Declaration of Bishop Roger Joseph Vangheluwe of Bruges, Belgium
“When I was still just a priest, and for a certain period at the beginning of my episcopate, I sexually abused a minor from my immediate environment. The victim is still marked by what happened. Over the course of these decades I have repeatedly recognised my guilt towards him and his family, and I have asked forgiveness; but this did not pacify him, as it did not pacify me. The media storm of recent weeks has increased the trauma, and the situation is no longer tenable. I profoundly regret what I did and offer my most sincere apologies to the victim, to his family, to all the Catholic community and to society in general. I have presented my resignation as bishop of Bruges to Pope Benedict XVI. It was accepted on Friday and so I retire”.
Somebody please make it stop.
April 23, 2010 at 4:36 pm
Patrick – it is stopping. The rats are being driven off the ship.
Remember: this guy was APPOINTED bishop under JP II (since 1985). Do you think this abuse was not known then? Were Pope Benedict's predecesor still on the throne, this guy would have gotten a wink, a nudge and a pat on the back and a "there there, we all make mistakes". But not anymore. Pray for our beloved Pope.
April 23, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Good riddance. Let him enter a monastery and spend the rest of his life in isolation and prayer.
April 23, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Subvet – or a millstone around his neck and cast into the sea, like Our Lord suggests.
Either one, really…
April 23, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Let's face it, the devil and his minions have for a time (1960s? – 2000s+?) entered the Church. Our war is against the flesh and the devil. Let's stop pretending that homosexuality is a benign condition. The overwhelming evidence is that most serial abusers are homosexuals. Anyone with an ounce of common sense understands that the Church must stop being so naive as to think that homosexual clergy (and religious), and there are a lot of them, can actually function as spiritual leaders.
The Church needs real men, men configured to Christ in the Holy Mass through deep prayer and rigorous intellectual formation. We need men who are entirely obedient to Holy Mother Church, not milquetoast clergy who are nothing more than softheaded counsellors who have little or no authentic relationship with Christ. We need men like Saint Ignatius to rally us to storm the gates of hell and take back what belongs to Christ. Pope Benedict is such a man.
April 23, 2010 at 5:38 pm
Early – He said it would be better, but not that we ought to do it ourselves. As for it being known, how do you know it was known? It could have been his only victim, who kept quiet; often pedophiles and abusers rack up dozens of victims before their stories are known.
In any case, you are right about one thing: this is how it stops. These guys start doing the right thing, and the Church starts insisting that the right thing be done.
April 23, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Well, if this is the fruit of the NYT slander and increased pressure, then maybe God was using another ill for good.
April 23, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Nightfly – thanks, I'm aware of the gospel reading in question. And regardless of whether or not this was his only victim, that is ONE TOO MANY!
I cannot say with 100% certainty that others in the magesterium knew of this abuse, which is why I posed it as a question. But we cannot deny that the JP II pontificate was marred by abusers in the clergy getting away with such filth for decades under an atmosphere of tolerance and cronyism.
April 23, 2010 at 6:40 pm
I give him credit for manning up, but I agree with Early Riser's assessment of the situation.
April 23, 2010 at 8:49 pm
It will stop when Our Holy Father and all the bishops consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Did no one believe her when she spoke to Sister Lucia? Did no one believe Sister Lucia when she told of Our Lady's visit and words? Blessed Mother, pray for us and hold us in your Immaculate Heart!
April 23, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Anonymous – I thought JP II did that already. Not like it matters, as I don't believe in Fatima anyway.
April 23, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Prayers for both this man and his victim, please, please.
If the bishop is truly repentant, he needs prayers to face himself and not despair, to still hope in God, to change himself and do penance.
If he is not repentant, he needs prayers to help him repent, and then all of the above.
God does not desire the death of a sinner, but that he be converted and live.
Susan Peterson
April 23, 2010 at 11:09 pm
"Thank God I am not like the rest of men, not like that tax collector, not like that Bishop of Bruges…."
Whatever happened to praying for the repentant sinner- as he obviously is.
