Pope Benedict XVI (Ratzinger) continues tradition of covering up child rapists

Quoting from BSAlert: A BBC documentary has exposed that Pope Benedict XVI, aka Cardinal Ratzinger, played a leading role in a systematic cover-up of child sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests.

More interesting, juicy (and verified) quotes:

In 2001, while he was a cardinal, he issued a secret Vatican edict to Catholic bishops all over the world, instructing them to put the Church's interests ahead of child safety.

The document recommended that rather than reporting sexual abuse to the relevant legal authorities, bishops should encourage the victim, witnesses and perpetrator not to talk about it. And, to keep victims quiet, it threatened that if they repeat the allegations they would be excommunicated.

More interesting still: the document says that, if you've been raped by a priest and you tell the authorities, you will be excommunicated.

This is not slander. Crimen Sollicitationis, the document where priests are instructed to cover rapes up, has been a widely known document, sent in 1962 by Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani. Let me quote from the document's translation in Wikipedia:

Because of the greater care and vigilance that must be given to the subject matter of these cases, so as to ensure it is processed with maximum confidentiality and remains always secret (even) after the verdict is declared and put into effect (20 February 1867 Instruction of the Holy Office, 14), each and every person who in any way belongs to the tribunal or is given knowledge of the matter is obliged to keep inviolate the strictest secrecy (what is commonly called "the secrecy of the Holy Office") in all things and with all persons, under pain of automatic ("latae sententiae") excommunication, incurred ipso facto without need of any declaration other than the present one, and reserved to the Supreme Pontiff in person alone, excluding even the Apostolic Penitentiary.

Excommunication. Not really a bad thing to get, if you ask me!

I predict that, in 20 years, the term "altar boy" will become a street-level insult related to church rape. Now, come again, ¿who wants to defend the Catholic Church this time?