9 priests in my diocese have sexually abused a minor/minors since 1968

  • Thread starter Thread starter SacredHeartBassist
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Update: Went to confession. Told the priest everything I was feeling. He apologized to me on behalf of the church, told me he’s glad I’m a part of the church and came to him instead of just leaving, and even told me that he was going to do my penance for me and pray for me.

I can’t leave this church. But I am upset at what happened
 
Tis_Bearself said:
I don’t want to sound jaded, but there were already dozens of abuser priests (some of whom were convicted or laicized) up on bishop-accountability.org for years before this report came out, from every diocese in the USA pretty much.

I’m sorry you feel bad for just finding out about this now, but this stuff has been known for years. I used to read stories about certain abusers from certain localities in the local newspapers, back when I still read newspapers. If we had been one parish over from where we were or I had been more organized, we might have had Fr. Maskell from “The Keepers” doing our wedding. (One of my work mates was actually married by him.) A priest from a church I go to regularly was just prosecuted and thrown in prison a couple years ago.

Yet you were being a faithful Catholic all the time these priests were sinning.
What has changed now except you got around to reading about it? Nothing.
What has changed between you yourself and Jesus Christ? Nothing.
Click to expand...
You’re right.

Every single one of us is affected, or has been affected in some way.

I was just thinking about this the other day, when the dear people of Pennsylvania were affected by all of this latest news.

Over the years, I had found out that priests that I were acquainted with were pedophiles, too.

I still focus on Our Lord and His presence in the Eucharist and on our Catholic faith, and in the good that is still there.
 
Last edited:
I think we have every right to be upset, disgusted, even angry or outraged. I know I am. But even with all that, this is the one true church that was founded by Jesus. The conflict between this and the bad things done by it’s people (clergy and lay) add to these conflicting feelings, but where else am I to go.
 
Mtatum1958 said:
I think we have every right to be upset, disgusted, even angry or outraged. I know I am. But even with all that, this is the one true church that was founded by Jesus. The conflict between this and the bad things done by it’s people (clergy and lay) add to these conflicting feelings, but where else am I to go.
Click to expand...
I have conflicted feelings, too.

I am terribly sorry for those who have been personally affected and victimized and traumatized. My heart breaks for them.

I am terribly saddened by all of this.

We have the fullness of Jesus in the Eucharist, in the Church.

May God heal all of us.
 
That was a good thing for you do, and a good, kind response by your priest.
I get the feeling your priest may have heard the same thing from multiple people today.
I will personally pray for him.
 
SacredHeartBassist said:
Update: Went to confession. Told the priest everything I was feeling. He apologized to me on behalf of the church, told me he’s glad I’m a part of the church and came to him instead of just leaving, and even told me that he was going to do my penance for me and pray for me
I can’t leave this church. But I am upset at what happened
Click to expand...
Oh wow. That is great. I am so glad to hear that.

I believe we can all find healing in the Church.
 
Last edited:
Tis_Bearself said:
But you can’t reasonably expect the Church to voluntarily incriminate itself.
Click to expand...
No, I DO expect the Church leaders to immediately inform the authorities when they receive a report. The Church is in NO position to determine whether a person is guilty of criminal acts, and can be legally liable if it doesn’t promptly report allegations. It is NOT within the purview of the Church to do its own investigations and then decide whether to contact law enforcement.

An accused priest is not a “client” of the Church, any more than a bank teller who embezzles from the bank is a “client” of the bank. Would the bank not call the police? The bank would not say, “Joe embezzled money from customer accounts. Let’s not tell the police because Joe is our client. Let’s move him to another branch and hope the embezzlement stops.”

The idea that a person/institution “incriminates” itself if it reports a crime committed by someone else is exactly why Catholic Church leaders have lost all credibility and trust.
 
Last edited:
SacredHeartBassist said:
What changed is I lost my innocence. I looked up to priests as a bastion of hope. And something in me died the other day. And @Tis_Bearself, I knew of sexual abuse in the past, but what was coming out of the pulpit was that the church is now currently doing all she can to ensure it won’t happen again. I’m sorry, but she hasn’t. It’s still been covered up and people are still being duped into putting their money in the collection basket so that the diocese can pay off millions in settlements. Priests take vacations to Rome and elsewhere meanwhile the old widow who gives her pennies never traveled her whole life. I’m just sick to my stomach.
Click to expand...
SHB: you say you looked up to priests as bastions of hope. My suggestion now is to "look up to A PRIEST as a bastion of hope.
There are many, many more solid and faithful priests that are holy, dedicated, and hard working for you and all Catholics. Unfortunately, we now know of many who trampled on your trust and mine. My avenue now is to take every priest, one at a time. The enemy of the church loves us to group them all into one category. Just listen to the bad jokes about “Catholic priests” as if all are in the same boat.
The church is here to stay, Christ and the Holy Spirit will see to that. Meanwhile we have to take to heart Christ’s word’s, (this is funny, I can’t remember it - senior moment - somebody help me!!) It is something like, “be a clever as a fox and as harmless as doves.” Pardon me if I feel a little stupid here…🤣😜:roll_eyes:
 
Last edited:
Try to stay focused Jesus who is still present in the Eucharist and His church is still holy, don’t let the sins of those that where supposed to be apostles of Christ turn you away from His church.
 
