Age of consent in vatican state

[Me123]

Hi,
I've got a problem: The age of consent in Vatican state is 12. This is a result of a historical developement (Vatican took Italian criminal code). But some homosexual activists use this fact to 'prove" that all priests are pedophile/pederast. Waht would be an appropriate answer?
Greetings
Ulrich

PS: Please excuse my orthographical and grammatical errrors, English isn't my mother-tongue, normally I speak German.

[06convert]

The appropriate answer is to ignore them. They are people that hate the church and believe all priests are pedophiles. If that's truly what they believe then they aren't worth our time. They act like the Vatican is full of 11 year old boys waiting until their 12th birthday so they can rush the doors and fullfill the dreams of the priests. Losers.

[teachccd]

Anyone who uses that as a way to undermine the vatican would only find something else had the age of consent been 50. So, like the other poster said, ignore them and realize that the age of consent varies in many parts of the world and even in the United States where I live it varies from state to state. And remember that the recent scandal broke out on the United States where the age of consent is higher than 12. So that logic is bunk.................teachccd

[wjp984]

The American Model Penal Code also says that statutory rape (the age of consent) is for people under the age of 12. The American Model Penal Code states that ignorance of one's age can apply as a defense for statutory rape for all individuals over the age of 10.

If one were to compare the American Model Penal Code to the Criminal Code in Canon law, they are very similar in many regards. This is especially true for what is required for intent and the appropriate defenses for crimes.

For those who might not know, The American Model Penal Code is simply a guide of recommendations which each individual jurisdiction can adopt. Due to the circumstances of this country, the youngest age for consent in this country is 14, (it might have been raised to 16) with most of the states using an age of either 16 or 18.

However, If one thinks about it, 12, is the minimum standard that a country in the world will use for their age of consent. Maturity, at least in a reproductive sense, commonly occurrs at this age. If the circumstances were proper for one jurisdiction to use an age of consent of 12, why should the Vatican make a per se rule against it? Our own American Penal Code doesn't even recommend against it even though no jurisidiction has adopted an age so low.

The point is 12 seems the most appropriate age because it is the minimum standard that would be reasonable under any circumstance.

[1ke]

(a) The code of canon law governs marriage, not Italian law.

The Code of Canon Law is incorporated into the legal system of the VCS by the 1929 Law of the Sources of the Law, one of the six constitutional laws of 1929. Article 11 of the Second Law specifically outlines areas that are regulated solely by canon law. These include marriage, prescription of ecclesiastical property, and gifts and legacies upon death.

(b) The age of consent refers to marriage, not illicit sexual intercourse (seeing as how that is a mortal sin)

(c) The age of consent for marriage in the Code of Canon Law is 16 for boys and 14 for girls, and can be set to a higher age by the conference of Bishops. The Code of Canon Law acknowledges that in some cultures girls do marry at this age-- many in Africa, Asia, Middle East, etc. But, the Bishops Conference can set a higher age.

Can. 1083 §1. A man before he has completed his sixteenth year of age and a woman before she has completed her fourteenth year of age cannot enter into a valid marriage.

§2. The conference of bishops is free to establish a higher age for the licit celebration of marriage.

(d) The age of consent does not apply to priests because priests are celibate

(e) If the age of consent as it pertains to illicit sex between persons is governed by the criminal code of Italy, then the Italian government is to be properly accused of being pedophiles, not the VCS.

(f) Saying that all priests are pedophiles because the Italian criminal code specifies an age of consent of 12 (if this is even true since I could not find any documents in English which confirm this accusation) then they lack the ability to use basic logic. They aren't even very good atheists. Atheists usually pride themselves on using logic and reason. These particular atheists would get the stuffing knocked out of them at a freshman debate meet.

Which leads me to believe you will get nowhere with these particular atheists since they are using such an absurd and weak argument. They are not going to listen to anything you have to say.

[Me123]

Originally Posted by 1ke

(a) The code of canon law governs marriage, not Italian law.

