Pope denounces Belgian police Church raids as "deplorable"

(June 28, 2010) Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday denounced as "surprising and deplorable" raids by Belgian police on Church offices and the home of a cardinal on Thursday during an investigation into paedophilia by Roman Catholic priests. In a letter to the head of the Belgian bishops’ conference, Pope Benedict expressed his "solidarity" after the search of two Church offices and the home of a former archbishop, during which computers and files were removed and at least one tomb was opened. Belgium's bishops, who were holding a meeting at the time of the raids, were kept incommunicado for nine hours while the searches were conducted. "At this sad time, I wish to express ... my closeness and solidarity for the surprising and deplorable ways in which the searches were carried out," the pope said in his message. "I hope that justice will follow its course while guaranteeing the rights of individuals and institutions, respecting the victims, and acknowledging those who undertake to collaborate," Pope Benedict added. The Vatican protested to Belgium on Friday, expressing "shock" at the way the raids were carried out and "indignation" at what it said was the violation of tombs. Police also seized the records of an independent panel investigating sexual abuse by priests, some 500 cases in all. The head of the panel called the raid a huge violation of the privacy of people who have lived with the shame of abuse. The Belgian Church was rocked in April when Bishop Roger Vangheluwe of Bruges resigned and admitted to sexual abuse before and after becoming a bishop. He was the first European bishop to step down for committing sexual abuse on minors. The Belgian Church has apologised for its silence on abuse cases in the past and the bishops’ new president, Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard of Mechelen-Brussels, has promised a policy of zero tolerance towards predator priests.