Sweeping report on Catholic Church sex abuse in PA

[chevyontheriver]

No. I don't remember since it was quite some time ago.

But you remember clearly every other part of what this person said?

 

[hedrick]

In my little town the Presbyterians were quite good at pretending that one of their ministers just vanished. And the Lutherans, well the police were nice to them and the suicide didn't seem to warrant too much investigation.

I wonder whether we're all sharing the same expectations?

I would not expect the Catholic Church or any other organization, including a secular company, to announce disciplinary actions taken against an employee. The question is whether they reported actions that would be illegal to the police, and whether they took the necessary action to avoid reoccurrence.

To my knowledge prosecutors don't typically prosecute dead people.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I wonder whether we're all sharing the same expectations?

I don't know.

I would not expect the Catholic Church or any other organization, including a secular company, to announce disciplinary actions taken against an employee. The question is whether they reported actions that would be illegal to the police, and whether they took the necessary action to avoid reoccurrence.

So that's three things. The expectation now is that all internal disciplinary matters must be made public, that all accusations be forwarded to law enforcement, and that any credible accusation result in removal even if no criminal prosecution ended up with a guitly verdict and prison time. Of course the natural inclination to hide bad news prevailed before and will continue to be the inclination. Combined with the mutual protection the Lavender Mafia engaged in, it's not a big surprise that things didn't come out earlier. A timid bishop and a muscular protective racket together make for pretty good hiding. And the police often helped in the cover-ups, wanting to be 'helpful' as if the stuff wouldn't eventually hit the fan.

At this point this is way bigger than the abuse of minors. It is also the abuse of young adult seminarians. About a protection racket among priests and bishops and cardinals. About the intimidation of others to silence them. About varying degrees of apostasy as well, from teaching things contrary to the faith to encouraging others to apostasy. One thing about ex-cardinal McCarrick was that he was active in 1968 in separating Catholic colleges from the oversight of their bishops, which is how we got so many colleges and universities that are Catholic in name only, hotbeds of everything but Christianity. The Lavender Mafia have been going about the destruction of the Catholic faith. And they recruited teenage boys to sate their appetites along the way, as would be expected of the debauched people they are.

To my knowledge prosecutors don't typically prosecute dead people.

There are a lot of dead perpetrators in the Pennsylvania report, and dead cover up artists as well. I expect nobody will physically unearth them and place them in the dock, but they are in the government report. For the sake of completeness I am happy that they were included, but the report covers 70 years and a lot of dead people whose fate is already determined by God.

 

[Halbhh]

The stats in the USA show it to be mostly a homosexual problem. Most of the victims here have been teenage boys. And now it has finally become crystal clear that it's not just some priests, but also some bishops and at least one cardinal. There is a Lavender Mafia of mutual protection, and grooming teenage boys and young men for sex. Cardinal McCarrick's modus operandi has been exposed, at least in part. And the Catholic Church will either collapse or come clean this time.

It's so crucial not to put our faith in men.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/18/...=RelatedCoverage&pgtype=Article&region=Footer

 

[JCFantasy23]

I'm sure we all agree that all Christians here are sad and angry to hear this news. It is not a good turn of events for Christians, and I can only hope it gets better from here with these cover-ups and sexual abuses.

 

[Smokey3]

Sexual abuse happens everywhere, but it can be more difficult to find in Protestant churches because we are less hierarchical. Some Protestant churches have taken steps to guard against abuse, but others have done nothing. It is often up to the members to bring the subject up to the pastor.

One resource, started by one of Billy Graham's grandsons, is GRACE http://www.netgrace.org/mission/

Lots to read there. If your church has done nothing about the issue, it's time to start.

 

[Grumpmeister Supreme!]

But you remember clearly every other part of what this person said?

Indeed! I was interested in what he was saying whereas Catholic officials are a dime a dozen.

 

[charity1]

"More than 300 Catholic priests in six Pennsylvania dioceses are accused of either sexually abusing children or helping others cover up abuse."

The covering up has got to stop, for the sake of faithful Catholics, for the sake of their families, and most importantly for the sake of the children.

I am sorry to a bearer of grievous news, but I do not see this as an issue that's not going away until something changes, and I think awareness and knowledge are powerful.

but most children who are sexually abused are abused by family members/friends

and I heard somewhere that the problem is actually bigger in non-Catholic churches

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

but most children who are sexually abused are abused by family members/friends

and I heard somewhere that the problem is actually bigger in non-Catholic churches

It is easy to make claims, but not as easy to substantiate them with reliable sources. All I know is, one child sexually abused is one too many, we can argue over statistics and which (Church) group or groups has the highest percentage (probably within cults) of known cases of abuse, but at the end of the day, the statistics do not excuse or lessen the severity of even one instance for victims and their families. There is no but, all sexual child abuse is worthy of condemnation, period.

 

[pawnraider]

Be that as it may, seeing as how these revelations began with Boston a number of years ago and more recently with Pennsylvania I believe it is safe to assume that there are other places here in the U.S. where such cover-ups are yet to come to light.

As if on cue.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

but most children who are sexually abused are abused by family members/friends

and I heard somewhere that the problem is actually bigger in non-Catholic churches

That's not true. It happens because there is demonic activity everywhere, but the RCC has hidden it for decades and moved offending priests around to new crops of victims, something that does not happen in other churches that do not possess hierarchy and power like this to do so.

 

[hedrick]

Sexual abuse happens everywhere, but it can be more difficult to find in Protestant churches because we are less hierarchical. Some Protestant churches have taken steps to guard against abuse, but others have done nothing. It is often up to the members to bring the subject up to the pastor.

This is right. But it's not just hierarchy. The Catholic Church, as far as I know, has no formal involvement of lay people at higher levels. I think if Catholic lay people were part of personnel management (as they are in my denomination), things would be different. Of course failures can occur even with lay involvement, but I think it would be less common.

 

[danbuter]

The reason this is such a huge issue for the Catholic Church is that the higher-ups knew what was going on, and instead of turning in the predators, they just moved them somewhere else so that even more children were endangered. They straight up protected men they knew were guilty of terrible crimes.

If the Church had turned the priests over to the police, this whole situation would not be happening.