Cardinal: Pedophilia not crime -- that's not a headline one would expect to see, but it's true. Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier from South Africa made the comment and later apologized. On March 18, the Christian Science Monitor reported that Cardinal Napier has tried to back track after his offensive comments, but people are still shocked.
"Pedophilia is actually an illness. It's not a criminal condition, it's an illness," he said during a recent media interview. Cardinal Napier insists that he didn't mean this and that he understands that people who have been abused need help. Given the current state of the church, however, it's not surprising that this comment has gone viral.
If a Cardinal says that pedophilia is not crime, some people begin to wonder about the church and what it stands for. This is something that many hope the new pope will deal with -- perhaps Pope Francis I can turn things around and get Catholics back on the right track... just so long as other cardinals don't feel the same way that Cardinal Napier apparently feels.
"I apologize sincerely and unreservedly to all who were offended by the botched interview, and especially to those who have been abused and need every help and support that the Church can give," Cardinal Napier said in a statement on Monday.
The cardinal who said pedophilia is not crime took part in the 2013 conclave. Many pray that Pope Francis I can help the church overcome the recent scandals, intrigue, and strife.
© Effie Orfanides 2013
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