Clergy abuse needs conversion, not radical change of church, pope says

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Clergy abuse needs conversion, not radical change of church, pope says

Pope Benedict XVI waves during his general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Sept. 8. (CNS/Paul Haring)

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The problem of abuse by clergy is solved more by a spirit of penitence and conversion by its members than by a radical change of church structures, Pope Benedict XVI said.

He made his comments Sept. 8 during his weekly general audience at the Vatican’s Paul VI hall.

The pope briefly left the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo to give his audience talk to about 7,000 pilgrims from all over the world.

He continued his talk from last week on the life of St. Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th-century German mystic. He called her a “great nun” who used her gifts to “work for the renewal of the church,” which was experiencing troubles similar to those of today.

catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1003611.htm
 
ALL Catholics should do penance ,fasting and prayer and personal sacrifice to rejuvenate the Church.Until we change who we are both clergy and laiety we cannot change the world nor purify Christ’s Church.This is the most brilliant Pope we’ve had in centuries and we should listen to Papa.
 
Soutane said:
Clergy abuse needs conversion, not radical change of church, pope says

Vatican’s Paul VI hall.
Pope Benedict XVI waves during his general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Sept. 8. (CNS/Paul Haring)

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The problem of abuse by clergy is solved more by a spirit of penitence and conversion by its members than by a radical change of church structures, Pope Benedict XVI said. catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1003611.htm
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Apparently Pope Benedict XVI doesn’t consider establishing world-wide strong, fool-proof safeguards for children or changing the disgusting, reproachful and sinful actions of supervising Bishops and Archbishops as a “radical change of Church structures.”

As has been said so many times before, it is not only the actions of sinful priests that have comprised the scandal but the misguided, weak handling of these sick men that has so exacerbated the scandal and compromised the Church.

I find this really questionable and just “more of the same…”

How disappointing.
 
I don’t understand this. Hasn’t the Church always taught that both lay and clergy should lead virtuous lives? Was child sexual abuse being discussed? Would adopting strict rules governing contact between clergy and children be “radical change?” What "radical changes are meant? I read the attached, and don’t see these matters discussed. It all seems like a general request for Catholics to lead virtuous and upright lives.
 
challam2010 said:
Apparently Pope Benedict XVI doesn’t consider establishing world-wide strong, fool-proof safeguards for children or changing the disgusting, reproachful and sinful actions of supervising Bishops and Archbishops as a “radical change of Church structures.”

As has been said so many times before, it is not only the actions of sinful priests that have comprised the scandal but the misguided, weak handling of these sick men that has so exacerbated the scandal and compromised the Church.

I find this really questionable and just “more of the same…”

How disappointing.
Click to expand...
Gee we’ve implemented such changes in our parish.ANYONE who performs a function from cleaning,to choir members to Eucharistic extra-ordinary ministers to lectors must have a police report done and a committee reviews suitability.“Changing the disgusting, reproachful and sinful actions of supervising Bishops and Archbishops…” is just a tad sweeping and condemnatory.He HAS gotten rid of cover-up Charlies,he has laicised priests,he IS doing something.How do you change someones actions?If they’re brought to light there are procedures in place to deal with them.Where have you been for the past five years?

How hopeful.
 
Soutane said:
Clergy abuse needs conversion, not radical change of church, pope says

Pope Benedict XVI waves during his general audience in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Sept. 8. (CNS/Paul Haring)

By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The problem of abuse by clergy is solved more by a spirit of penitence and conversion by its members than by a radical change of church structures, Pope Benedict XVI said.

He made his comments Sept. 8 during his weekly general audience at the Vatican’s Paul VI hall.

The pope briefly left the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo to give his audience talk to about 7,000 pilgrims from all over the world.

He continued his talk from last week on the life of St. Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th-century German mystic. He called her a “great nun” who used her gifts to “work for the renewal of the church,” which was experiencing troubles similar to those of today.

catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1003611.htm
Click to expand...
the holy fathere is wise. while the liberals are taking advantage of the situation in teh Church to forward their agenda, the holy father knows exactly where the problem is. lack of repentence, conversion to the Faith, lack of believe in God, and penance for their sins.

that is all we got to do, return to the Faith and believe that God really exists.
 
Soutane said:
Gee we’ve implemented such changes in our parish.ANYONE who performs a function from cleaning,to choir members to Eucharistic extra-ordinary ministers to lectors must have a police report done and a committee reviews suitability.“Changing the disgusting, reproachful and sinful actions of supervising Bishops and Archbishops…” is just a tad sweeping and condemnatory.He HAS gotten rid of cover-up Charlies,he has laicised priests,he IS doing something.How do you change someones actions?If they’re brought to light there are procedures in place to deal with them.Where have you been for the past five years?

