Belgian Catholic Church sex abuse: we feared compensation claims
Belgium's Roman Catholic Church did not apologise for decades of endemic child sexual abuse by its clerics because an official apology would triggered a flood of expensive compensation claims, a senior bishop has admitted.
比利時的羅馬天主教教會沒有道歉，為數十年流行被它的教士所作的兒童性虐待，因為一次正式的道歉會引發潮水般的昂貴索償，一資深主教承認。
Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Published: 2:53PM BST 14 Sep 2010
Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels and Primate of Belgium Andre-Joseph Leonard (L) holds a news conference with Guy Harpigny Photo: REUTERS
大主教梅赫倫-布魯塞爾和比利時靈長類的安德烈約瑟夫倫納德（左），與蓋伊 Harpigny舉行記者招待會 圖片：路透社
Guy Harpigny, the bishop of Tournai and the senior cleric responsible for rooting out sex abusers within the Belgian church's ranks, has further inflamed outrage by confessing that financial concerns over litigation stopped an official apology.
"We did not dare. If you officially apologise, then you are acknowledging moral and legal responsibility. Then there are people who ask for money and we don't know what lawyers and the courts will do about that," he said.
“我們不敢，如果你正式道歉，那麼你就承認道德和法律責任。然後有人要求錢和我們不知道律師和法院會做什麼，”他說。
There has been widespread anger that Belgium's bishops have failed to apologise and begged for more time to deal with an independent report that uncovered sex abuse committed by at least 91 priests, other clergy or church workers in every congregation in Belgium, taking place over four decades.
已有廣泛的憤怒，因比利時的主教沒有道歉，和懇求更多的時間來處理一個獨立的報告，那揭露所至少91神父、其他神職人員或教會工人犯下性虐待，每次在比利時的聚集，發生了超過40年。
At least 13 of the victims had committed suicide following the abuse, the report found last week, in an investigation fuelled by the resignation of the bishop of Bruges after he admitted abusing his nephew and trying to cover it up.
至少有13名受害者在虐待後自殺，在上週的報告發現，在一項調查得益於辭職的布魯日主教，他承認虐待他的侄兒和試圖掩蓋它
San Deurinck, 65, a Catholic activist who tried to commit suicide after he was abused by two priests as a teenage boy, has called on the Church to "respect victims" and to ensure justice by handing paedophile priests over to the police.
"I always had hope, but then I lost it," he said. "Let the Church understand that justice must do her work. The Church must comply to respect of victims."
Belgian bishops and the Vatican have also clashed over whether the Pope should punish Roger Vangheluwe, the former bishop of Bruges, who plunged the church crisis in April after admitting that he had abused his nephew and had tried to pay off the family.
Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said on Monday, that the Pope had no plans for further action after a "quick decision" by the Pontiff "to accept the former bishop's resignation"
"Vangheluwe is no longer allowed to say mass in public. At the moment I have no knowledge of other specific measures that will be taken," said Father Lombardi.
But speaking on Tuesday, Bishop Harpigny called on the Pope to "defrock Vangheluwe", with or without a full ecclesiastical trail
"I would prefer a trial by the church authorities. This would be more honest. But any signal would be a good one," he said.
"Vangheluwe has chosen his own punishment and the Vatican does nothing."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/8002132/Belgian-Catholic-Church-sex-abuse-we-feared-compensation-claims.html
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