Perhaps you're right, but in stating "for the purpose of tying to see them removed from office" you have necessarily taken it out of the public debate sphere and into the ecclesiastical/secular courts, who are the only ones who can effect that outcome.
We Freepers (darnit) can't remove them from office, therefore what purpose does our debating the accusation serve? I'm not trying to be contentious or derogatory of our discussing this on FR, I'm simply pondering the morality of this as it's an issue I'm struggling with.
What responsibilities do we have, in charity, on a board like this? I'm not entirely sure.
I understand your concern, however, I completely and totally disagree with you. If we the laity don't worry about these things, it is quite clear that the hierarchy will not. If you have not lost faith in the men that make up Christ's Church you are hopelessly naive.
The laity can now rightfully hope that predatory chickenhawking priests will be removed from the priesthood thanks to websites like FR. If we left this stuff to the hierarchy they'd still be enjoying their chicken dinners, Lincoln Continentals, satellite TV, and transferring these monsters from parish to parish.
If there are active homosexuals in the hierarchy, they are intrinsically disordered and they should be gone. We cannot trust these men to police themselves. For many years, they enjoyed the privilege of the laity's trust and look what they did with it. Those days are over.
Dear Claud,
There is a line in Canon Law, or perhaps it's in the Catechism (and I'm too lazy to go find it right now) that talks about the right and duty of the laity to express our views, respectfully, to our sacred pastors.
When we see a hierarch who clearly should be removed, we cannot effect that removal, but perhaps it would be well if we screamed, respectfully, to high heaven for that result.
If, through the secular courts, it comes out that some or all of the accusations against these hierarchs are proven true, then we do well to scream bloody murder, respectfully, until they are removed.
"We Freepers (darnit) can't remove them from office, therefore what purpose does our debating the accusation serve?"
I'm not sure that DEBATING the accusation serves much good or not. However, when the time comes that the charges are either proven or disproven, it'll be good that we'll have kept ourselves informed, and will be prepared to offer our views to our sacred pastors.
sitetest
You make a fair point. The occasional vent is often enjoyable, feels like an enormous release but is probably not Christian.
Forum's like this can be a huge occasion of sin. Not only with respect to what we say about the clergy but also with respect to our behavior to each other, e.g. the flame wars which regularly errupt.
Keeping each other informed is OK but it's really easy to cross the line into calumny and detraction.
I nominate you as "Vent Inspector".
Just joking. I have no idea what the answer is.
We all know why. Pride.
We, every one, yield to the same old temptation, that fatal conceit, "Eat of this fruit and become as gods, and know right from wrong."