DAs given names of 49 more priests

The Boston Globe ^ | 2/9/02 | Stephen Kurkjian

[GeneD]

The Boston Archdiocese late Thursday turned over to authorities the names of 49 priests it says have been accused of sexual abuse of children, bringing the number of priests whom the church has named to as many as 87, in referrals to prosecutors in the past eight days.

[GeneD]

Click here for a related story in the Los Angeles Times.

[Rain-maker]

Geezzz there's enough of these queer priests running around!

I vote for genital removal of all homosexuals...end of problem.

[kimosabe31]

"Since many of the abuses allegedly occurred more than 10 years ago, which is the statute of limitations for rape of an individual who was under 16, bringing an indictment will be difficult, Coakley said."

Anyone know how many priests in the Boston archdiocese?? Wow...eighty seven priests in a single archdiocese sounds disasterous to me. This is really terrible. Has the Roman Catholic Church become a "priviledged sanctuary" for homos and pedophiles?? Is this typical of all Archdiocese's?? Good grief...does the church in fact do anything besides molest children??? I knew there was a problem...had no idea it was this far reaching. What about other archdiocese's?? There should be no statute of limitations for any institution that harbors or shelters these pedophiles and preditors. Lay Roman Catholics had better take a serious look at this problem. It appears the priesthood is destroying the church as a religious institution. I would not even allow my pet dog alone with some of these preditory priests. Judas Priest!!! If clinton hears about this, he'll be trying to enter seminary.

[txzman]

Absolutely unreal. This in just one city! If the same numbers hold true throughout the rest of the US, the RCC is in deep, deep trouble.

This is one reason Paul was so darn clear on the fact that not everyone can remain celibate and married to the churhc only. Turns out he was more right than people give him credit for.

[thinktwice]

The Catholic Church, a noble institution with a fatally flawed priesthood.

[Random Access]

Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley

Middlesex... how appropriate.

[MHGinTN]

I wonder if this is why certain MassATwoSh!ts politicians are not excommunicated? What's sodomy or child molestation next to drowning and male prostitution rings in basements of homes?

[kimosabe31]

Hey Sinkspur...where are you on this one? Is your head still in the sand?

[ejo]

This problem has been going on for many years.It is up to the citizenry of the Roman Catholic Church, those who truly are devoted to their religion to oust these pedophiles, etc. If the congregation doesn't speak up when something is observed, that is out of the ordinary between children and clergyman, then those parents must be held accountable....It is time the Church, and yes, even those of other denominations take off their blinders....The Church MUST get back to preaching the TEN COMMANDMENTS, where the most basic tenets of our religion began.......Pray, Dear Jesus, to those who are still confused as to what directions to take in the future, bestow upon them wisdom, enlightment to recognize the TRUTHS.

[Republican Babe]

A noble institution???? If noble, why did it continue to put children in harm's way and still does today. Think of the European children who have lesser outreach for help. How many children worldwide? God must greive...the Pope must deny?.

[Abbalon]

I think you have found the root cause. Presits can not have open public relationships. The weak and vulnerable are the very people he is supposed to help. Conditions were created by the doctorine of the Cathoilic.

I think Prests should be allowed to have a life. While stifling sexual urges a prest is caregiver to his congrgation. At any given time it could be anyone of us or our childern who are vulnerable.

[ijcr]

I assume that these priests are only in Boston and not in other Diocese.

"Generally, 30 percent of U.S. priests (estimates established from all sources) are either involved in homosexual relationships, have a conflict about periodic sexual activity, feel compelled toward homosexual involvements, identify themselves a homosexual, or at least have serious questions about their sexual orientation or differentiation.

Approximately half of these men act out sexually with others. The reporting of homosexual behaviors has increased significantly, and the reliable estimates of percentage almost doubled from 1960 to 1994."

Dr. Richard Sipe, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

[Clara Lou]

The Catholic Church, a noble institution with a fatally flawed priesthood.
That's a paradox, don't you think? How can it be a "noble institution" when it knowingly harbors sexual predators? (FYI, my uncle was a non-predatory priest. My Aunt was a Sister of Charity.)

[ikka]

What's really incongruous about all this is that the same practices that these RCC priests are being accused and condemned for are the same practices that Mass. schools feel should be taught to grade school children.

[LO_IQ]

When is the Los Angeles archbishop going to do the same?

The number of pedophile priests in the LA area is staggering. The Boston scandal pales in comparison.

Finally, the light is being shone on these perverts who have used the Church to hide their predatory behavior on unsuspecting children.

[LO_IQ]

From the LA Times article:

On Jan. 25, [Law]vowed, "There is no priest, or former priest, working in this archdiocese in any assignment whom we know to have been responsible for sexual abuse."

Days later, he removed two more priests for alleged child molestation

What an incompetent cardinal.

Of course, he should resign yestesday

[Jim Noble]

>>does the church in fact do anything besides molest children???<<

Yes.

[oldironsides]

Reflecting on Cardinal Law and his college of bretheren knowing this information and keeping it behind closed doors is depressing. It is even more overwhelmingly depressing to know that Catholic females now know how they really stand within the male dominated church. It is out there now and on the front page of the Boston Globe and other papers. Dozens of profoundly disgusting predator perverts are more preferable than a woman. I am totally disgusted and sickened by the heavy handed hierarchy and the lack of common sense to protect our children. God may forgive these SOBs but I won't.

I was educated in the Massachusetts Catholic schools and cannot stand the thought of Cardinal Law and his ilk spending one more day in his position. The children and parents deserve better than this arrogant pretender.

[RobbyS]

Your answer can be found above:

Approximately half of these men act out sexually with others. The reporting of homosexual behaviors has increased significantly, and the reliable estimates of percentage almost doubled from 1960 to 1994."

In the early 70s, I knew a military chaplain who had been teaching in a seminary before joining the Army Chaplain's Corps. He had watched in amazement after Vatican II, when, in one year, half the seminarians left. It seems they had been "promised" implicitly that the church was moving toward a married priesthhod, and when it became clear that this was not going to happen, they left. Unable to recruit worthy candidates. the bishops "lowered the bar" and ordained a type of person who in the 50s would have been weeded out quickly. Just as there was a "hollowing" of the military under Carter. so there was a "hollowing" of the priesthood in the same period.The good rpiests were demoralized and were forced to work with the unworthy ones.

My wife has another theory. Since so many nuns have fled the service of the Church, there have been no one left to keep a jaunticed female eye on the priests. I know that one priest in our parish who was fooling around with a local woman was forced to ask for a transfer after the Sister Superior blew the whistle on him. She informed some dowagers of the Altar Society who went directly to the bishop and at the same time the head of his order.

[Bonaparte]

Elimenation of the celebacy requirement will do nothing to stop pedophilia in the priesthood. This crime is rampant among sub-populations that have no such requirement. Look at the homosexual population. Look how many married men and fathers have surfaced in the news as pedophiles. Look at all the teachers, scoutmasters and others outside the priesthood who commit this crime. Clearly, it's a bad choice made by bad individuals.

The church is culpable only for covering it up and permitting it to persist. And not only that -- by paying hush money to the victims' families, they have essentially financed this practice with parishioners' money. Would it really be so hard for an unscrupulous parent to become a millionaire overnight by placing his or her child in the company of a pedophile priest, collecting the necessary evidence of molestation and then blackmailing the diocese? Any lawyer would broker such a deal in a heartbeat. This is what happens when institutions such as the church place themselves at the service of the lie.