The Code of Canon Law is incorporated into the legal system of the VCS by the 1929 Law of the Sources of the Law, one of the six constitutional laws of 1929. Article 11 of the Second Law specifically outlines areas that are regulated solely by canon law. These include marriage, prescription of ecclesiastical property, and gifts and legacies upon death.

(b) The age of consent refers to marriage, not illicit sexual intercourse (seeing as how that is a mortal sin)

(c) The age of consent for marriage in the Code of Canon Law is 16 for boys and 14 for girls, and can be set to a higher age by the conference of Bishops. The Code of Canon Law acknowledges that in some cultures girls do marry at this age-- many in Africa, Asia, Middle East, etc. But, the Bishops Conference can set a higher age.

Can. 1083 §1. A man before he has completed his sixteenth year of age and a woman before she has completed her fourteenth year of age cannot enter into a valid marriage.

§2. The conference of bishops is free to establish a higher age for the licit celebration of marriage.

(d) The age of consent does not apply to priests because priests are celibate

Very interesting! Thanks!

(e) If the age of consent as it pertains to illicit sex between persons is governed by the criminal code of Italy, then the Italian government is to be properly accused of being pedophiles, not the VCS.

(f) Saying that all priests are pedophiles because the Italian criminal code specifies an age of consent of 12 (if this is even true since I could not find any documents in English which confirm this accusation) then they lack the ability to use basic logic. They aren't even very good atheists. Atheists usually pride themselves on using logic and reason. These particular atheists would get the stuffing knocked out of them at a freshman debate meet.

Which leads me to believe you will get nowhere with these particular atheists since they are using such an absurd and weak argument. They are not going to listen to anything you have to say.

Sorry, obviously my explanation wasn't correct. The catican copied the Italian criminal code after the Lateran treaties.

But thank you very much for your replies. catholic.com is a very helpful website!

[ZenTiger]

I believe the age of consent is higher than that stated in the Wiki, and other sources simply have repeated the error.

This is because the laws of the Vatican and Italy were kept in sync over time, until just a few years ago, when the Vatican changed the law to not automatically keep in sync with Italy's penal code.

More of an explanation here: Vatican City and Age of Consent

[stuart12]

Other lands are not far off that age anyway. Here in Spain, I believe that it is 13.

[LoyalViews]

Though, I don't believe the age of consent is important in the Vatican Cirty State, since 98.9999% of her citizens (exclusing the lay citizens)are celibate, chaste, Priests, nuns, monks, brothers, etc....Cardinals and the Pope too, of course!

[Bezant]

Originally Posted by Me123

Hi,
I've got a problem: The age of consent in Vatican state is 12. This is a result of a historical developement (Vatican took Italian criminal code). But some homosexual activists use this fact to 'prove" that all priests are pedophile/pederast. Waht would be an appropriate answer?
Greetings
Ulrich

PS: Please excuse my orthographical and grammatical errrors, English isn't my mother-tongue, normally I speak German.

It's bare anti-Catholic polemic, and you should be as blunt in pointing it out.

It doesn't even make much sense. Vatican State is a political entity. Any law there doesn't necessarily apply to the Catholic Church outside of Vatican State.

[1ke]

please note this is a 2 year old thread.

[LoyalViews]

Originally Posted by 1ke

please note this is a 2 year old thread.

My eyes have deceived me and I thought it said Novermber 2011.

What's wrong with me

It's not even November

[Bezant]

Originally Posted by LoyalViews

My eyes have deceived me and I thought it said Novermber 2011.

What's wrong with me

It's not even November

X)

So have mine. Thanks 1ke.

[StrawberryJam]

Originally Posted by Bezant

It's bare anti-Catholic polemic, and you should be as blunt in pointing it out.

It doesn't even make much sense. Vatican State is a political entity. Any law there doesn't necessarily apply to the Catholic Church outside of Vatican State.

I beg to differ.

How old was Mary when God decided she accepted her role to bear his son in her Womb?

[Julia Mae]

Originally Posted by StrawberryJam

I beg to differ.

How old was Mary when God decided she accepted her role to bear his son in her Womb?

I believe tradition says 14 or 15.