The Catholic Archbishop of Durban, Wilfrid Fox Napier, has described paedophilia as a psychological "illness, not a criminal condition".
He was one of 115 cardinals who took part in the conclave at the Vatican to elect Pope Francis earlier this week.
Criticism
"If I - as a normal being - choose to break the law, knowing that I'm breaking the law, then I think I need to be punished."
He said he knew at least two priests, who became paedophiles after themselves being abused as children.
"Now don't tell me that those people are criminally responsible like somebody who chooses to do something like that. I don't think you can really take the position and say that person deserves to be punished. He was himself damaged."
Barbara Dorries, who as a child was abused by a priest, works for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which is based in Chicago. She told the BBC: "If it is a disease that's fine, but it's also a crime and crimes are punished, criminals are held accountable for what they did and what they do.
Marie Collins, who is a victim of abuse, told the BBC: "I think it is appalling that we have a cardinal, a man at this level in the church that can still hold these views. He is totally ignoring the child."
What a mess. They drag homosexuality up and down the aisles of their churches as but are so quick to step in and defend each other for molesting children. An absolute joke.
Child molesters should be locked away, especially those in positions of power that undermine the faith and trust of their communities.
Being molsted as a child should make you want to protect others from experiencing such torment, not turn you into a pedophile and abuse other children. like don't they remember how it felt when they were getting abused?
There's simply no excusing child abuse. Perpetrators need and deserve to be punished. Absolutely disgusting
I can't even say I'm shocked. The catholic church does and says so many things like this that it doesn't even surprise me anymore. What does surprise me, however, is the fact that they STILL have so much influence over catholics and the world in general. How they have any followers is beyond me.
The sad thing is, they are QUICK to DENOUNCE anything to do with homosexuality advocating jail time,punishment, and such, yet the priests who partake in pedophilia get let off the hook.
