Sexual revolution of 1960s led to Church abuse crisis, ex-pope says

Former Pope Benedict has blamed the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal on the effects of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, homosexual cliques in seminaries and what he called a general collapse in morality.

Critics accused Benedict, who before becoming pope in 2005 was for 23 years in charge of the Vatican doctrinal office that has been widely criticized for its handling of abuse cases, of trying to shift blame away from the Church.

But in a rare essay, he also said the Church’s legal system had at times been overly protective of accused clerics, citing what he called judicial guarantees that were “extended to such an extent that convictions were hardly possible”.

The 91-year-old, who in 2013 became the first pope in six centuries to resign, argued that the sexual revolution had led some to believe paedophilia and pornography were acceptable. He also said an openly gay culture in some Catholic seminaries meant they had failed to train priests properly.

“It could be said that in the 20 years from 1960 to 1980, the previously normative standards regarding sexuality collapsed entirely, and a new normalcy arose that has by now been the subject of laborious attempts at disruption,” Benedict wrote.

Benedict was head of the doctrinal office when the first wave of abuse cases were exposed in Boston in 2002. Later, as pope, he took action against some paedophiles that had been blocked during the reign of his predecessor, John Paul.

Abuse scandals in Ireland, Chile, Australia, France, the United States, Poland, Germany and elsewhere have forced the Church to pay out billions of dollars in damages to victims and close parishes. Many cases date back decades before the 1960s.

Revelations that predatory priests were often moved from parish to parish rather than expelled or criminally prosecuted as bishops covered up the abuse have shaken the church globally and undermined its authority.