Vatican closes Austrian seminary at center of pornography scandal.
THE VATICAN CLOSED A seminary in the diocese of St. Poelten,
Austria, which was at the center of a massive sex scandal, including the
widespread use of pornography. The decision came a matter of weeks after
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. II, Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan Paweł II) born Karol Józef Wojtyła (helpinfo) had taken the unusual step of sending an Opus Dei Opus Dei (ō`pəs dā`ē) [Lat.,=work of God], Roman Catholic organization, particularly influential in Spain, officially the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei. priest, Bishop Klaus Kung of Feldkirch, to investigate the scandal. The
bishop in charge of the seminary, Kurt Krenn, has also resigned. Police
started an investigation towards the end of last year when they
discovered some 40,000 pornographic photos and numerous sexually
explicit videos at the seminary. A Polish student has been charged with
distribution and possession of child pornography Child pornography is the visual representation of minors under the age of 18 engaged in sexual activity or the visual representation of minors engaging in lewd or erotic behavior designed to arouse the viewer's sexual interest. and faces two years in
prison if convicted. The scandal comes soon after another, involving
accusations that the prelate PRELATE. The name of an ecclesiastical officer. There are two orders of prelates; the first is composed of bishops, and the second, of abbots, generals of orders, deans, &c. of Austria, Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer,
had sexually abused a number of boys. Cardinal Groer, who resigned in
i998, died last year.
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