Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Wikileaks: Vatican ACKNOWLEDGES SEXUAL ABUSE BY PRIESTS


                                                                           
 
Reference IDCreatedReleasedClassificationOrigin
01VATICAN1615 2001-03-23 13:28 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Vatican

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the 
original cable is not available.


-------------------------------------------- 
VATICAN ACKNOWLEDGES SEXUAL ABUSE BY PRIESTS 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.   (SBU) IN A RARE STATEMENT ACKNOWLEDGING FAULT, VATICAN 
SPOKESMAN JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS SAID MARCH 20 THAT THERE WAS 
A PROBLEM OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF NUNS BY PRIESTS IN SOME 
MISSIONARY TERRITORIES. HE SAID THE VATICAN WAS WORKING TO 
CORRECT THE SITUATION. THE STATEMENT WAS IN RESPONSE TO A 
MARCH 16 ARTICLE IN U.S. CATHOLIC WEEKLY, NATIONAL CATHOLIC 
REPORTER THAT CITED FOUR REPORTS BY SENIOR MEMBERS OF 
WOMEN'S RELIGIOUS ORDERS ASSERTING THAT SEXUAL ABUSE OF NUNS 
BY PRIESTS, INCLUDING RAPE, WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 05        VATICA  01615  01 OF 02  231320Z 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTO7054 
 
PAGE 01        VATICA  01615  02 OF 02  231320Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AF-00    ACQ-00   CA-02    CIAE-00  USNW-00 
      DODE-00  DOEE-00  DS-00    EAP-00   FBIE-00  UTED-00  VC-00 
      H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    L-00     VCE-00   M-00 
      AC-01    NEA-00   NSAE-00  OCS-03   OES-01   OIC-02   PA-00 
      PM-00    ACE-00   P-00     SCT-00   SP-00    IRM-00   SSO-00 
      SS-00    TEST-00  T-00     USIE-00  R-00     SNIS-00  NISC-00 
      PMB-00   DSCC-00  DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /012W 
                  ------------------D63E4F  231330Z /38 
R 231328Z MAR 01 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0000 
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV 
AMCONSUL JERUSALEM 
AMEMBASSY SEOUL 
NSC WASHDC 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 001615 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE), EUR/SE, EAP/K, NEA/IAI, 
 
EUR/PD/PA, AF/E, AF/W, AF/S, DRL/IRF 
 
FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 48/01 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        VATICA  01615  02 OF 02  231320Z 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM SOCI IS GR KN KS PHUM SOCI IS GR KN KS VT MEPP VTPREL MEPP
SUBJECT: VATICAN - "VIEWS FROM THE HILL" 
 
ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA. ONE OF THE AUTHORS TOLD A VATICAN CITY 
NEWS AGENCY THAT SHE WAS VERY PLEASED THE VATICAN HAD ISSUED 
ITS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. (COMMENT: THE VATICAN HAS BECOME 
INCREASINGLY SENSITIZED TO INCIDENTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE BY 
CLERGY, PARTICULARLY IN COUNTRIES LIKE THE US, AUSTRALIA AND 
ENGLAND. WE EXPECT THE REPORTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE BY PRIESTS IN 
MISSIONARY TERRITORIES TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND DEALT WITH 
PROFESSIONALLY. END COMMENT). MERANTE 
 
 
"The best justification governments can find to shut down information is that lives are at risk. In fact, 
 lives have been at risk as a result of the silences and lies revealed in these leaks." -- Jemima Khan