Um…based on your post, I don’t think you were really following the legal discussion I was having with the other lawyer, so best to just let this one go. You have quite a few things wrong, both in your expectations and in just your basic interpretation of what was being discussed, but since like I said it was a lawyer discussion, it’s not the type of thing non-lawyers can always understand or follow, sorry.
 
Last edited:
Pardon me for infringing on the sacred space held by lawyers. Certainly no layperson is worthy of discussing legal matters with lawyers, and I should’ve known better. But before I scuttle back to where I belong, let me add that in my professional life I have several attorneys serving on my staff and we discus statutory interpretation on a regular basis. So… try me. What’d I get wrong?
 
Last edited:
Just to hit the highlights:
The discussion was not about what the Church should do when it has suspicions about its employee (priest). We agreed the Church mishandled the situations, although in the era before mandated reporting and when society in general did not take child sex abuse allegations as seriously as we do today, an argument can be made that the Church didn’t fully realize the gravity of the situation - however, that is not the issue that we were discussing.

The discussion was about whether, once an accusation had been made and some type of legal action was presumably about to happen, or already happening, the Church should have been “absolutely transparent” about all of its memos, knowledge up to that point, etc. or just expect either the prosecutor or the P in civil suit to go after the records. The normal action would be for an entity (Church, corporation etc. ) to make the other side go after the records in some way.

Also, I don’t know where you’re getting the whole “priest is not a client of the Church” business. That doesn’t make sense and no one said he was. The discussion concerned the Church being a client of a lawyer.

That’s the general gist of it - we’re basically discussing apples and you’re talking about oranges.

I’m going to mute this thread now since my main point in posting was to try to prevent someone from leaving the faith, not to start a protracted legal discussion with everybody. Adios.
 
The Church is Holy, the problem is that there were, are and always will be scoundrels and traitors in both the clergy and the laity. The current crisis however is not a pedophile crisis, but rather a homosexual crisis as the vast majority of abuse cases involves teenage boys, young men and even seminarians being targeted by wolves that have made their way into positions of authority; The homosexual ring hiding inside the clergy needs to be exposed and ousted, these are the ones usually speaking about tolerance and celebrating rainbow masses and changing Church teaching on homosexuality…
 
we cannot lose good musicians. Sing to God, play to the worship of God
 
The church here in Australia, is not defending anyone guilty. Its a place all Diocese need to reach. To say yes this happened,

we apologise profusely to those hurt and injured. We are doing everything in our power to pick our church and its body back up and get on with things.
And to provide pastoral care to everyone.

We have a Plenary Council in 2020. The issue of keeping children safe and restoring the church as a place of trust and faith to its people, is big on the agenda.

We all have a voice, we can all comment on the council and what we want it to do.
Today in the Homily, our Priest told us to write 200 words if we felt inspired by the Holy Spirit, to our Diocese. For the Plenary Council.

I bet Pope Francis will call a Plenary Council in USA and in Chile.
 
Last edited:
God is not responsible for our evil. We choose to do evil, we choose to reject God and go towards evil and temptation’

I asked you once if you were Catholic, as we were having a discussion about good and evil and sin.
So I ask again, Are you Catholic
 
Last edited:
SacredHeartBassist said:
Honestly defending the church right now feels like that one scene in titanic where jack and rose break a door while the titanic is sinking and that employee says “that’s white star line property!”
Click to expand...
we are defending the church, not the evil in the church. we are not defending evil men and women religious and laity that attempted to bring down the church and in the process, ruined lives with their evil.
 
you got it sister! This is war, this is the devil trying to destroy our souls through destroying the church.
 
SacredHeartBassist said:
Even one priest is too many. I feel sick to my stomach. I’m scared because the last few days I’ve wanted to leave the church but I don’t think I will. I don’t want to leave Jesus or the saints or the eucharist. I just find it hard to trust priests now

Credibly Accused Individuals – Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Click to expand...
Remember, that’s that the devil wants. The VAST MAJORIRY of priests are good men, who are truely sickened about what has happened due to perverts who were allowed into the seminary and eventually the priesthood.
 
It is not happening today, it seems. Has anyone missed the obvious? The thread links the diocesan list of its own priests who have been credibly accused. That is not hiding or covering up, but the opposite.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top