Priest Demands Pope's Resignation on Sex Abuse Cover-Up

In the wake of what seems to be years-long exposé by citizens all across the globe, the Catholic Church has increasingly come under fire for its hand in a decades-old cover-up on hundreds of sex abuse offenses by members of the cloth. Cover-up activities now include outright protection of numerous cleric sex offenders.

Evidence now links Pope Benedict XVI to an incident 30 years ago when he served as archbishop. He provided diocese accommodations to a priest accused of child sex abuse, supposedly so that the priest could undergo therapy. According to church officials in Germany, the unidentified priest was let go from the church in 2008 - after three decades had passed.

With mounting allegations and ever-growing evidence of repeated church-wide cover-ups, the Church now faces the disgust and condemnation within its own fold.

US Priest Calls on Pope to Resign

In a sermon delivered last week in the Massachusetts parish of St. Micheal's Church, the Rev. James Scahill called on Pope Benedict XVI to resign his office. Said Scahill,

"If he can't take the consequences of being truthful on this matter, his integrity should lead him, for the good of the church, to step down and to have the conclave of cardinals elect a pope with the understanding that the elected pope would be willing to take on this issue, not just in promise."

Scahill is a longtime critic of the Church's sex abuse crisis and says the Vatican is wholly responsible for the condemnation. Scahill further believes it is wrong to hold the media accountable for perpetuating the scandal.

Says Scahill further:

"I have met with countless victims of abuse. I have lives I can relate this to, and you know anyone with an ounce of intelligence knows the media has not created this scandal. The institutional church has brought this onto themselves."

Source:

Priest calls for pope's resignation, CNN.com