Abuse victims in Los Angeles sue church for conspiring to hide molestation

Yahoo News - Singapore ^ | Tuesday April 30, 8:33 AM

[concerned about politics]

My father pulled us all out of the school and we quit going to mass from that day forward.

A friend of ours was a priests victim. He's been banned from FR, 1 of 3 that I've heard of so far. He said something and someone pushed the abuse button on him.

[Office Manager]

Thank you for your prayers. I can always use them.

I too understand the need to pray for ones like Roger Mahoney, but frankly, I have little patience for this kind

of person who contributes to the violation of children, and who knows better than to walk in weakness of

character. That's what it is, I believe.

God bless you....

[SkyPilot]

In March, Mahony apologized for the "sinful and deplorable" actions of priests who molested children, saying that the Church and the priesthood were being "purified."

Sounds like a line from the movie Braveheart:

English Judge:"Confess, and you shall recieve a quick death--do not, and you must be purified by pain."

William Wallace:"Never in my whole life did I swear allegance to him."

English Judge:"Then on the morrow you shall recieve your purification."

[Mariner]

These people should be prosecuted in criminal court......isn't RICO a criminal statute?

Conspiracy to commit and cover-up criminal child sexual abuse. Conspiracy to operate a criminal enterprise......arguably at a profit.

Once this is all said and done, most will be shocked to discover this problem was INSTITUTIONAL.

400 cases in Boston over the last 30 years alone. How many family men today were victims and just don't want their names and pictures on TV?

[HiTech RedNeck]

My best friend was assaulted by a priest at the age of 11.......he died last year of alcoholism. I don't know if the incidents were related or not, but I do know the rage Hank would exibit at any mention of the church or god.

Jesus Christ Himself had something to say about religious authorities who not only themselves would not enter in, but would not permit others to. And about what would happen to one who causes one who believes in Him to stumble. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[HiTech RedNeck]

And about what would happen to one who causes a child who believes in Him to stumble. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Want to bet they won't even wear a hair shirt. It probably consists of a mega-hail-Mary.

[concerned about politics]

On Friday, President Bush declared May 2, 2002 as a National Day of Prayer. "We have all seen God's great faithfulness to our country...On this National Day of Prayer, I encourage Americans to remember the words of St. Paul: 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.'... I ask Americans to pray for God's protection, to express gratitude for our blessings, and to seek moral and spiritual renewal."

REMEMBER GROUP PRAYER ON THIS DAY!

[Bonaparte]

Arguably, the elements for a federal RICO action are there. Longstanding. Pattern of criminal activity. Conspiracy to obstruct justice. All under the roof of one organizational entity. You see, the Catholic church accepts money from people. Lots of it. They don't make these contributions just because they happen to feel generous. They expect that they are supporting a certain kind of activity and not some other kind. Certainly, that representation has been made to them repeatedly by the church, so in light of these shocking revelations, it can be argued with some merit that parishioners were defrauded by the church, ie. instead of supporting morality and God, they were actually supporting sinfulness and Satan. The pay-out in a successful action of this type could potentially dwarf the billion or so the church has already coughed up.

[Bonaparte]

".....isn't RICO a criminal statute?"

It can be prosecuted as a criminal matter, a civil matter or both.

[livius]

It was a terrible thing that happened to you; thank God you found people who could help you restore your trust in other human beings and your ability to live a full life.

You are right; this is not limited to Catholic clergy, but is something that appears in any situation where people have power and authority over others - and hide behind this power for their own purposes, abusing the trust and respect given to them.

There used to be a prayer in the Office of Compline with which people ended the day, one line of which was: "The Devil like a roaring line goes about seeking whom he may devour." The Devil is always lying in wait, and certainly found good pickings among the clergy.

This is particularly true because for the last 30 years or so, many churches have adopted the anything goes mentality of the world, and the clergy has not been subject to much control or discipline (in the Catholic Church, at least). The really grevious thing in the case of the Catholic clergy is that the institution, which should now be in sackcloth and ashes for its neglect of its duties, has done everything possible to hide and protect the evil ones that it should have driven out with lashes from its midst.

[elfman2]

I presume schools don't like teachers to be alone with kids even it the teacher if married, but the Church allows children to be alone with a Priest who've been forced to practice celibacy.

If it's simply training and professionalism, then how come medical practices won't allow doctors, to examine women alone?

[Domestic Church]

"If it's simply training and professionalism, then how come medical practices won't allow doctors, to examine women alone?"

Ah.I've been hearing a lot of complaints within the homeschool community about physicians(with socialist outlooks,lol) demanding to examine the kids alone without Mom's presence...and in an intimidating manner. I bet it is going on within the public/private school community as well but HSers are sounding the alert on this.

[ELS]

Priest who've been forced to practice celibacy

No one is forced to become a Catholic priest. They are fully aware of the vow of celibacy they will be making and do so voluntarily.

[elfman2]

" They are fully aware of the vow of celibacy they will be making and do so voluntarily."

Okay, they're not "forced", they're ordered to practiced celibacy. Calling it "voluntarily" is misleading, though "technically accurate" as Clinton says.

[history_matters]

Thanks.

[elfman2]

Would you feel comfortable if I said Marines are "forced" to keep their hair short? Or would you thank someone that replied that, "No one is forced to become a" Marine. "They are fully aware of the" short hair requirement "they will be making and do so voluntarily"?

[history_matters]

No, I wouldn't. Every calling has its disciplines and no one is forced or ordered to become a marine or a priest.

[elfman2]

" No, I wouldn't. Every calling has its disciplines and no one is forced or ordered to become a marine or a priest."

Fair enough. If it's a consistent policy or a discipline, perhaps "ordered" is over the top. How about "required"?

[Bonaparte]

Speaking of what happens to those in authority who cause others to stumble, this appeared in the paper today. If these RICOs against the church mushroom into a class action (and they could), the church's problems could proceed from critical to catastrophic.