The earlier comments seem to be from very young men, for when the time came to stone the adulteress, the accusers all went away beginning with the eldest, while here the righteous talk of millstones.
Looked at from the vantage point of seven decades, life can be very strange sometimes, but just. At this age I try to stay away from too much righteous indignation over anyone's sin, lest I find myself falling by degrees into the same sin myself a few years later. Like fog it creeps up on little cat's feet, unnoticed, undreamt of…until suddenly one is looking into the face of doom and Fed Ex knocks on the door with a millstone and chain. Be careful, damned careful.
April 23, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Luke 17:1-2 Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
Lee – Our Lord was specific to single out this offense and equate it with Capital Punishment (the only time He does so in the gospels). In other words, He wants us to take this one seriously. The 1970's attitude of "Oh, hey, who am I to judge? I mean, we all sin, right?" needs to end. NOW.
April 23, 2010 at 11:41 pm
This abuse was a scourge of Liberal priests and bishops who convinced themself that man could re-make God in man's own image. They failed miserably and destroyed so much good the Curch had worked so long for in the process.
While this purging process hurts, it is ultimately for the best. As with Cardinal Daneels in Brussels, this man will be replaced with a devout and orthodox bishop. When this bappens, Blegium, the heart of Europe, will finally gain the bishops it deserves.
April 24, 2010 at 12:19 am
I will say a prayer for this man. He shouldn't have done what he did, but he seems to be repentant now. Hopefully he's made his Confession, and now he's doing some penance. The real shame is that it ever happened, but at least he's trying to rectify it instead of staying hidden.
April 24, 2010 at 1:30 am
Early Riser, No Pope JPII did not consecrate Russia to Our Mother's Immaculate Heart. He consecrated "the world." Whether you believe her words personally or not are of no signficance. She does not lie. Yes, to all, these men are sinners. But the Scriptures and the Apostles were perfectly clear the pederasts were the worst sinners. Yes, they have been to confession. And only God knows if they have a contrite heart. But they also have material penance–or have we forgotten that? These men should be prosecuted. Their crimes are particularly heinous precisely because they are responsible for people's spiritual condition–they are shepherds charged with leading the sheep. What is wrong with you people??? You should be outraged and disgusted!!! These men, if you can call them that, should be removed immediately. Period. May God have mercy.
April 24, 2010 at 1:39 am
I don't see the rectification; in fact, I wonder whether it was prudent of him to say why he resigned. I don't see any benefit, including to the victim, in that, but perhaps it was not reported. In fact, sometimes I think a bishop should not be allowed to resign, but perhaps should be suspended and eventually degraded if he is guilty.
April 24, 2010 at 1:54 am
Remove him, send him to prison forever, laicize him, etc.. FINE!
Our Lord in Luke 17:1-2 is warning us we should be very careful of causing little children to sin, NOT that we should rise up in righteous indignation and put ourselves at risk of judgement here and eternal damnation later by suggesting "(let a) a millstone (be put) around his neck and cast into the sea, like Our Lord suggests."
Read the passage again. Our Lord suggests nothing of the kind.
And he says elsewhere "Judge not lest ye be judged."
He indicates that it would be better for that man to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around his neck than to suffer the wrath of GOD over this sin.
This is a very far cry from OUR cursing anyone with such a fate, which is EXACTLY what you did.
And I am telling you again, avoid this kind of thing like the plague. "He loved cursing, may it come upon him. He took no delight in blessing, may it be far from him."
April 24, 2010 at 2:19 am
How long, O Lord, how long???
April 24, 2010 at 2:59 am
Well, I think we should be saying "Deo Gratias!" that one of these people actually even seems to be repentant. Almost everything I've ever seen with regards to this has been innocent priests and bishops apologizing on behalf of others' actions.
I cringe to think how many clergy out there that have abused minors just twiddle their thumbs and think, "Well, I'm only going when they cast me out and I'm making a big stink when they do."
Let's pray that this bishop's example will encourage others to step down in repentance.