The Anti-Catholic Media Gets Poor Grades for Biased Reporting on Abuse

AP guilty of bad journalism in Oakland abuse reporting, says Ignatius Press founder

Responding to a recent Associated Press article that claimed a 1985 letter showed then-Cardinal Ratzinger “stalled” the case of a pedophile priest in the Diocese of Oakland, Ignatius Press founder Fr. Joseph Fessio said that the letter was not meant to address punishing the priest for sexual abuse. Diocesan spokesman Mike Brown also told CNA that contrary to the AP report, the priest had “no priestly role in the diocese” after he was accused of sexual misconduct.

On April 9, the AP released an exclusive report that claimed to show Pope Benedict resisted “pleas to defrock” a California priest, Fr. Stephen Kiesle, who was accused of molesting two children in 1978.

The AP cites a letter, written by then-Cardinal Ratzinger in 1985, which addresses a request by Bishop John Cummins of the Diocese of Oakland to remove Fr. Kiesle from the priesthood. In his letter to the Oakland Bishop, Cardinal Ratzinger said that a careful review and more time was necessary for the removal of vows.

Ex-mayor Koch of New York City calls for end to Catholic bashing

Former mayor of New York City, Ed Koch noted last week that the media attacks on the Catholic Church "have become manifestations of anti-Catholicism.” According to Koch, articles published on sexual abuses of minors by priests are "no longer intended to inform, but simply to castigate."

Everyone agrees on the horrendous nature of pedophilia, wrote Koch in a column for the Jerusalem Post on Thursday. The Pope, he added, citing quotes from articles in the New York Times, has met with victims and expressed his sorrow for the "pain and harm inflicted by such abuse" while also criticizing failures by Church authorities in judgment and leadership.

The media "pounding on the Church," proposed Koch, is promoted by those "who object to and are incensed by positions the Church holds, including opposition to all abortions, opposition to gay sex and same-sex marriage, retention of celibacy rules for priests, exclusion of women from the clergy, opposition to birth control measures involving condoms and prescription drugs and opposition to civil divorce."