Catholic priest Pennsylvania scandal

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I am glad your parish and other parishes are handling these things well. However, there are over 17,000 parishes in the US, probably many thousands in Canada and over 220,000 in the world. I can assure you, things are not being handled as well everywhere. I first got involved in “Protecting God’s Children” in the diocese of Pittsburgh, the one that is now under fire. I was in a parish that Cardinal Wuerl was pastor of and they followed the PGC program to the letter. (I guess I may now have a hint as to why.) People there thought he was great. But look what was going on then.
 
  1. We finished building a new office. The office doors have large glass windows, and the conference room wall is all glass. Literal transparency.
  2. I work with children, especially at Christmas. I tell the parent that they are welcome to drop off the kids and leave to run errands or take a break, but the one rule is that at least one adult must stay in the sanctuary at all time. Our parish operates this way all the time.
  3. We have one person that tracks and assure our compliance with VIRTUS training. Those that do not comply do not serve in any capacity.
These are real fruits of the Dallas Charter as exercised in my little corner of the Church. Could someone still slide in and abuse children? Sure, it is possible. However, it is much more likely such an attempt would be stopped before it could happen, and absolutely certain that it would be reported to the police if it did.
 
As I said, you can never 100% eliminate these things. I might add that in PA many of the cases were before the new preventative measures were put in place. So it’s obvious it HAS slowed things down considerably and really that’s probably the best we’re going to get in this world. The ONLY way to do better is to have priests watched 24/7.
 
Having those safeguards in place lets potential abusers that people are paying attention and will not overlook inappropriate behavior. Most baddies will try to move along to a place with less oversight.

It might not absolutely stop every bad apple, but it will certainly help. As a kid and teen it was shocking to me how much crap supposedly good people made excuses for. They simply did NOT want to have to deal with the issue in any way
 
Children generally spend 6-7 hours a day, 200 days a year with teachers.

Priests, by contrast, are generally only around children 1-2 hours per week, for Mass and maybe altar service prep or choir, so 52 days.

Given that children are around teachers 23 times more than priests, this suggests priests are actually between 1.4 and 3.4 times more likely to abuse children per hour of contact, assuming your figures are accurate.
 
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alphawoman said:
Given that children are around teachers 23 times more than priests, this suggests priests are actually between 1.4 and 3.4 times more likely to abuse children per hour of contact, assuming your figures are accurate.
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The priests in this scandal were alone with their victims. In a classroom situation where there are 20 to 30 other student “witnesses” , public school teachers don’t have "access or privacy. Your statement is a false equivalency at best.
 
That’s what’s being done??? Or at least what the Church is asking for.
 
JimG said:
They were mostly homosexual predators of boys, i.e., pederasts.
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I don’t think anyone knows their sexual orientation, or maybe I’m confused as to who “they” are. Yes, some abusive priests were homosexual, but there are also many, many homosexuals who would never abuse a child, just as most priests would not. Child molesters run the gamut from single to married to homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual. Most of the priests I’ve known have been heterosexual and non-abusive and faithful to their ordination promises. The homosexual priests I’ve known have been wonderful people, too. Most bishops are really trying to prevent abuse.
 
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joeybaggz said:
The priests in this scandal were alone with their victims. In a classroom situation where there are 20 to 30 other student “witnesses” , public school teachers don’t have "access or privacy. Your statement is a false equivalency at best.
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Then priests should not have access to private situations with minors, not only to protect the children, but also to protect innocent priests from false accusation, which does happen.
 
Mary67 said:
As a Catholic, I feel like I can’t trust a word any clergy says. Yet, I trust that Jesus did establish the Catholic Church as his Church on earth and that that Devil knows this and has attacked it with everything he has. On a spiritual level not much has changed for me, but on a human emotional level, I feel like my Church has betrayed every Catholic especially the innumerable victims. I’m completely heartbroken over this.
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You’re right, @Mary67: one victim is one too many. I don’t feel it’s the devil, though, or it would be much worse. By far and away, most priests are very good people, who only want to serve God and help the people in their parish. Most priests are not abusive in any way. This involved so many priests because it happened over so many years. That’s not an excuse, though. The Church still must strive for zero victims. One lost or ruined life is not acceptable.
 
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joeybaggz said:
The priests in this scandal were alone with their victims. In a classroom situation where there are 20 to 30 other student “witnesses” , public school teachers don’t have "access or privacy. Your statement is a false equivalency at best.
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Detention and going to a teacher for help after-school are problems and there are also after school clubs. Priests aren’t alone with children most the time even in choir practice and there is usually more than alter server.
 
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Your faith should not be about men. Priests, laity or whatever. If it stands firmly on man alone, it doesn’t seem to be very rooted or grounded in my opinion. Im probably going to get slack for coming out and saying this, but as a victim of clergy abuse, I did NOT let this destroy my faith. This answer is not about trying to cause dissent among the faithful or hatred for priests, its to illustrate a point. Faith comes from God, and no one can say Jesus is Lord except through the Holy Spirit. Does that mean that there wont be pain because of this crisis? Jesus himself wept. Mary spent herself in sorrow at the foot of the cross. This should not diminish who Jesus is to you, or what his church is, the bride of christ.
 
It’s a little more nuanced than that and it is not quite as restrictive as it sounds, but an adult should not be alone with a kid behind a closed door unless it is absolutely necessary, like for Confession. If it is necessary there should be another adult nearby and alert.

That is what should be done according to the Church’s VIRTUS program. It is not being done consistently in practice right now.
 
In my jurisdiction, they cannot go to the intended victim, only the authorities. Also, the major clinical psychology associations are not very positive about that. Generally, they encourage their members to err on the side of client confidentiality and only report if they absolutely sure the patient is a danger. And how can a therapist absolutely predict future behavior?

There was a recent mass shooting where the shooter told his therapist exactly what he was going to do. But the therapist said she didn’t think he was serious. The college shooter in California some time back posted his exact intentions on social media. The cops questioned him about it, but did nothing.
 
Hope1960 said:
I do not think so, no. I know of no priest who would break the seal of the confessional. He could refuse absolution to an offending priest, or exhort him to confess to his bishop, or resign, but he, himself, could not break the seal of the confessional. Once the seal is broken, people would no longer trust their confessor.

This is my understanding, and if I;m wrong, I’m sure someone will be along to correct me.
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It is my understanding that breaking the seal of the confessional means automatic excommunication for the Priest, so I wouldn’t expect them to do it. It is also my understand that a bishop cannot hear the confession of a priest under his authority. They have to go to other priests who have no authority over them.

Since 2002, the policies put in place mean that priests accused, must be reported to civil authorities, investigated, suspended from parish ministry while being investigated. I agree with the idea that there will probably always be some abuse, but the coverups will less due to the new policies. Unfortunately, the media is not talking about the current church, they are talking about how things were a few years ago.

That we need to keep talking about it is obvious, but we need to talk about all of it, not just the past.
 
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Todays reading, regarding the abuses from these perverse so-called shepherds of the Church who prey on children…

1 Ez 34:1-11

The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.

Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.

For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
Christ have mercy on us.
 
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Okay but the Church HAS this policy in place. After that it’s up to individual priests, bishops and heck even laity to make sure it’s followed. The Church has done what it can. The rest is up to us.
 
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