How has the Pennsylvania scandal affected you personally?

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What kind of Shepard’s prioritize the wolves over the sheep?

Did anyone read the report? I have not yet reached page 300,but it is clear that there were more than a few that went beyond child sexual abuse into the realm of satanic ritual abuse. A child being forced to strip naked and pose on a cross while a group of priests takes picturesfor their pleasure? Being told that Mary bit off the cord and licked the baby Jesus to justify forcing a child to perform oral sex? This is the work of Satan. And he was given a place of refuge and harbor in our beautiful Holy Church!
 
Yup. Very clearly the work of Satan, and yet the Church gets blamed.

It’s a very sad situation.
 
I feel the need after these revelations to clean my own life of all hypocrisy and stick ever more closely to the sacraments, prayer, and especially adoration in reparation for all sins. I honestly think this is much more a prayer and fasting thing than a letter writing campaign of some sort–real spiritual warfare. Things feel almost surreal.

I know many, many good priests. My heart grieves as well for the good people, including victims, seminarians, people hurt over the years trying to expose these issues and met with disbelief.
 
PreviouslyAna said:
"We can’t let a few bad priests spoil the bunch”
… We found out it is MUCH more than just a few bad priests now, haven’t we?
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Actually, it is still a small percentage of the total number of priests.
The vast majority of priests have never been accused, nor have they been in a position of authority where they would be covering up.
 
PreviouslyAna said:
Did anyone read the report?
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Why would you think we didn’t read it?

By the way, I’m not sure you want to bring up “Satanic ritual abuse” because it was shown in the “Satanic panic” In USA a couple decades ago that many of the allegations against day care providers, parents and others who were accused of this turned out to be unfounded or unreliable allegations.
 
What this report has proven, is that a small percentage can do a great deal of damage. The potential for victimization was multiplied exponentially when these priests were not only protected by the hierarchy, but moved to different locations to widen their hunting territory, as well as being financially supported for life (by us, I might add.)

I don’t think anyone is arguing that all or even most priests are this way. But it is undeniable that for many many years our beautiful Church has been a REFUGE and a HAVEN for pedophiles and pederasts.
 
Bc unless I ask I have no idea who has read it. There are no assumptions made on my part either way.

And I’ll bring up what I want, thank you.
There were cases of abuse that were clearly Satanic in the report released by the Grand Jury, which is what we are discussing in this thread.
 
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Who are we supposed to blame? Some allowed Satan to seduce them and others just looked away. The blame belongs with them and they alone. And since they are a very visible part of the Church, she shares in the shame.
 
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They may not be in “authority” to cover it up, but many just looked the other way.
And that is just as reprehensible.
 
How do we know if they “looked the other way” or if they didn’t know what was happening or if they tried to report and got shut down by the bishop?

Answer is, we don’t know. So we can choose to give them the benefit of the doubt, or cast blame on them even though some or many or most of them might not deserve it.
 
Your creating a straw man argument. No one is arguing that there aren’t good and faithful priests, nor is anyone vilifying them. Why not exert some of your energy for compassion towards the victims and a determination to hold those who have been involved accountable?

We love our good priests and could probably make a thread of infinite pages of examples of good priests. THIS thread oth is about reprobate priests and the ones in power who enabled them to continue their predation on children and betrayed the trust of their parishioners and God.
 
I am praying for all of our good and holy priests who will suffer because of this scandal. Facebook posts are calling for complete investigation of all dioceses blaming the “whole church” for cover-up. They do not not what they are saying. Lord have mercy!
 
The victims deserve compassion, but from what I can see they’re not exactly running short on that. I know it’s a major interest of yours.

My main interest in this whole business is the justice process angle, not so much the emotional reaction to victims (or to priests either).

There are aspects of this other than sympathy for victims.
 
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In my diocese, many people knew what was going on, some even admitted it.
Problem was, they knew but did not want to “scandalize”.
That is much more reprehensible for the shepherd to protect the fox.
 
Yes, compassion and love for the victims accompanied by righteous anger towards the perpetrators is most definitely a concern of mine. One I bring up in private prayer frequently.

I would love to hear them generally acknowledged during Mass and prayed for out loud. The same way we pray for those who are sick or dead or the soldiers overseas.

I would love to see parishioners wearing a colored ribbon or a flower to demonstrate our solidarity and compassion towards the victims.

Silence and cover is what has allowed this to continue for so long.

We cannot let our shame and embarrassment prevent us from doing what needs to be done to encourage healing for everyone that has been touched by this scandal, especially the victims and their families.
 
somecanadian said:
Not all priests are corrupt.

Yes, some of them are hypocrites. How does this change any truth the Church teaches? The Church is NOT the priests and Bishops who lead.
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But how do we know what is truth? We are required, as Catholics, to rely on the bishops for truth. Over and over again the bishops proved that they are incapable of leading through truth. When we question, we’re admonished with “Trust us.” We’re taught that the Holy Spirit guides the Magesterium, that the Holy Spirit won’t let them get it wrong. How do we know when it’s the Holy Spirit talking and when it’s human beings talking?

I would like to believe that the Church is not the priests and bishops alone but is all of us. Yet the rules, the regulations, the stipulations, the specifications, are not set by us but by them. For example, why is it a mortal sin to eat meat on Friday in the UK but it isn’t a mortal sin in the US? Why can a bishop declare dispensation for eating meat on Friday during Lent if it falls on St. Patrick’s Day?

Does this come back to using our own consciences to decide whether to trust the bishop on any particular matter?
 
I’m not ashamed or embarrassed. I’m just more focused on other aspects of this issue than the victims. Like I said, they have a huge outpouring of support these days, and I am sympathetic to them as well, but I’m more interested in other aspects, such as how this will affect the justice system and legislation.
 
That’s great! I will not hinder you from where you feel you are called.

Please give me the same respect.

God bless
 
Just curious, but where is this “huge outpouring of support” coming from within the Church, where it is needed the most?
 
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