sexual abuse

[niwde]

it is very sad and bad to see children being sexually abuse
what more if it is a priest who did it
i think i know y the vatican is trying to run away from this
they are in a bad fix
if they condemn a priest,they need to answer god,if they do not,they need to answer to the world and the victims.
to be frank,none of us can condemn a priest,for he is a representive of christ,a shepherd of the flock.Christ himself gave a stern warning to those who condemn the priest,his gang members. even though they are wrong,we cannot condemn them,they themselves will answer to jesus.he will be the judge not us.if u do condemn or sue or criticise or anyother thing,u might be in bad terms of christ,u are indirectly insulting christ through his servants,it goes the same for all pastors and religious for all other denominations.
no want can even condemn osama bin laden for committing those crimes,
he may have did it,but the only thing we can do is to pray
prayer is the most powerful thing,it gives u hope when the day of the lord comes.

as far as i know
only the catholic church has such a problem,it is so controversial,it has full media coverage and i do not see other non catholic churches having such problems,even though they have,but what happenned to the hi tech media coverage
and why does all this things committed by catholic priests unfolds almost in the same time,isn't this weird
could this be a plot to destroy the catholic church by the devil
history has proved itself that when the catholic church is attacked outside,it is strong and does not shake,but when it is from the inside,then there is great trouble.

May god save and keep the pope
and if have tons and tons of money
i would set up an undercover international organization
to protect the pope and christians around the world

 

[Polycarp]

niwide -

Indeed, it is sad what has been happening in the Church. We must pray for all in the Church during this time of trial, both the victims and the aggressors.

Our pastor approached me as very impressionable boy although I did not "pass" his tests of vulnerability, but many did. I was invited to stay in the rectory over a weekend and mow the church grounds and other misc. stuff.

I took the opportunity, because I thought it was a great chance to hangout with a really cool dude. During my stay he exposed me to pornography on several occasions. I resisted and asked him why he looked at such things because I thought that it was wrong. His answer - "It is not a sin to appreciate God's creation, and enjoy the body which he gave us." He tested me one last time by walking out of the shower into the hall naked to talk with me. I immediately turned away. He realized that I would not fall into his trap, so the rest of the weekend went un-eventful. We had a great time - we prayed together in the chapel before the Blessed Sacrament and went to dinner and a sci-fi movie. He continued to be a good friend for years to come.

This man was discovered years later and was removed from the priesthood. He was never prosecuted. I last heard that he is an airline pilot somewhere out west. I did not put two and two together until I received a letter from the Bishop, which contained the official statement of the Diocese if were approached by the media concerning this man and others. This was back in the early 90’s. Since then our Bishop has taken a zero tolerance policy on this issue. He acts swiftly when accusations are made. He removes the priest from that assignment until the investigation is completed, if found innocent he is re-assigned to a new parish. If he is found guilty he is removed from the priesthood and open to public prosecution.

I do not know what the answer is, but we must at least pray for guidance.

My story does not end there – it is not only priests (a very small percentage) that do such things, but lay family men and women do as well. We have a family friend that is living out 3 consecutive life prison sentences for child molestation. He has sought forgiveness and reconciliation. We visit him from time to time in prison. We are the only ones that do, and that is sad. He recognizes the error in what he did. He is at peace with his sentence and is serving it gracefully. He believes that it is better to pay this earthly price than to pay an eternal price.

niwide – as you see the problem is not just the priesthood. Satan is attacking the family as well. A news story broke recently about a ring of molesters that were molesting their own children and each other’s children. Satan will attack all that is good and holy. We must pray for the family, especially in the US.

I do not believe that the answer lies in ordaining women or in throwing out the priesthood. The answer lies in trust in God and his Will. I for my part will continue to pray for all those effected by this horrible sin.

 

[KC Catholic]

Poly ~

Thanks for sharing your story with us. I am sure it was very difficult for you to endure. I am so sorry you had to edure that episode with that priest and its a wonder you are still interested in the priesthood. I pray for your personal peace and all victims of abuse by anyone.

I also pray for those who do the abusing as well. Satan has entered their lives and damaged both the abuser and the abused - two souls harmed by sin. I pray that the lord protects us, shows us our sins and convicts our hearts to confess our sin and turn back to him.

Peace.

 

[isshinwhat]

Thank you for sharing your story, Poly. I pray that others endure such ordeals with the patience and mercy you have. I honestly believe that is the only way to help the situation. Hate won't do it, but a prayerful proactive approach will. Once again, thank you for sharing your story with us.

God Bless,

Neal

 

[seebs]

My understanding is that it's not that pedophilia is more common among priests, but more terrifying among those we trust the most. It may also be easier for them to find themselves in positions of trust... I seem to recall a similar problem with schoolteachers.

I worry that people who focus too much on the Catholic Church in this will be giving a free ticket to all the *rest* of the pedophiles and abusers out there.... The thing to do is learn to identify signs of sexual abuse, and not get caught up in preconceptions about where it will happen.

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

The most frustrating part of this is how callous some of the bishops are. It was Cardinal Egan who thought that he could avoid legal liability by classifying priests as independent constractors in contradiction to reality. Cardinal Law sounds more like a CEO regretting that his business plan failed than someone who regrets the harm that happened as a result of his actions. Priests might be punished for their actions, but the bishops seem to consider themselves above the law.

I wish to note that the vast majority of bishops are doing a great job caring for their dioceses. I just wish that the ones who are not would not be able to serve anymore.