In today's world, the Vatican's 265th pope, 94-year-old Benedict XVI, is a controversial figure. He is the first pope in nearly 600 years to voluntarily retire, although he still lives in the Vatican and enjoys a monthly pension of 2,500 euros (about 18,000 yuan).
From 1977 to 1982, Benedict XVI was archbishop of the Diocese of Munich, Germany, where he was the supreme Catholic leader. During his tenure, there was a case of child sexual abuse involving a priest named Peter Hullermann, who was accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old boy. However, instead of being punished, Holmann was transferred to a key position in the parish of Munich, where he continued to commit crimes until he was discovered by the police in 1986. Shockingly, Holmann was only given a suspended sentence and did not serve his sentence.
At that time, the investigation revealed that Benedict XVI had participated in the discussion and approved Hollermann's decision to move to Munich, but after it was revealed, he declared that he did not attend the relevant meeting, which was obviously untrue. Recently, a report in the Guardian revealed the truth, citing the findings of the German law firm "Westpfahl Spilker Wastl", confirming that Benedict XVI not only attended the meeting, but also spoke. On this issue, his lies were debunked and the truth of the incident surfaced.
Martin Pusch, a German lawyer, said: "During the reign of Benedict XVI, there were cases of child sexual abuse in Munich, but the priests were not punished in any way and remained in office. The church did nothing. "The lawyers found the minutes of the meeting, which is incontrovertible evidence that revealed the scandal of that year.
After the scandal came to light, Benedict XVI issued a brief statement through his private secretary, Georg Ganswein, admitting his mistake and asking for forgiveness. However, such an apology has irreparable the crime of the year. This story is not just an individual case, it is a microcosm. We have seen similar incidents in Catholic parishes in the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Australia, Chile, Argentina and other countries. These so-called priests and bishops, dressed in the "sacred cloak" of religion, are carrying out extremely despicable and heinous acts behind their backs.
What is even more outrageous is that churches in many countries have chosen to remain silent when they have a lot of evidence. The police also failed in their responsibilities and rarely intervened in investigations into crimes committed against the church. Until recent years, with the popularity of social media, more and more victims have spoken out through the Internet, attracting the attention of society. However, the power of social media alone is not enough. To completely solve the problem of pederasty in the church, we need the active participation of secular society, parents, schools, police, and the community should monitor the behavior of the church and let the sun illuminate those dark and mysterious corners.