By Barbara Dorris
Off to Brussels! Took the train through the tunnel and under the channel. Went pretty fast – it was a beautiful ride through the country side. As we came into France there were three hot air balloons floating over the fields. Looked like a picture postcard.
We are in Brussels! (A beautiful city with very friendly people.) A supporter from a small university town a short train ride away met us and shared many stories with us. She has documents about abuse cases and the cover-up by the church. Survivors had come to the church for help and the church was trying to turn them away without any help or even therapy. There is a growing network of survivors and supporters who are willing and able to speak out.
Victims face many of the same challenges here as anywhere else, the statute of limitations. In Belgium the church is supported by the government. The amount of money they receive is dependent on the number of people who register as Catholic. (the same is true in Germany and several other countries) Priests are paid by the government which in some small way makes the priests more independent.
We also talked with a survivor who wants to actively reach out to others in Brussels. He has had buttons printed that says “From victim to survivor” We will meet with a larger group tomorrow including Bert from the Netherlands.
The World Cup is in full swing in Europe. On Saturday the USA played England resulting in a tie game. The English are very quick to point out they did not lose to the Americans, a fate worse than death. At our hotel they have inflated a 10 foot high soccer ball and low and behold there was SNAP right along all the other autographs.
Todo dinбmica y muy positiva!
http://www.affhtc.com/ DingoDogg
Correction: contrary to what many believe, the Church does not get money from the State depending on the number of people who register as a catholic.
In 1801 Napoleon and the Church reached a Concordat(international treaty with the Holy See). Belgium was then part of the French Republic. Napoleon hated the Church, but saw her as a tool to pacify the population. Therefore, he wanted to come to terms with her to realize his big plans. The key to success was of course, money.
During and immy after the French Revolution (1789) the Revolutionary Department of Justice confiscated most of the land and properties of the French Church. Considering that most of the posessions of the Church were the result of theft, murder and plain exploitation, so this was a simple act of justice.
But the Concordat stipulated that the State would subsidize a parish for every 3.000 inhabitants, its priests, the maintenance of the buildings, even the purchase of the wine for Holy Mass.
With the increase of the population, this was a bonanza for the Church. Every French Citizen meant money, whether he was protestant, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist or freethinker. Fortunately the concordat was terminated in France during the period of anticlericalism. But by then, Belgium had become an independant country and we are still stuck with the Concordat. Our department of Justice still pays for the parishes, the salaries of the priests, bishops and cardinal.
To end this abuse of our tax money, we need a change in the constitution. According to a recent poll, 70% of the population is in favour. Since the publication of the tapes proving that Cardinal Danneels tried to cover up sexual abuse by a bishop of a boy (his nephew) between 5 (five) and 18, there might be a larger part of the population supporting the closing of the money tap for the Church.
At the moment, as far as I know, 4 Western European contries have a system where the Church is funded by a vountary contribution of the tax payers. Italy, Austria, Gemany and the Netherlands.