Pope Benedict XVI Lashes Out at Secular Justice

This spring, it looked as though the Catholic Church was finally going to confront charges of sexual abuse head on. Following recent police raids in Belgium, however, the Vatican has once again closed ranks. In the internal Holy See debate, the conservatives have regained the upper hand.

Until shortly past 10:00 a.m. on Thursday morning two weeks ago, Mechelen was nothing more than a squeaky-clean provincial town in the Flemish part of Belgium. It has a history that dates back 1,000 years, neatly renovated UNESCO World Heritage Sites, eight churches and a cathedral -- and it is the capital of the Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of Belgium. At 10:15 a.m. the bell rang at the gate to the archdiocesan palace.

An investigating magistrate and 20 investigators stood at the door to Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard's residence. It was June 24 and the Belgian Bishops' Conference was convening at the palace. Item 5 on the agenda was a contentious issue: what to do with old files on Belgian priests who have sinned against children.


It was these files that had attracted the interest of Belgian investigators. Law enforcement officials received a tip from a retired priest who says that for years he has been providing his church superiors with secret files that prove that priests have been sexually molesting minors. So far, though, says the former clergyman, his information has not been acted upon.

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