# Did Benedict resign because of involvement in the priestly child molestation coverup? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 12, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078 "2013-02-12T14:17:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/1 "2013-02-12T14:17:46Z")
The enormous document dump that was part of the legal settlement in the case against Cardinal (and former Los Angeles archbishop) Roger Mahony [has apparently yielded some interesting tidbits](http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/pope-benedict-stepping-down-shocking-abdication?paging=off): > [@](#): > > What is clear, though, is that Mahony repeatedly failed to act on concerns about the sexual abuse of children by priests that brought to him by pastors and church officials throughout the diocese, and that when he did, his actions were designed to avoid criminal prosecutions of the predator priests. And it is also clear that in his Vatican office, Ratzinger was the recipient of letters from Mahony informing the Holy See of what actions he had taken. > > For instance, in a 2003 letter to Ratzinger, Mahony says of Father Lynn R. Caffoe that between the priest and one boy, there were 100 “instances of masturbatory and copulative acts,” according to an account in the Los Angeles Daily News. > > But Mahony never reported Caffoe’s alleged crimes to police, and Ratzinger apparently never instructed him to. Then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is now Pope Benedict, of course. At the time, he presided over the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which oversaw matters such as this. So: did the Rat resign in order to be in a less prominent and visible role when the scandal finally engulfed him? Was ‘old age’ the best he could come up with as an alternative to the obviously unavailable excuse of needing to spend more time with his family? As the magic 8-ball would say, “signs point to yes.” ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/2 "2013-02-12T14:32:22Z")
Maybe. But I also seem to recall Ratzy stating that he would only be sort of a temporary Pope, right in the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/3 "2013-02-12T14:33:56Z")
Unless something REALLY personally damning comes out (like Ratzinger molesting children himself) I doubt he’d step down for that. It was known that he was covering up abuse before he even became Pope; more of the same wouldn’t trigger a resignation. I’m inclined for the moment to believe that he’s going senile and knows it, and is leaving rather than “harming the Church” by having a doddering senile Pontiff at the helm and the Church run by infighting minions until he dies. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/4 "2013-02-12T14:34:18Z")
I think he had expected to die by now. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/5 "2013-02-12T14:55:51Z")
If he thinks he’s going to be implicated, it seems to me that he’d want to stay in a position where he has the most control over information flow and the Church’s response. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/6 "2013-02-12T14:57:56Z")
I doubt it. We’ve known for a long time that he was well aware of what was going on because of his position, and as Pope he’s maintained that the abuse was basically church-related matter (although he did once encourage abusers to turn themselves in). On the other hand he’s 85, which makes him older than John Paul II was when he died, and he also witnessed John Paul II’s health failing up close. There have apparently been whispers about Benedict’s own health, although there’s no particular evidence and the RCC says they’re false. He became Pope in his late 70s and said he never wanted the job in the first place. He was on point of retiring in 2005, as I understand it. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/7 "2013-02-12T15:07:49Z")
It is kind of refreshing that here is an occupation where you are not considered too old to apply for, when over 40. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/8 "2013-02-12T15:12:23Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > So: did the Rat resign in order to be in a less prominent and visible role when the scandal finally engulfed him? Was ‘old age’ the best he could come up with as an alternative to the obviously unavailable excuse of needing to spend more time with his family? As the magic 8-ball would say, “signs point to yes.” Why would it be better for him not to be pope? IOW, why do signs point to yes? He said years ago that he’d resign if he was unable to continue doing the job. He’s 85. If he were president of the US, you’d be calling him too senile to stay in office. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/9 "2013-02-12T15:25:58Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > So: did the Rat resign in order to be in a less prominent and visible role when the scandal finally engulfed him? Was ‘old age’ the best he could come up with as an alternative to the obviously unavailable excuse of needing to spend more time with his family? As the magic 8-ball would say, “signs point to yes.” Doubtful. It’s one thing if you’re CEO of a company or a politician who can be recalled/impeached. But the role of Pope is supreme within the Church with no mechanism for removal (aside from murdering the current guy, I guess) and the pope can legislate with absolute authority and disregard for the ranks beneath him. If you were worried about holding up under a tidal wave, wouldn’t you want to be in an untouchable spot where you can call the shots no matter what? ---
**Author:** ![Tollhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tollhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tollhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/10 "2013-02-12T15:40:03Z")
Nope, …the man is 85 yrs old, and I feel he was a good man discouraged by other things which no doubt his advanced age made it more difficult for him to endure, than if he were 70. If our country had a President that age who needed to resign I suspect you’d completely understand. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/11 "2013-02-12T15:48:19Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Why would it be better for him not to be pope? Because it would do far more harm to what’s left of the Roman Catholic Church’s tattered reputation for an investigation to close in on a sitting Pope than a past Pope. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/12 "2013-02-12T15:48:21Z")
