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Locked on 05/20/2009 10:27:19 AM PDT by Religion Moderator, reason:
Duplicate: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2254678/posts |
Posted on 05/20/2009 8:59:06 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
DUBLIN — A fiercely debated, nine-year investigation into Ireland's Roman Catholic-run institutions says priests and nuns terrorized thousands of boys and girls in workhouse-style schools for decades — and government inspectors failed to stop the chronic beatings, rapes and humiliation.
High Court Justice Sean Ryan on Wednesday unveiled the 2,600-page final report of Ireland's Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse, which is based on testimony from thousands of former students and officials from more than 250 church-run institutions.
More than 30,000 children deemed to be petty thieves, truants or from dysfunctional families — a category that often included unmarried mothers — were sent to Ireland's austere network of industrial schools, reformatories, orphanages and hostels from the 1930s until the last church-run facilities shut in the 1990s.
The report found that molestation and rape were "endemic" in boys' facilities, chiefly run by the Christian Brothers order, and supervisors pursued policies that increased the danger. Girls supervised by orders of nuns, chiefly the Sisters of Mercy, suffered much less sexual abuse but frequent assaults and humiliation designed to make them feel worthless.
"In some schools a high level of ritualized beating was routine. ... Girls were struck with implements designed to maximize pain and were struck on all parts of the body," the report said. "Personal and family denigration was widespread."
Victims of the system have long demanded that the truth of their experiences be documented and made public, so that children in Ireland never endure such suffering again.
But most leaders of religious orders have rejected the allegations as exaggerations and lies, and testified to the commission that any abuses were the responsibility of often long-dead individuals.
Wednesday's five-volume report sides almost completely with the former students' accounts. It concludes that church officials always shielded their orders' pedophiles from arrest amid
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The report found that molestation and rape were "endemic" in boys' facilities, chiefly run by the Christian Brothers order, and supervisors pursued policies that increased the danger. Girls supervised by orders of nuns, chiefly the Sisters of Mercy, suffered much less sexual abuse but frequent assaults and humiliation designed to make them feel worthless....
....Wednesday's five-volume report sides almost completely with the former students' accounts. It concludes that church officials always shielded their orders' pedophiles from arrest amid a culture of self-serving secrecy....
....the commission said its fact-finding — which included unearthing decades-old church files, chiefly stored in the Vatican, on scores of unreported abuse cases from Ireland's industrial schools — demonstrated that officials understood exactly what was at stake: their own reputations.
Take with a grail of salt. Of course, no one’s going to deny that there has been a problem, but the Irish government should not be an authority to trust, since they are full of the same Euro-weenies that are shaping the coming of Eurabia.
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
Shoot, you don’t know what you are talking about. I went to a boarding school run by nuns in Philadelphia. Until sixth grade it was a horror show. Very rough and lots of misery.
You just have no idea how bad things can be when it’s run by a group of folks that are just plain mean. When the change to better people came, it was a breath of fresh air and sanity.
To this day I remember fondly how nice the nuns were that came in and took over in sixth grade.
When no one is looking and it’s a rough crowd, it will be very, very bad. I can only imagine how bad it was for these poor kids in Ireland.
When no one is on your side and you are isolated, you have no where to go and the powers that be hold that power and wield it.
Grain of salt my ass.
Oh, so priests and nuns consist of nothing but child abusers then, eh?
>>Oh, so priests and nuns consist of nothing but child abusers then, eh?<<
Oh yes! And PS teachers are pure as the driven snow. /s/
I have to agree also that having a report by the British Government about anything Irish Catholic has a good possibility of being slanted
Nobody said that. However, there is simply too much empirical evidence of the endemic nature of this sort of thing going on all around the world for us to simply and blithely sweep stuff like this under the rug using the lame excuse that the Irish government's full of "Euroweenies", as if that really had anything to do with it.
Ooops
British gov’t = Irish gov’t on anything Irish Catholic.
So you think governmental bodies that are on a vendetta against any Christian institution aren’t going to try to slant this to their advantage?
Miss Deluca, my 1st grade teacher, was an absolute monster. I came out of first grade with all sorts of bowel and stomach issues because of her.
In contrast, the Catholic schools were Heaven on Earth!
Well, I think you're going to have to actually provide some proof that this is the case, before people are going to give you credit on the subject.
What does that have to do with whether or not these allegations are true?
The RC Church has a well documented history of shielding abusers of children. There's absolutely no denying that.
People who truly care about the RC Church should be demanding that stuff like this sees the light of day and that anyone in their employ who abuses a child is dealt with swiftly and severely.
I’m not denying some things like that ever happened. I’m skeptical of the scope of this.
Well that's good to know.
I’m skeptical of the scope of this.
Have you read the report? Have you seen the documentation for yourself? Have you interviewed any of the witnesses?
Healthy skepticism is a good thing most times. But when it results in a knee jerk reaction without examining the facts; not so much.
I award you the Official Dumbest Strawman Argument of the Day Award.
Here's your sign...
>>In contrast, the Catholic schools were Heaven on Earth! <<
My heart goes out to you. No child should have physical problems at the hands of an adult. (I homeschool)
We were taught by VERY strict Felician Sisters. Some were good, some were horrible.
But here’s a story that my lifelong best friend tells.
In second grade, my mom got my school shoes. She bought a size too big so they would fit all year.
I was a short kid and my feet didn’t touch the ground. Therefore, my shoes fell off constantly (penny loafers)
The nun came by and told me that if she saw me with my shoes off again, she would throw them in the trash. Well, they slipped off again and she did. I cried and cried because I knew my mom would kill me.
My best friend continues the story stating that the nun went off on me and I said that my mom would kill me if I didn’t get my shoes.
She says the nun yelled, “If you want them on your feet, go stand in them.” and made me stand in the trash can to join my shoes.
The first part of the story is true. The second is not. No amount of correction has changed my BF’s story.
Sometimes, time makes things much worse than what they actually are.
Newsflash: all humans are damaged by original sin and are liable to concupiscence. Even members of the Catholic Church and even clergy and religious. Those in responsible positions to do harm to children should be disciplined. Heck, I bet even some Protestants are sinners too.
>>People who truly care about the RC Church should be demanding that stuff like this sees the light of day and that anyone in their employ who abuses a child is dealt with swiftly and severely. <<
Why so every person looking for money, abused or greedy, can bankrupt my parish? Where do you think that money comes from?
Anyone in their employ is dealt with these days. AND everyone one of us has to take classes before we can volunteer for anything.
I’m weary of having to pay “Catholic reparations” I’m also weary of everyone who is accused being automatically guilty. Didn’t we learn anything from the daycare scandals of the 90’s?
“the Irish government should not be an authority to trust, since they are full of the same Euro-weenies that are shaping the coming of Eurabia.”
I hope you’re wrong. My ancestral home is Ireland and the last thing I want is to see it further infested with muslims. I want to see that old strain of Irish nationalism re-surface and them kick the vermin out.
Who, the English or the Muslims? ;)
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