Avoiding priests and religious

  • Thread starter Thread starter LittleFlower
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No problem.

People also need to realize that online behavior can give a bad impression of Catholics. It’s unwise to base your opinion of a group of people based on stuff you read on the internet since that’s where those on the fringes flock to, but, it still happens and we as a community need to be mindful of that.
 
AdamP88 said:
Yes…and we also need to realise that Fr. Joe Bloggs who is saying mass in your local parish is not a child sexual abuser and to treat him like a criminal is wrong.
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Sure. There is the flip side with that, and that is not all perpetrators have been identified and not everyone has come forward. Fr Joe Bloggs could be.

A priest here was recently removed because he had had sexual relations with a woman who was impaired and couldn’t consent—pretty sure it was over a decade. Click here. And it all just recently came out.
Ms Herrick’s story was first told publicly in early 2013 when Fairfax Media revealed how the church had first stood down, and then reinstated Knowles despite evidence he had sexually preyed upon Ms Herrick for 14 years.
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Which doesn’t help at all.
 
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Yeah but unless you have a solid reason to believe that such and such is guilty of criminal behaviour then it’s wrong to treat them like they are. Obviously it’s wise to be cautious. As a teacher I would never be alone with a child in a room. That protects me as much as them.
 
Father joe bloggs in my church, celebrating mass on the same altar, in the same church children were abused , has the unenviable job of damage control. And he is doing a fine job of it.

Pray for my clergy that they are filled with strength in this work. And they help all who need it. As you can quite clearly see , people need it.
 
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We here in the US have had a decade and a half since the publication of the John Jay Report. Safe environment rules apply not only to priests but to all staff and every volunteer, it is simply part of life. None of us are supposed to be alone with a parishioner, doors remain open in the office, other than the confessional (and people have the option to say confession in the office where there office is surrounded by glass if they so desire).

We still have altar boys and RE classes and the priests still visit classrooms and play games at VBS and visit people for dinner.

I was not aware that such a report was brand new to Australia. I know that here the proper term for most cases was ephebophilia, at least in the US using the term “pedophile scandal” is inaccurate.

Heck, I was working for one of the big corporate scandal companies when the US priest scandal broke, it was quite a double blow!

You will get your bearings again, I am praying for you. Know that you have brothers and sisters who have been down this road.
 
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