A panel of three federal judges sentenced Christian von Wernich, 69, to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of direct participation in seven murders and direct or indirect involvement in 42 cases of kidnapping and torture.
Von Wernich was the chaplain to the Buenos Aires provincial police during the 70s and 80s when any where from 10,000 to 30,000 Argentines were murdered by a military dictatorship.This guy persuaded detainees to confess in front of the police, and also extorted money from the families of detainees.
One of the key charges against von Wernich is that he abused his priestly status and the sacrament of confession to collaborate with the junta. Many victims testified that he persuaded them to confess, often in the presence of police, the names of their fellow political activists, who subsequently would be kidnapped.
Many victims said von Wernich led them to think he was sympathetic to them and their fates. He visited their families, frequently promising their imminent release while dining in their homes.Cecilia Idiart, who lived in the small town of Bragado, outside Buenos Aires, was part of a group of seven students, all leftist militants, that the priest befriended while they were detained.Her sister, Adriana, told the court, “It was a joy to see him because he brought good news.” She charged, however, that the priest extorted $1500 from the families. Ultimately, Cecilia and six others were killed, and von Wernich witnessed at least three of the murders, according to a government truth commission in 1984.Adding insult to injury, the Argentine Church authorized the transfer of von Wernich to the Idiarts’ hometown in 1988. Even though his actions had been made public as of 1984, he remained the town’s priest until 1996.
Even though clergy confronted military juntas in Brazil and Chile, the Argentine Church did nothing.
Days earlier, Father Ruben Capitanio, who attended seminary school with von Wernich in the 1970s, told the courtroom: “I say this with pain. Until the church recognizes its errors, we will be an unfaithful church.”He closed his testimony by telling family members of the victims that “I apologize for still not being the church that we must be, on the side of the crucified and not the crucifiers.”
The RCC is still on the side of the crucifiers and have been through out their entire 1700 year history. So what is Bill Donahue and the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights concerned about today? A TV writer for writing a script about a 12 year old girl with aids who sues her school for providing abstinence only classes. That’s right. No mention of a priest going to jail for life for murder and extortion.
See? This is why we should cheer the Mormons’ for expanding their ministry in Southern America. They’re a lot less into killing than the Catholics are.
It’s just that, you see, you need to forget about the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the Elizabeth Smart abduction, Warren Jeffs’ recent conviction, and all that stuff. After all, the MMM is ancient history, the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping had nothing to do with the legacy of Mormonism supporting child brides, Jeffs’ isn’t really a Mormon, he’s FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, definitely NOT what the “real” Mormons are today, *cough* *cough*), and the Mormons just LOVE non-caucasians, their racist history notwithstanding of course.
NGB readers, please forgive this snarky rant, but reading day after day after day about one “faith-based” atrocity after another after another across a wide spectrum of different religious identifications has left me, well, let’s just say, up-to-here in moral indignation, and I just had to vent.
I suppose it’s good that this priest was convicted, but will it do anything in the long run to prevent further atrocities by holy-folks just doing their “priestly duties”? Sadly enough I seriously doubt it.
My pipe-dream remains that someday the world will come to its collective senses and see how dangerous, damaging, and deadly it is to believe in the supernatural in any way, shape, or form.
Thanks for letting me vent. I’ll try to be more constructive in future comments.
I don’t think it should be legal to get away with “confession” of crimes to clergy. It should be made illegal for a priest to keep his mouth shut about admitted crimes and if a subpoena is obtained the confession booth should be allowed to be bugged.
I’m tired of these slimy bastards committing crimes and pretending an imaginary friend in the sky can forgive them for it.
I’m sure Von Wernich was just doing the Lard’s work. I mean, *He* probably whispered in his ear, telling him who to deceive and who to torture and who to murder. I’m sure it broke von W’s heart, when all he really wanted to do was molest little boys like a normal priest.
Where’s the compassion.
This is all very telling…
True Christian values and morality in action, seriously.
No need for a Devil idea when they have a Christian God Idea that fills that role with such unmistakable professionalism.
The Christians will no doubt note that their God Idea didn’t done it. But then one can only wonder how the Christians receive their leaders. The Christian leader W has similar priestly attributes.
Atomic
I couldn’t agree with you more. The crime rate would plummet for many years to come.
None of this is surprising given the RCC’s love affair with military dictatorships. What no one seems to remember is US support for the right wing death squads in Argentina…Why wasn’t Argentina “liberated” like Iraq? Quote: “We fight them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here.”
US support for General Massera and General Videla…
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB185/index.htm
Meee tooo! It makes makes me sick when criminals say, “I’ve found forgiveness in Jesus.”
Well kiss my ass! Hayseus has forgiventh. Now, what about the person you REALLY hurt–like your victim?
OT: Isn’t this what the Nazis were after? Perfect people?? Now the xtians are saying that for Jews to be perfect, they must become xtian.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,301216,00.html
justme,
Although I don’t doubt all Christians believe this, the only one I have heard say it recently is Ann Cuntler.
Barbiebrains,
Isn’t that the reason Kissinger cannot travel freely? He’s afraid he might get swept up by some country somewhere and sent to Argentina to stand trial for crimes he committed under the Nixon/Ford Administrations?
Here’s one where the christians screw the nation and christians at the same time!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp-dyn/content/article/2007/
10/11/AR2007101102163.html
Religious comp time, apparently endorsed by W as a way for federal workers to fatten their bank accounts. When will christians learn that a religion based government is bad for both goverment and religion? Probably never because the sheeple don’t realize that their christian leaders are more corrupt than the government is.
Bush has been the best thing for atheism in a long time. Is it any coincidence that the number of people describing themselves as atheists has jumped ten points since during his presidency?
The more religion that he injects into politics and people’s private lives the stronger the backlash will become.
Isn’t this what many religions claim? The xians think that jews need christ, the muslims think xians need mohammed, etc-. It is circular and nothing new.
As far as ann coulter is concerned-Zzzzz…
alex
you are so right about bush being good for atheism.he is even better for gov’t contractors.
…and he is the best recruitment tool for islamic radicalism ever.
600 million dollar u.s embassy compound in iraq will now cost 750 million to build and 1.2 billion to operate and maintain it has been said.we have 750 military bases in 130 nations any wonder why we are going broke.