VIENNA, Austria (AP) - A vast cache of child pornography and photos of young priests having sex has been discovered at a Roman Catholic seminary, officials said Monday, leading politicians and church leaders to demand a criminal probe and the resignation of the bishop in charge.

Bishop Kurt Krenn, who oversees the diocese, refused to step down, however, dismissing the images as a ``childish prank.''

Leaders of the Catholic diocese of St. Poelten where the seminary is located, about 50 miles west of Vienna, spent much of the day in an emergency meeting.

The seminary's director, the Rev. Ulrich Kuechl, resigned along with his deputy, Wolfgang Rothe, the diocese said after the meeting. It did not elaborate.

As many as 40,000 photos and an undisclosed number of films, including child pornography, were found a year ago on computers at the seminary, the respected news magazine Profil reported.

It published several images purportedly showing young priests and their instructors kissing and fondling each other, and said others showed them engaging in orgies and sex games. The child porn came mostly from Web sites based in Poland, the magazine said.

Hannes Jarolim, a spokesman for the opposition Socialist Party, urged the Interior Ministry on Monday to launch a criminal investigation. Public prosecutor Walter Nemec said police were examining the material, which he said showed seminarians ``in perverse situations together with their superiors.''

The Austrian Bishops Conference issued a statement pledging a full and swift internal investigation.

``Anything that has to do with the practice of homosexuality or pornography has no place at a seminary for priests,'' it said.

Krenn, a conservative churchman, told Austrian television he had seen photos of seminary leaders in sexual situations with students, but he described the images as part of an elaborate prank that ``had nothing to do with homosexuality.''

His nonchalance drew swift and scathing reaction across the overwhelmingly Catholic nation.

``Collecting child pornography cannot be dismissed as a prank,'' said Thomas Huber, a Green Party politician.

In the mid-1990s, Austria was stung by allegations that Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, who died last year, had molested students at an all-male Catholic boarding school two decades earlier. The affair had prompted Groer to step down.

A group of St. Poelten Diocese officials planned to ask the Vatican to remove Krenn as bishop, Austrian radio reported Monday. Martin Walchhofer, who supervises the alpine country's seminaries, said Krenn ultimately was responsible and ``must answer before the church and before God for all of this.''

Asked whether he intended to resign, Krenn said bluntly: ``No.''

The Vatican said it had no comment.

Krenn, 68, issued a statement calling the accusations groundless while conceding that he ``may have made some wrong personnel decisions'' at the seminary. Rothe, the former deputy seminary chief, was a legal adviser to the bishop.

-- David Ortiz (cyberpunk1986@hotmail.com), July 12, 2004

Answers

bump

-- David Ortiz (cyberpunk1986@hotmail.com), July 12, 2004.

rod,

Have you read about this?

Thursday, July 8, 2004 Music Minister Now Wanted Man The former music minister at Trinity Worship Center in Pharr is now a wanted man by police. Three arrest warrants have been issued for 38-year-old Rob Franklin for the alleged sexual assault of a 14-year- old boy. NEWSCHANNEL 5 has learned that Franklin has been fired from the church where he worked as a music minister. A church spokesman would not go on camera, but did say Franklin's termination had nothing to do with the sexual assault charges. McAllen Police tell NEWSCHANNEL 5 there are three warrants, all related to incidents that allegedly occurred over a month-long period at Franklin's McAllen home. The charges include: sexual assault, indecency with a child, and delivery of a controlled substance. Franklin told NEWSCHANNEL 5 on the phone Thursday afternoon that he is planning to turn himself in. Police ask that if you have any information on Franklin's whereabouts to call McAllen Police at 687-TIPS.

-- David Ortiz (cyberpunk1986@hotmail.com), July 12, 2004.

Hi David.

I heard about that yesterday, but I didn't get too many details. It sounds bad.

................

-- rod (elreyrod@yahoo.com), July 12, 2004.

We really have to keep our kids nearby at all times. It is sad that our kids are not safe in places we think should be safe. But, a church?? This world is something else!

.....................

-- rod (elreyrod@yahoo.com), July 12, 2004.

If the allegations are true about that seminary school, it must be shut down, closed, and gutted. Then, start all over again with careful screening of the instructors and students. If neither can be done, tear the building down in order to avoid further defilement. Obviously, evil has infiltrated that school and pretends to be a school of God.

....................

-- rod (elreyrod@yahoo.com), July 12, 2004.

Here's a link to some more "disturbing news" across the denominational spectrum.

No child is safe in this world, whether in the womb or in Sunday School. And as long as pedophiles get one year in jail for raping a child, it will continue. But alas, one year for rape and congrats to the mom who is brave enough to dispose of her child through the hands of a doctor who has taken an oath to SAVE lives. That is the world we live in.

Oh Lord, save us from this perverse and wicked generation!

Maranatha,

Gail

-- Gail (Rothfarms@socket.net), July 13, 2004.

Rape and pedophilia definitions have changed throughout history.

People used to be engaged to others by their parents when they were young.

The Bible required men to be at most 20 to be married. That is, they married younger than that. 20 was the age for war.

That is why also many people think Jesus was married since he was in his 30s when he began to preach.

Women tended to be engaged by ages 12 or 13. This was most likely Mary's age when she married Joseph. So contact with women ages 12-17, minors in our times, was not statutory rape.

Other societies married even younger. It is said the prophet Muhammad married Aisha, around 8-9 years of age when he was in his 50s. Most likely he had sex with her around age 10-11. Yet, his society saw it as normal.

But most societies throughout history tend to really look bad at people who have sex with kids younger than 10. Why? Because females don't have periods yet, so they cannot get pregnant, and men tend to produce sperm by age 12-14.

Is 18 a good age to marry? In our time, yes. This gives people time to finish their preparatory courses for the university.

Yet, 20% of my students have sex already even before 18. They cannot control the hormones.

The Christian Yahwist The Man of Yahweh

-- Elpidio Gonzalez (egonval@yahoo.com), July 14, 2004.