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 ...
THE BOY SCOUTS have been doing a better job of protecting their boys than the Catholic church has. See? It can be done.
What an indictment against the Catholic church.
I would agree with TheDingo, though. It IS a factor.
He didn’t say it was the only factor, however, and yes, proper teaching on sexuality is too.
You’d think that Catholic priests would be aware of hat though.
That argument in defense of the priests who molest children makes me want to puke.
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.
Quoted to illustrate the level of imbecility these discussions sink to.
The EVIDENCE would indicate--that's a PERFECTLY REASONABLE question.
imho, ONLY those who live in chronic, broad, deep DENIAL about the Vatican Alice In Wonderland School Of Theology, Reality Mangling, Chronic Professional Blaming, Wailing and Whining Cult
would think otherwise.
I can't speak for others on FR but if they're guilty, I'm ready, willing, and able, to lead an all Catholic firing squad and can assure you I'll have no shortage of volunteers. We'll even bill the local Bishop for the bullets if you like.
It's funny to see people who condemn the Church for a history of violence and stern discipline complain about them being too careful when someone is charged with crimes. So many of these posts read like 16th century German propaganda that it's simply amazing, and they applied the same tales to Catholics and Jews back then. At least we've got less aimed at Jews by Catholics and Protestants alike these days although the fascist left is the has more than compensated.
Without going into detail, trust me, there are plenty of Protestant pastors and youth group leaders around up to the same thing and more. Plenty. You can check any search engine and find all you like which is what the atheists and little anti-Christs do all the time. Saying this is unique to or more common in the Catholic Church is an outright lie. Protestant you may be, but to the world at large Christian is Christian and in spite of Protestants being by far the majority in this country beating up on the RCC does as much damage to Protestants as it does to the Catholics.
Those who ply their trade in clever remarks here and think they're doing some good aren't, but they are doing great harm. You harm Christ any time you slander another professing Christian before others, even those Christians you have doctrinal differences with. There's no telling how may who don't know Christ read here and decide, "a pox on all your houses, you bunch of squabbling, pedophile, Christians" after reading link and counter link to pedophile incidents. I've heard as much and have talked to those with hardened hearts after seeing such debates. Slathering one another with "It's Just Sin Ointment" (available in six all natural scents) is almost as bad but at least that approach looks more like what it is, just your opinion, since it’s generally accompanied by fewer links.
While they seem like just endless arguments, someone is winning everyone of these tag team match arguments on FR, and it's that master of divide and conquer tactics, Satan. Sister da Penguin from "The Blues Brothers" should show up and smack all of us around until we start being honest about the source of sin and stop laying it at one anothers' feet.
have a nice day
met, indeed you would. Some of this can be laid at the feet of radical changes in seminary education. In the sixties the same crackpot ideas which were endorsed by the so called experts in sociology and psychology regarding matters of sexuality found a home in many seminaries. These ideas are incompatible with Christianity and how they were allowed to take root grieves and angers me greatly.
Unfortunately young men in seminary like too many students in uni or college have the notion that if a person is a teacher or has some other stamp of expertise they must be right and not open to challenge. So they took in the toxins and too often it polluted and corrupted the right teaching on sexuality. In many instances it was probably relatively harmless.
But for those who had rebellious hearts and who had evil intent in sexual behavior it served as encouragement and validation of their corrupt life style. It meant a rejection of the good sexual teachings of Scripture and embracing the “if it feels good do it” mantra of the sexual revulsion (revolution.)
God did not lay down the rules about sex to hold us back. He did it because He desires all else our true happiness here and in heaven. Obeying the Bible on matters is truly freeing as it celebrates how we are created with out us falling into carnal sin. It really is that simple.
God orders it, we obey. He is God for a reason.
That may be a bit harsh. Getting the youth involved in the Church and worship is commendable. It's important to everyone, especially when young, to feel you're an important part of something bigger than yourself. It strengthens one in their mission and walk. To the extent it also serves to encourage, recruit and train future clergy is a good thing. Granted, the Romanists may have corrupted the institution for their own ends but the concept, in itself, is sound and worthy.
Yes, THAT goal is wonderful.
The question is still reasonable . . . it’s quite plausible that . . . various individuals in the hierarchy had . . . uhhh . . . at least mixed motives.
As far as the abuse done by priests in the catholic church, I can't help but think that if this was not a religious organization but a secular one, it would have been charged under RICO and closed down completely. From everything I have researched there was deliberate intent by the leaders in the catholic church to silence, cover-up, and prevent priests from being held accountable for their actions.
Many catholics place the blame on the 60’s but from my research there were cases like this going on prior to the 60’s.
Personally I think celibacy for men violates the natural law. Before you start flaming me as a anti-catholic protestant know that I am a deist.
However both Jesus and Paul commended (but didn't command) it.
It's subject matter was sodomy (in its broadest definition) amongst the Catholic priests. That such is hardly a recent phenomenon is the fact that this book was finished in about 1049.
More on the book and its contents can be found online.
Understood. I am deist however and do not believe the bible is the infallible word of god. I do believe there was a creator and that with human reason we can discern the natural order, or law, that he put in motion. Celibacy is the antithesis to propagating the species. Propagating the species is the natural order of life.
Really...How many of the molested boys were altar boys, or former altar boys??? What is the percentage of molesting priests who were former altar boys???
Could your religion not exist without the office or function of altar boys???
Why is your religion so against altar girls???
Don't be shy, speak up...
To what purpose? "Natural Order" connotes design and design implies purpose. What was your Diety's purpose in his creation?
“So let it be certain and evident to all that we are in agreement with everything your book contains, opposed as it is like water to the fire of the devil,” the Pope continues. “Therefore, lest the wantonness of this foul impurity be allowed to spread unpunished, it must be repelled by proper repressive action of apostolic severity, and yet some moderation must be placed on its harshness,” he states. [61] Next, Pope Leo IX gives a detailed explanation of the Holy See’s authoritative ruling on the matter.
In light of divine mercy, the Holy Father commands, without contradiction, that those who, of their own free will, have practiced solitary or mutual masturbation or defiled themselves by interfemoral coitus, but who have not done so for any length of time, nor with many others, shall retain their status, after having “curbed their desires” and “atoned for their infamous deeds with proper repentance”. [62]
However, the Holy See removes all hope for retaining their clerical status from those who alone or with others for a long time, or even a short period with many, “have defiled themselves by either of the two kinds of filthiness which you have described, or, which is horrible to hear or speak of, have sunk to the level of anal intercourse.” [63]
Unknown. Perhaps we will find out after we die.
Much of the problem lies in the attitude of the professors and teachers, and it's not a seminary only problem.
Many university professors are so full of themselves that they will not take ANY challenge to their authority. They reinforce that image of themselves and to challenge them is to risk failing the course and having to repeat it.
There was a college prof here on FR who was AGHAST once when he heard that some student in another FReeper's class dared to challenge the prof. I thought *Wow, he must be a real treat to take a class from*.
You learn very quickly in college to figure out what the prof wants to hear and spit it back to him.
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