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PHILADELPHIA PRIESTS ACCUSED BY GRAND JURY OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND COVER-UP
New York Times ^ | 2-10-11 | Jon Hurdle

Posted on 02/11/2011 7:11:53 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg

A grand jury on Thursday accused the Archdiocese of Philadelphia of failing to stop the sexual abuse of children more than five years after a grand jury report documented abuse by more than 50 priests.

The new report said a senior church official charged with investigating allegations of sexual abuse by priests had in fact allowed some of those accused to remain in posts that gave them continued access to children. It charged him with endangering the welfare of minors and accused three priests and a teacher of raping two boys between 1996 and 1999.

“By no means do we believe that these were the only two parishioners who were abused during this period,” the report said.

At least 37 priests who are subject to “substantial evidence of abuse” are still in roles that bring them into contact with children, the new report said, and 10 of those have been in place since before 2005, when the last grand jury made its allegations...

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Current Events; Moral Issues
KEYWORDS: anal; cardinalrigali; coverup; forced; hellbent; homos; oral; pederasts; pedophiles; pervs; phillyarchdiocese; priests; rapists
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To: metmom
Molesting children is not an *oops, I slipped* moment. It is a deliberate, thought out act that requires planning to arrange the circumstances for. Putting it in the same category of a sin that someone commits under pressure or through lack of planning or being in the wrong place at the wrong time or seeing something one shouldn't have is disingenuous and reprehensible.

Absolutely! Paul gave the church at Corinth a lashing over their inaction about a member who fooled around with his father's wife. Confront him and if he won't confess and repent and cease the sin, he was to be kicked out of the church. Why do we have actual leaders within churches today who not only refuse to even admit they have done wrong but get pushed on up the parochial ladder by their overseers??? Talk about seared consciences! I do NOT want to be there at that judgment scene.

161 posted on 02/12/2011 9:46:53 PM PST by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to him.)
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To: Quix

Thank you for sharing your testimony and insights, dear brother in Christ!


162 posted on 02/12/2011 10:22:04 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Alamo-Girl

Thanks for your kind reply.


163 posted on 02/12/2011 10:32:25 PM PST by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
What a contrast between that and Rome’s outright denial of accusations, refusal to go to police authorities, and hiding priests as they shuttle them from one unsuspecting parish to another.

Read the post. It says "refuse to believe the charges".

164 posted on 02/13/2011 3:10:50 AM PST by MarMema
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia comprises more than just one city. That being said, ANYONE who abuses children needs to be called to account for it, be that a priest, nun, lay teacher, whoever. If the Grand Jury finds enough evidence to convict, all the better! I just hope that innocent priests, nuns, or teachers aren't caught up in the push to 'teach the Church a lesson', which is what has happened in many Dioceses.

My family has a personal friend, a very good priest, who was accused of indiscretion, by a woman in her 60's who claimed he 'took liberties' with her, when she was in her teens. Even her family and friends didn't believe her, because they've known her for years, and understand her emotional problems, which she's had ALL her life, even before this priest ever came to our town. But in the new, "get rid of them as soon as there is an accusation" mindset of some Bishops, who are trying to not look like they're covering anything up, some completely innocent priests have been treated very unfairly.

I make absolutely NO excuses for Bishops who were looking to cover up abuse, so as to not create problems for themselves, because they made a horrible situation even worse. The abusers need to spend a LONG time in jail to consider what they've done, and ask for forgiveness from God, and those they hurt.

165 posted on 02/13/2011 7:30:25 AM PST by SuziQ
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To: Antoninus
"You know nothing of the particulars of this situation."

Not mentioned in this are the disclosures of political insiders that claim that this report, sans any indictments, was retribution for the Church's forcing their hand on the indictment of Dr. Kermit B. Gosnell.

166 posted on 02/13/2011 7:52:03 PM PST by Natural Law (As a Catholic I know I am held to a higher standard (but it's worth it).)
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To: Petrosius; Antoninus
"Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal."

Why on earth would anyone doubt the motives of anyone who spends in excess of 60 hours per week posting information of dubious veracity that is always highly critical of the Church?

167 posted on 02/13/2011 7:56:13 PM PST by Natural Law (As a Catholic I know I am held to a higher standard (but it's worth it).)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg; Religion Moderator
"What parent would turn their young sons over to these people?"

Who in the hell to you think "these people" are? I coordinated my parish's altar server program for over 15 years. I recruited, trained, and scheduled servers and worked closely during that period of time with the other parishes of my diocese so when you saw "these people" you are talking about me and that is personal!

I am a 3rd generation altar boy and my sons and nephews were servers. Never in my entire life have I ever heard a first or even second hand account of any molestation.

168 posted on 02/13/2011 8:10:07 PM PST by Natural Law (As a Catholic I know I am held to a higher standard (but it's worth it).)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
That's why I'm a Presbyterian.

Uh oh...

