As Scandal Keeps Growing, Church and Its Faithful Reel

NY Times | 3/16/02 | LAURIE GOODSTEIN and ALESSANDRA STANLEY

[Lent]

While this scandal has its basis in thr truth of the matter it asserts, it is nonetheless turning into a classic sex tinged American witch hunt. This is the same type of nonsense as the rash of child molestation in day care cases of the late 1980's which were later determined to be rubbish

Good comparison. The historical analogy is apt as well - the Salem witch trials. Somebody comes out of the woodwork and claims a molestation or touching and it's off to the races. And don't be mistaken: there's cold hard cash to be made in such an accusation.

I was born and raised in the Catholic Church and left it as a young adult. I was an altar boy for many years. Went to an all boys Catholic School which was run by Dominican priests. Never experienced this kind of nonsense. This is not to deny the reality of some accusations. But by the same token - there's gold in them thar hills.

[The Brush]

This problem came to light in the 80's. Any one of the people who covered up for any of these priests should be brought to trial.
The Catholic Church secretly used monies given for Charity by its parishoners, to cover up crimes.
If the Church doesn't come clean on everything they know, including details of hushed payoffs, the government should investigate and reverse their tax exempt status. It would happen to any other institution (I hope)

I was going to question the morality of lawyers who would keep this sort of activity quiet, then it hit me... they're lawyers! DUH!

[Jaxgram]

Good article - too bad the church is about 25 years late coming to confession. It's disgusting and only contributes toward America's "schlumping toward Gamorrah" - if honesty isn't with the church, then where to look???

[edwin hubble]

It is interesting that for the Roman Catholic Church, celibacy of priests is not faith-based doctrine, but merely a tradition.

There are many married priests in the larger Catholic Church. Aside from the Roman rite, the Coptic, Maronite, Syrian, Malabar, Chaldean, Armenian, and other rites of the Catholic Church under the Pope in Rome, have always had married priests.

The Roman Catholic Church accepts married converted priests from the Anglican Church into its ranks... they are now Roman Catholic priests who are married.

Celibacy is just tradition, not doctrine.

[mustapha mond]

There are two different forces at work here: 1) The Catholic church has been infiltrated by packs of Gay men who like to have sex with boys in their care. This for some reason was covered up by Catholic leadership. 2)The Catholic hating establishment is taking this opportunity to further attack the Church. --MM

[anniegetyourgun]

It is the traditions of men (not to mention the soteriology) that I find curious.

[anniegetyourgun]

#2 would be situation normal. It's called persecution and all believers will experience that. But #1 is an impurity in the Body of Christ that can result in the removal of God's blessing. Though I am not Catholic, I know born again believers with the RCC. I am curious to see how they will handle this.

I can only liken it to my own experience in leaving the PCUSA after it was clear that the leadership was following a path of sin. Despite confrontation, there was no repentance among the leadership. We left the PCUSA to go where God was blessing.

[Longshanks]

Optional celibacy would, at the very least, rid the priesthood of a reputation as a "gay profession."

Immediate expulsion of all fag priests would definately rid the priesthood of that reputation. Dominicans should conduct the investigations.

[The Cuban]

Thanks for your comment.

[PJ-Comix]

Ralph from the Howard Stern show seems to have had some kind of strange experience with a priest when he was a kid. Apparently a priest invited Ralph over to his place and Ralph claims that he had a mental blackout as to what happened next.

And if you've seen Ralphie, you know something in his life must have had an adverse affect on him to make him the way he is (a weird looking hairdresser).

[CrossCheck]

Rod Dreher at National Review has some interesting thoughts on this subject. The homosexual problem in the priesthood may be as bad as it appears. I don't think the Catholic bashers have to search too hard for evidence in this instance.

[PJ-Comix]

This is a problem of the "lavender mafia" taking over the seminaries. In other words one of the "fruits of Vatican II" or "multicultirism", take your choice

Years ago I met someone who told me he had recently escaped from a seminary where he was studying for the priesthood. Apparently something (he wasn't specific about this) caused a lot of newbies at the seminaries to rebel and escape. The way the guy told it was kind of funny because it sounded like The Great Escape. However, now I have my suspicions as to what it was that caused him and the others to escape.

[kstewskis]

This scandal will, I predict, cause Catholics to rethink their donations, if they see massive sums going to victims.

THAT will get the Vatican's attention.

I couldn't agree with you more , SS. After all, the people are "The Church". Enough of us are fed up, and want our "church" back. I'm starting this Sunday to withhold my donations.

[maro]

Why must everyone defending a lost cause invoke the Salem witch trials? THERE WERE NO WITCHES, that's why the Salem trials were so stupid. But plainly, there are pedophile priests, and a fair number of them. The rights of the innocent should be protected--but the possibility that there are innocents should not deter us from rooting out the guilty.

[bvw]

The Archdioceses have been buying silence on this for many, many years. The "normalization" and even popularization of homosexuality -- and the usurptation of the fine word "gay" -- are poisonous, yet that poison has also desensitized the issue and allowed for this rot and other social rots to be exposed, and one hopes, they can be dealt with.

Never underestimate the power of the American public to do the right thing against any hardship or potent establishment when the matter is in front of them. Patience is required sometimes but Americans persist irresitably in getting around to doing the right thing.

[madprof98]

So far the homosexuals and their supporters in the media are successful in labeling the whole problem as "pedophilia" as if this is some sort of disorder separate and apart grom the underlying disorder.

It would seem impossible to simultaneously carry out campaigns to (a) get gay men jobs as Boy Scout leaders and (b) rid the Catholic Church of priests who prey on adolescent boys. However, the magic word "pedophile" (suggesting the kind of deviant who lusts after toddlers and little girls) seems to be doing the trick.

[kstewskis]

Rod Dreher at National Review has some interesting thoughts on this subject.

wow, good article. thanks for sharing this.

[ladyjane]

Any one of the people who covered up for any of these priests should be brought to trial.

Agree. The abuse is only half the problem. The cover up and the pressure from the church on politicians and law enforcement to keep the lid on this illustrates the corruption inside the church hierarchy.

[PJ-Comix]

Could you be more specific?