Vatican clarifies Cardinal Schonborn remarks, defends Cardinal Sodano

(June 29, 2010) The Vatican said on Monday that a series of statements by Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn have contributed to widespread misunderstandings on issues related to clerical sexual abuse. In particular, the Vatican took issue with the Archbishop of Vienna’s statement that Cardinal Angelo Sodano, former secretary of state, had blocked an investigation of sexual abuse and offended victims by calling their complaints "petty gossip." "It should be remembered that in the church, when there are accusations against a cardinal, the competence rests solely with the pope; others may have an advisory role, always with the proper respect for the person," a Vatican statement said. The statement was issued after Pope Benedict XVI met Cardinal Schonborn on Monday. The meeting was requested by Cardinal Schonborn to "clarify the exact meaning of his recent statements" on a number of topics, the Vatican said. In a closed-door session with Austrian news editors in May, Cardinal Schonborn reportedly said that Cardinal Sodano, the longtime secretary of state under Pope John Paul II and now the dean of the College of Cardinals, had hindered the investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of minors by the late Austrian Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, who was forced to step down as archbishop of Vienna in 1995. In addition, Cardinal Schonborn was said to have suggested that the church reconsider its position toward remarried divorced Catholics, who are not allowed to take Communion and toward homosexuals in stable relationships. He is also said to have made statements that appear to support reconsideration of the mandatory celibacy rule in the Western church.