Google search with keywords: presbyterian sex abuse scandal

Now tell me again how Christians going back and forth like this exposing each other as terrible sinners advances the Kingdom of Christ?
169 posted on 02/13/2011 9:18:09 PM PST by Antoninus (The slogan for the 2012 election: Better a known enemy than a false friend. Say no to Romney.)
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To: Religion Moderator
Your inaction on this most recent affront to decency by Dr. Eckleburg shows exactly what a sham the "religion" forum really is. For all of the "don't make it personal", "leave the thread", and "get some thick skin" admonitions you hand down when Catholics act up your tacit approval of the vial filth and very personal invective spewed by that so-called Christian shows your sympathies.

To openly and unashamedly state that altar server programs are implemented to groom boys for pedophiles slanders the many thousands of youth, laity and clergy who have performed this service to God for generations shows what a filthy agenda Dr. Eckleburg has. If that wasn't flame bait nothing is. I am not questioning her motives or attempting mind reading, I am stating them right out. She is a evil trolling hatemonger hiding behind the rules and deserves to be zotted.

170 posted on 02/14/2011 2:13:29 AM PST by Natural Law (As a Catholic I know I am held to a higher standard (but it's worth it).)
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To: Natural Law; Dr. Eckleburg
You took Dr. Eckleburg's term "these people" personally. She was not addressing it to you, personally.

With reference to religions, deities, religious authorities and such - ridicule, condemnation and anti rhetoric are allowed only on "open" Religion Forum threads.

I can and do intervene to keep posters from "making it personal" but there is nothing I can do to keep posters from "taking it personally."

You are too thin skinned to continue on the subject of this thread.

Leave the thread.

171 posted on 02/14/2011 9:05:10 AM PST by Religion Moderator
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To: Natural Law

That is pure unadulterated BS.


172 posted on 02/14/2011 9:32:57 AM PST by Palladin (Obama, go back to Hawaii! Better yet, go back to Kenya!!)
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To: Religion Moderator

Dr. Eckleburg is a SHE?

Who knew?


173 posted on 02/14/2011 9:37:02 AM PST by Palladin (Obama, go back to Hawaii! Better yet, go back to Kenya!!)
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To: Jim Noble

An excellent objective post.


174 posted on 02/14/2011 9:42:25 AM PST by Palladin (Obama, go back to Hawaii! Better yet, go back to Kenya!!)
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To: Petrosius; Dr. Eckleburg

It would appear, Dr E . . .

that either this is another member of the Vatican Alice In Wonderland School Of Theology, Reality Mangling, Chronic Professional Blaming, Wailing and Whining Cult.

Or, the old bloke with a similar name got a very high powered calmness implant.

Which would be good—for lots of folks, probably.


175 posted on 02/16/2011 10:15:25 AM PST by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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To: Petrosius; Quix
The pontifical secret to which you constantly refer only applies to the internal canonical investigation.

That is not what the document says. It's what RC apologists say who hope to take the heat off of Rome's ungodly defense of the indefensible.

Read paragraph 13 of Crimen Sollicitationis...

"13. The oath of keeping the secret must be given in these cases also by the accusers or those denouncing [the priest] and the witnesses. To none of these, however, is there subjection to a censure, unless by chance toward these same persons some censure has been expressly threatened upon the person himself, for his accusation, his deposition or of his violation (Excussionis?) [of such] by act. The accused, however, should be most seriously warned that even he, with all [the others], especially when he observes the secret with his defender, is under the penalty of suspension a divinis in case of a transgression to be incurred ipso facto. "

Rome swears to secrecy, under penalty of excommunication, even the accuser and anyone else involved with the proceedings, including parents.

The more light shown on Rome, the more rancid its lies become.

Rome reaps what it has sown.

Christopher Hitchens is wrong about everything regarding Christianity except one thing - Ratzinger belongs in jail.

176 posted on 02/16/2011 11:58:33 AM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg

Very telling.


177 posted on 02/16/2011 12:08:41 PM PST by Quix (Times are a changin' INSURE you have believed in your heart & confessed Jesus as Lord Come NtheFlesh)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
One more time:

1) Crimen sollicitationis is only applicable to sollicitation within the sacrament of Confession; it does not apply to acts outside of Confession.

2) "In these cases" refers to the judicial case, not the crime. Victims and witnesses can still go to the police to report the original act; they are just forbidden to report on the internal church judicial proceedings. What is so hard to understand here?

3) Did you not notice the line in your own quote: "To none of these [accusers and witnesses] IS THERE SUBJECTION TO A CENSURE…" ? Your own quote shows that they ARE NOT SUBJECT TO EXCOMMUNICATION.

178 posted on 02/16/2011 12:15:00 PM PST by Petrosius
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To: Palladin; Petrosius
Lent is less than 3 weeks away!! A time for prayer and spiritual reflection on God.

We all will be fasting to reflect on the experience of Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins.

We Catholics pray for those who hate us, pray for their souls and pray to God to bless them

As Catholics, we can pray on the prayer at this caucus thread

Freepmail me if you have any queries
179 posted on 02/17/2011 12:25:43 AM PST by Cronos ("They object to tradition saying that they themselves are wiser than the apostles" - Ire.III.2.2)
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