.

        Title 3 – Penalties – 63 (The greatest penalty possible to the pedophile priest found guilty by the outlined tribunal is being reduced to "lay-brother", and only done when it is considered that there is absolutely no hope of recovery. - Hence the perpetual transfers of pedophile priests and multimillion dollar pay outs)

      Title 4 – 67 – (If the pedophile priest is found guilty by the tribunal, he must be transferred)

    Keep in mind that any other institution, upon learning that one of its members is molesting children, would have the God given common sense to contact the authorities. The Ottaviani directive seems to be designed to make the Roman Catholic Church a safe haven for pedophiles, while cleverly and viciously repressing child victims. Notwithstanding Mark 9:42 – "And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea."  How could those defending this reprehensible Ottaviani directive consider that this verse would not also apply to them?