# The RCC now has zero tolerance for child abuse. Well, except... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 25, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492 "2014-08-25T20:11:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/21 "2014-08-26T18:38:21Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Attempting to? But not if they were successful? Isn’t the punishment for that becoming the new Pope? Or maybe I’m thinking of Klingons… ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/22 "2014-08-26T18:46:53Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > presimably, while chasing him around the Vatican. I’d have to bet on the guy who still has both lungs. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/23 "2014-08-26T18:55:05Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > I’d have to bet on the guy who still has both lungs. Perhaps the Pope would be riding a Holy Seegway? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/24 "2014-08-26T19:01:40Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > Perhaps the Pope would be riding a Holy Seegway? I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t pay money to see that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/25 "2014-08-26T19:14:26Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I’d like to see a video of the Pope personally chopping the head off this pedophile cardinal with a Swiss halbred - presimably, while chasing him around the Vatican. > > As long as the soundtrack is _Yackety Sax_. 😃 Gotta relate this. Was watching The Best of The Jimmy Dean Show (yes, I know) on some secondary PBS channel and the guy who wrote and recorded _Yakety Sax_ (“Boots” Randolph) was on and played it. It was awesome to see and hear. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/26 "2014-08-26T19:29:10Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I’d like to see a video of the Pope …chasing him around the Vatican. > > As long as the soundtrack is _Yackety Sax_. 😃 It’s a couple of popes back, but let me introduce you to [Popie Jopie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12bB-O1t2fQ). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/27 "2014-08-26T20:06:09Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Did the Vatican ever try Bernard Law? For what crime? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/28 "2014-08-26T20:37:19Z")
Is that what you’re hiding behind again? Oh, right, you don’t know any difference - your institutional loyalty is absolute. [Reminder, for those with a moral sense](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Law#Move_to_Rome). > [@](#): > > When the state attorney general issued his report entitled Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Boston (July 23, 2003) he severely criticized Law mentioning that “the Archdiocese has shown an institutional reluctance to adequately address the problem and, in fact, made choices that allowed the abuse to continue” but did not allege that Law had tried to evade investigation and he did state that Law had not broken any laws because the law requiring abuse to be reported was not expanded to include priests until 2002. In a part of the country where that crime family is not as revered, is there any real doubt there would have been charges placed relating to being an accessory, harboring fugitives, obstructing justice, hell, use your imagination? No, the crime family didn’t even demote him, just took him out of the public eye so he’d be less of an embarrassment. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/29 "2014-08-26T20:43:33Z")
Which part of the country puts people on trial who have not broken the law? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/30 "2014-08-26T20:50:42Z")
Not all that quick on the draw, are you? No, Law didn’t break the mandated-reporter law. But there are others, you know, I listed a few. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/31 "2014-08-26T20:52:08Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Attempting to? But not if they were successful? Of course not. If they’re successful, they become Pope. Don’t you know anything? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/32 "2014-08-26T21:00:26Z")
And if they fail, the Vatican still has a fully-equipped dungeon left over from the Inquisition. Ratzinger is still in charge of it, I understand. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/33 "2014-08-26T21:13:50Z")
Really? What does he do? Chain them to a wall, put on a postal uniform, and drink beer while he shouts random bits of trivia at them? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/34 "2014-08-27T01:40:36Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Which part of the country puts people on trial who have not broken the law? > > Regards, > Shodan My point exactly. It fascinates me how eager liberals are to cast off all the protections they usually demand for criminals when the alleged criminal is someone that liberals don’t like. Kind of what you might call a bedrock principle of criminal law is: no ex post facto criminal laws. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/35 "2014-08-27T01:48:25Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > My point exactly. It fascinates me how eager liberals are to cast off all the protections they usually demand for criminals when the alleged criminal is someone that liberals don’t like. Do liberals do that more than people in general? > [@](#): > > Kind of what you might call a bedrock principle of criminal law is: no ex post facto criminal laws. In my experience liberals aren’t for ex post facto criminal laws in any great number. I think you’re finding what you expect to find. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/36 "2014-08-27T01:49:01Z")
Here is a thread from 2002 in which **SuaSponte** and I discuss the lack of applicability of charges like obstruction and accessory to the Cardinal Law case, in case anyone’s interested. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/37 "2014-08-27T01:49:21Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Which part of the country puts people on trial who have not broken the law? > > Regards, > Shodan TEXAS? People from the current governor to random black persons somewhat near a murder. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/38 "2014-08-27T02:07:02Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Do liberals do that more than people in general? > > In my experience liberals aren’t for ex post facto criminal laws in any great number. I think you’re finding what you expect to find. And the vast number of posts on this board declaring that Bernard Law should be prosecuted under laws that didn’t exist at the time he did the acts that violated those laws? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/39 "2014-08-27T02:24:12Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > And if they fail, the Vatican still has a fully-equipped dungeon left over from the Inquisition. Ratzinger is still in charge of it, I understand. > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Really? What does he do? Chain them to a wall, put on a postal uniform, and drink beer while he shouts random bits of trivia at them? Rolling on the floor laughing! 😃 You left out the short Italian waitress shouting insults for atmosphere. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492/40 "2014-08-27T03:24:03Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > And the vast number of posts on this board declaring that Bernard Law should be prosecuted under laws that didn’t exist at the time he did the acts that violated those laws? How many is a “vast number?” And do posts on this board comprise “liberals” in general? And do you think ignorance might be at fault for at least some of it? And do liberals do this more that people in general? You’re a pustule, but I don’t judge conservatives in general by you. Most of them are misinformed decent enough people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rcc-now-has-zero-tolerance-for-child-abuse-well-except/696492.md?page=3)