ROMA, 29 Jul (Reuters) - O papa Francisco disse que os gays não devem ser julgados ou marginalizados, e que devem ser integrados à sociedade, nas palavras de maior compaixão por parte de qualquer pontífice a respeito dos homossexuais.
Em conversa com jornalistas a bordo do avião que o levou de volta do Brasil para Roma no domingo à noite, Francisco defendeu os gays contra a discriminação, mas também fez referência ao catecismo universal da Igreja Católica, que diz que a orientação homossexual não é pecado, mas os atos homossexuais, sim.
Na conversa, o papa também falou sobre o papel das mulheres na Igreja, e disse que a proibição às sacerdotisas é "definitiva". No entanto, disse que gostaria de ver as mulheres assumindo maior papel de liderança na administração da Igreja e em atividades pastorais.
"A Igreja conversou e diz não... a porta está fechada", disse Francisco, em seus primeiros comentários públicos sobre o tema.
O papa desembarcou em Roma nesta segunda-feira de manhã após uma viagem triunfal de uma semana ao Brasil para presidir as celebrações da Jornada Mundial da Juventude. A missa de encerramento, no domingo de manhã, reuniu mais de 3 milhões de pessoas na praia de Copacabana, segundo a prefeitura.
(Reportagem de Philip Pullella)
COMENTÁRIOS
‘I WAS THE BOYFRIEND OF A MONSTER’: VICTIM OF PAEDOPHILE PRIEST SPEAKS OUT AS FORMER ARCHBISHOP OF YORK DENIES COVERING UP CHILD ABUSE CLAIMS
PUBLISHED MAY 10, 2013 BY MISTY53- Robert Waddington, former Dean of Manchester, attacked several boys
- Archbishop of York David Hope twice told of child sex abuse allegations
- Stopped Waddington from taking services but did not report it to police
- Lord Hope ‘absolutely denies’ cover-up but admits making mistakes
- Victim Eli Ward waives anonymity to describe his abuse nightmare
A former choirboy who was the victim of a paedophile priest has spoken out about his ordeal, saying: ‘I was the boyfriend of a monster’.The exposure of Robert Waddington, former Dean of Manchester, as a predator who exploited his position to molest young boys has forced David Hope to deny that he covered up the crimes when he was Archbishop of York.
Waddington was disciplined by Church officials and banned from holding services, but two sets of allegations against him were never passed on to police.
But the former Archbishop, now Lord Hope of Thornes, yesterday admitted he should have told officers about the sexual abuse claims but did not do so because he was worried about the health of the paedophile.
‘I didn’t report to the police,’ he told The Times. ‘With hindsight, probably there ought to have been [a report]. He was in such a fragile and frail state.’
One of Waddington’s victims, Eli Ward, now 40, waived his anonymity to tell the newspaper of his torment at being ‘the boyfriend of a monster’.
He met the priest when he was just 11 and was helping the new Dean clean the altar at the cathedral.
The pair quickly bonded, and the paedophile asked Eli if he wanted to stay the night at his house.
The boy could not sleep because of an intimidating poster of a painting in his bedroom, so Waddington invited him in to his own bed, where they performed sex acts on each other.
The priest would ask ‘Do you really love me this much?’ during the abuse, Mr Ward said.
The victim has since grown estranged from his family because he accuses them of giving Waddington access to him, and says that he constantly feels guilty about the love for fine wine and expensive clothes which the priest inculcated in him.
When he was at university, he phoned Waddington and asked about their relationship – the retired Dean replied: ‘Forget those memories and push them to the far reaches of your brain and never tell anyone again and come and see me.’
Waddington, who died in 2007, is believed to have abused a number of pupils at an Australian boarding school where he was headmaster before returning to his native Britain.
As Dean of Manchester he was in charge of the city’s cathedral, giving him access to dozens of young choirboys – and he also apparently cultivated close relations with the scandal-hit Chetham’s School of Music.
One victim has revealed that Waddington used to ask him to stay before luring him into his bed where he forced the boy to perform sex acts on him.
In the late 1990s, a former pupil of the priest at the St Barnabas boarding school in Queensland made a complaint dating back to Waddington’s time as headmaster in the 1960s.
The allegations were passed on to Lord Hope, who set up a meeting with Waddington in which the priest said he was ‘deeply sorry’ and insisted a similar incident would never happpen again.
A 1999 letter sent by the Archbishop to Church authorities in Australia convinced the victim to drop his legal claim against the authorities.
However, four years later Lord Hope was told of new allegations against Waddington after the Diocese of Manchester drew up a child protection report investigating his behaviour.
Excerpts from the report showed that the diocese was aware of the North Queensland case, and advised that ‘little could be done’ until the Manchester abuse victim officially reported the matter.
Lord Hope once again interviewed Waddington, and decided to revoke his ‘permission to officiate’, which prevented him from presiding over services.
The former Archbishop insisted that he had not taken the decision to protect Waddington or shield the Church from embarrassment.
‘I would strongly resist any suggestion that I was in the business of covering up anything,’ he told The Times. ‘I would absolutely deny that.’
When Waddington died of cancer six years ago, he received laudatory obituaries, some of which specifically mentioned his close relationships with choirboys and other pupils.
The Roman Catholic Church has been hit by a number of high-profile sexual abuse allegations and accusations of cover-ups, but this is one of the first such incidents in the Church of England.
Greater Manchester Police said: ‘In October 2012, police received a report of historic sexual abuse that took place in the Bury area between 1984 and 1989.
‘A full investigation was then launched by Greater Manchester Police’s Public Protection Investigation Unit. The investigation has now concluded and no action can be taken as the subject of the complaint is deceased.’
A spokesman for Manchester Cathedral said: ‘We are shocked and saddened by the nature of these allegations relating to events in the early 1980s.
‘We want to reassure parents and congregation members that for a number of years Manchester Cathedral has had in place a robust child protection policy with CRB checks made on all clergy and those who work specifically with children.’