A HIV positive Catholic priest who admitted to raping 30 girls between the ages of 5 and 10-years-old has been acquitted by Pope Francis.
The priest, Jose Garcia Ataulfo, was cleared of any wrong-doing and will not face criminal charges, despite the fact he knew he was infected with HIV when he raped the young girls.
The mother of one of the priest’s victims wrote a letter to Pope Francis asking to meet with him in Rome to discuss the case, but was shunned by the Vatican who declared that “the matter is closed”.
Ataulfo admitted to sexually assaulting well over two dozen children, many of whom were indigenous young girls from Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico known for its large indigenous population. Due to the significant influence that the Catholic Church wields in Mexico, the priest won’t face any criminal charges for his crimes in areas populated by indigenous ethnic groups.
The report which first appeared on the Spanish-language news site Urgente24.com, says the priest was “absolved of any wrongdoing” by the Archdiocese of Mexico and the Vatican. According to Urgente24, only two out of the thirty rape victims have come forward to denounce the acquittal.
According to the Daily Mail, sexual abuse of minors by priests – and the subsequent cover-ups by bishops and other Church officials – have been widespread in many countries, including the United States. The issue was thrust into the national spotlight in 2002 when the Boston Globe revealed the extent to which the local archdiocese shielded abusive priests from being exposed to the public even though it knew they posed a danger to young parishioners.
The Globe exposé, which detailed abuse cases that numbered in the thousands over a span of several decades, inspired other victims to come forward, leading to an avalanche of lawsuits and criminal prosecutions. Not only did the floodgates open in the US, but the Catholic Church was also forced to confront cases in other countries, including Mexico.
Mark 2:7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
It is one of the leading doctrines of Romanism that the pope is the visible head of the universal church of Christ, invested with supreme authority over bishops and pastors in all parts of the world. More than this, the pope has been given the very titles of Deity. He has been styled “Lord God the Pope” (see Appendix), and has been declared infallible. He demands the homage of all men. The same claim urged by Satan in the wilderness of temptation is still urged by him through the Church of Rome, and vast numbers are ready to yield him homage. GC 50.3
But those who fear and reverence God meet this heaven-daring assumption as Christ met the solicitations of the wily foe: “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8. God has never given a hint in His word that He has appointed any man to be the head of the church. The doctrine of papal supremacy is directly opposed to the teachings of the Scriptures. The pope can have no power over Christ’s church except by usurpation. GC 51.1
Romanists have persisted in bringing against Protestants the charge of heresy and willful separation from the true church.But these accusations apply rather to themselves. They are the ones who laid down the banner of Christ and departed from “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 3. GC 51.2
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