> [@Tollhouse](#): > > Nope, …the man is 85 yrs old, and I feel he was a good man discouraged by other things which no doubt his advanced age made it more difficult for him to endure, than if he were 70. If our country had a President that age who needed to resign I suspect you’d completely understand. Good men don’t cover up child sexual abuse. ---
**Author:** ![Tollhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tollhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tollhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/13 "2013-02-12T15:51:00Z")
Op, since you framed this question in such a way as to be sarcastic about the notion he possibly could be resigning due to his age, “was ‘old age’ the best he could come up with…” do you really not see 85 as being an understandable reason to feel the need to resign? We’re I come from, 85 is, well, pretty darn old. If you live that old your considered pretty fortunate. What age would you let him off the hook? 99 ? ---
**Author:** ![Tollhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tollhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tollhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/14 "2013-02-12T15:56:23Z")
Jay jay, I agree. However I don’t believe that he maliciously covered anything up. I also take hs life as a whole, however much that may anger those in the anti catholic movement, and see tons of overwhelming good he did. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/15 "2013-02-12T16:00:41Z")
> [@Tollhouse](#): > > those in the anti catholic movement What anti catholic movement? Or did you mean the anti raping lil boys movement? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/16 "2013-02-12T16:02:28Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > But the role of Pope is supreme within the Church with no mechanism for removal (aside from murdering the current guy, I guess) Historically that’s been a _very_ popular mechanism! Not so much since the Middle Ages, though. > [@Tollhouse](#): > > Op, since you framed this question in such a way as to be sarcastic about the notion he possibly could be resigning due to his age, “was ‘old age’ the best he could come up with…” do you really not see 85 as being an understandable reason to feel the need to resign? I think the OP is wrong, but if you’ve followed the news you must’ve heard that Benedict is the first Pope in almost 600 years to resign instead of dying at his post, and he’s the first in more than 700 years to resign willingly. So it’s not a surprise people are asking if he is really choosing to resign, but I think the evidence makes it plain that he is. And this sounds like something that could very well happen again because people are living so much longer than they did centuries ago. Benedict was one of the oldest men ever to be elected Pope, and he is currently the fourth-oldest Pope in history. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/17 "2013-02-12T16:36:12Z")
> [@Tollhouse](#): > > However I don’t believe that he maliciously covered anything up. Can you elaborate on this? You don’t believe he covered anything up or you believe he did but not maliciously? Because there’s a LOT of documentation that Mr. Ratzinger was well aware of what was going on and was, in fact, encouraging covering it up. ---
**Author:** ![Strassia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@Strassia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strassia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/18 "2013-02-12T17:02:46Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Can you elaborate on this? You don’t believe he covered anything up or you believe he did but not maliciously? Because there’s a LOT of documentation that Mr. Ratzinger was well aware of what was going on and was, in fact, encouraging covering it up. Is there any doubt that he issued a memo warning that anyone who failed to cover it up would be excommunicated from the church? Is that not widely known at this point? ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/19 "2013-02-12T17:32:38Z")
> [@Tollhouse](#): > > Jay jay, I agree. However I don’t believe that he maliciously covered anything up. I also take hs life as a whole, however much that may anger those in the anti catholic movement, and see tons of overwhelming good he did. Any good he might have done is outweighed by his support and enabling of child rapists for decades. The fact that people like you ignore it is a pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Tollhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tollhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tollhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078/20 "2013-02-12T17:55:13Z")
Because I am not spoon fed anything the media writes, Im discerning when I read things and dont just take it at face value. Im typing on my phone so its hard to werite but while there were some molestation cases in the Church, the anti Catholic bent in media I believe did some manipulation of the information and stirred up a witch hunt,altho they dont do the same in other religions whic indoubtedly also have molested children…so one has to take note of the way the media never reports or goes looking for cases in protestant churches synagogues mosques etc or conduct witch hunts towards them. The wisconsin case was not even reported until the late 90s for ex, and then Ratzinger wasnt even assigned to the case…but the media reported it as if it had been brougjt out before then. Hard to ty pe on this phone,basicaly I am sure molesting did occur but the media also ran with it and did some cherrypicking in the way they wrote on it, and much of the public didnt use discernment they just took it at face value [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-benedict-resign-because-of-involvement-in-the-priestly-child-molestation-coverup/650078.md?page=2)