How hopeful.
Click to expand...
This has happened with great diligence and excellence in the United States and I applaud every effort and have written that in several other related posts. The same thing has NOT happened in Europe, Asia, Africa and South and Central America – they are in the baby-step stages because abuses are still being discovered and dealt with. We haven’t even heard of abuses in many of those areas.

There are cultural reasons why our same standards won’t be applied in Europe – but for the leader of the world’s Catholics to say that structures don’t need to be changed is ostrich-like at best, in my opinion.

The United States does not represent the world – but the Pope does represent all Catholic structures and many of those need radical reform.
 
challam2010 said:
Apparently Pope Benedict XVI doesn’t consider establishing world-wide strong, fool-proof safeguards for children or changing the disgusting, reproachful and sinful actions of supervising Bishops and Archbishops as a “radical change of Church structures.”

As has been said so many times before, it is not only the actions of sinful priests that have comprised the scandal but the misguided, weak handling of these sick men that has so exacerbated the scandal and compromised the Church.

I find this really questionable and just “more of the same…”

How disappointing.
Click to expand...
Actually, I’m sure that the Pope does, i.e., do you have reason to believe that what he said in the article means he’s not taking the sexual abuse scandal seriously? For example, when the news of sexual scandals in Boston broke out the bishops went to Rome in order to seek the advice of then Cardinan Ratzinger, who encouraged and/or supported implementing safeguards. These safeguards have benefited the Church in the U.S., i.e., as of 2009 there were 6 alleged cases of sexual abuse (there are 45 000 or so priests in the U.S.). Moreover, if we focus on the conversion of the whole Church then Catholics including ecclesiastics would be following the commandments of love thy God with all thy heart, and love thy neigbour. So do you think that if we all truly lived our Catholic faith we’d still have issues of sexual abuse (or coverups) within our Church?

Note: As of this year all volunteering members of my parish will be subject to (police) background check ups.
 
OriginalJS said:
I don’t understand this. Hasn’t the Church always taught that both lay and clergy should lead virtuous lives? Was child sexual abuse being discussed? Would adopting strict rules governing contact between clergy and children be “radical change?” What "radical changes are meant? I read the attached, and don’t see these matters discussed. It all seems like a general request for Catholics to lead virtuous and upright lives.
Click to expand...
Well, there have been changes enacted, at least in the American church. You can read about them online.

I agree with the pope, but I doubt others will see it that way.
 
challam2010 said:
This has happened with great diligence and excellence in the United States and I applaud every effort and have written that in several other related posts. The same thing has NOT happened in Europe, Asia, Africa and South and Central America – they are in the baby-step stages because abuses are still being discovered and dealt with. We haven’t even heard of abuses in many of those areas.

There are cultural reasons why our same standards won’t be applied in Europe – but for the leader of the world’s Catholics to say that structures don’t need to be changed is ostrich-like at best, in my opinion.

The United States does not represent the world – but the Pope does represent all Catholic structures and many of those need radical reform.
Click to expand...
I believe you’re taking the pope out of context:

The problem of abuse by clergy is solved more by a spirit of penitence and conversion by its members than by a radical change of church structures, Pope Benedict XVI said.

What do you infer by “radical change in church structures”? As for myself, I think the pope is alluding to the many Catholics who desire female priests, and/or married priests, and/or a democratic view of the Church wherein popularity not truth wins the day.
 
josie_L said:
I believe you’re taking the pope out of context:

The problem of abuse by clergy is solved more by a spirit of penitence and conversion by its members than by a radical change of church structures, Pope Benedict XVI said.

What do you infer by “radical change in church structures”? As for myself, I think the pope is alluding to the many Catholics who desire female priests, and/or married priests, and/or a democratic view of the Church wherein popularity not truth wins the day.
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You may be right. The thing is, the statement isn’t specific. Maybe he intended for each hearer to draw his own conclusions.
 
You may be correct that he’s referring to a change in the ordination status, etc., – however, I’m not sure how that relates to the beginning of the sentence that specifies abuse cases.

Sorry – but I think it’s another high-level (highest level) attempt to smooth things over without making the substantial changes in the management of clergy and abuse cases in other parts of the world, such as has been done with excellence in the American church.

The cases that have recently been brought to light were in Belgium, Germany and Ireland – which dioceses do not have the same protection mandates that the American church has instituted over the past years. These (European) cases are the ones that are in the forefront of the discussions now, and I’m reasonably sure those are to which the Pope is referring.

It’s very easy to say the words “penitance and conversion” and much more difficult to enact protection methods and address the abusing perpetrators. Color me cynical, but I think this particular statement is way too broad and meaningless when there are real victims and real criminals involved.
 
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