The Bishop of Tenerife provided an interesting explanation for the vast numbers of children raped by Catholic priests: They asked for it. In 2007, when the American Catholic Church was reeling from sex abuse scandals but not so much Europe, the Bishop of Tenerife, Bernardo Álvarez, made some interesting Christmas holiday comments.
In a Christmas Eve interview with La Opinión de Tenerife, Bishop Alvarez said that there are children who want to be abused:
There are 13 year old adolescents who are under age and who are perfectly in agreement with, and what’s more wanting it, and if you are careless they will even provoke you.That’s right, the rapists aren’t the priests. It’s those seductive tempters and temptresses, fresh-faced whores all, bending over in front of priests, flaunting their taut, young, moist flesh, just begging to be used as the sexual playthings of perverted pedophiles (and hebephiles) who have sworn to their imaginary friend that they will be celibate for life.
It’s probably their plan to sue later and retire on the Catholic Cult’s ill-gotten loot. After all, so many seem to be doing it!
Bishop Alvarez got some bad press shortly thereafter:
The controversial comments drew immediate criticism, including from the Spanish government, which hinted that it might review its relations with the Church unless action was taken against the Tenerife Bishop. Gay rights groups and child welfare associations called on the authorities to prosecute the Bishop for inciting and defending abuse of minors, while left-wing political parties demanded that the Pope sack Alvarez immediately.In 2008, the Spanish Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals (FELGT) filed a criminal complaint against him for “identifying homosexuality with the sexual abuse of minors” and for “promoting an attitude of violence and discrimination” against homosexuals:
“It seems that he is justifying the abuse of minors, coming from an institution that has been condemned the most times in the world for sexual abuse,” said [FELGT president Antonio] Poveda. “It is necessary for the hierarchy to be respectful and to know that as citizens they have freedom of expression, but they also have to respect the standards that are set by the laws in this country and in this case they have passed that boundary, therefore we hope that the Attorney General will intervene to prevent such lamentable declarations from being made again.”Despite the outcry at the time, it appears to have been a flash in the pan. The most recent story on Bishop Alvarez? The 2009 reopening of the Bishop’s Palace in La Laguna, damaged by fire in 2006.
La Laguna – 11.07.2009 – Before blessing the building, the Bishop of Tenerife, Bernardo Álvarez, summed up his feelings in just two words, “satisfaction and thanks”. Satisfaction with the work done, and thanks to the thousands of people, institutions, companies, parishes and many more, “without whose support and solidarity it would not have been possible to complete the work”.Seems Alvarez is still Bishop, and likely still blaming children for being raped. Perhaps the Vatican will hire him as Benedict’s new PR agent!
Jenny Donati @'Paliban Daily'
(Thanx Michael!)
