Future pope resisted efforts to remove priest

The letter, signed by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was typed in Latin and is part of years of correspondence between the Diocese of Oakland and the Vatican about the proposed dismissal of the Rev. Stephen Kiesle.

The Vatican confirmed yesterday that it was Ratzinger’s signature. “The press office doesn’t believe it is necessary to respond to every single document taken out of context regarding particular legal situations,’’ the Rev. Federico Lombardi said.

But later, the Vatican’s lawyer said that Ratzinger told the California bishop to make sure that Kiesle didn’t abuse while the church worked to dismiss him.

Attorney Jeffrey Lena said Ratzinger urged the bishop to give Kiesle “as much paternal care as possible.’’ Lena said that was a way of saying the bishop was responsible for ensuring that Kiesle didn’t reoffend.

Lena said there were no known cases of abuse by Kiesle between 1981, when his diocese first recommended that he be laicized, and 1987 when he was removed from the priesthood.

Another spokesman, the Rev. Ciro Benedettini, said the letter showed no attempt at a coverup. “The then-Cardinal Ratzinger didn’t cover up the case, but as the letter clearly shows, made clear the need to study the case with more attention, taking into account the good of all involved.’’

The diocese recommended removing Kiesle from the priesthood in 1981, the year Ratzinger was appointed to head the Vatican office that shared responsibility for disciplining abusive priests.

The case then languished for four years at the Vatican before Ratzinger wrote to Oakland Bishop John Cummins. It was two more years before Kiesle was removed; during that time he continued to do volunteer work with children through the church.

In the November 1985 letter, Ratzinger says the arguments for removing Kiesle are of “grave significance’’ but added that such actions required very careful review. He also urged the bishop to provide Kiesle with “as much paternal care as possible’’ while awaiting the decision, according to a translation by professor Thomas Habinek, chairman of the University of Southern California Classics Department.