How has the Pennsylvania scandal affected you personally?

  • Thread starter Thread starter SacredHeartBassist
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I posted in the thread about Pope Francis’ letter… and will repost part of it here.

How has it affected me? Well, I’m so sick of churchmen talking and talking, but doing nothing.

I don’t even know what to do anymore. I entered the Church in 2002, during that long Lent where the bad news kept coming first from Boston but then from other dioceses. But now, I honestly don’t know how much longer I can hang on to my faith. I’m trying, I really am, but various bishops and now the pope don’t make it easy by any means.

Pope Francis’ record on responding to abuse over the last 5 years is stunningly, terribly, bad. And the American bishops for the most part aren’t good either. (Notice that the only bishop, past or present, of those 6 dioceses in the PA grand jury report that seemed to come out looking halfway decent was the current bishop of Erie, Bp. Persico. The others? Not good.)

I don’t know what to do or where to turn. I’m still going to Mass, but my oldest child has stopped going for the most part. I can’t fathom leaving the Eucharist, but I find myself increasingly drawn back to my Protestant roots as the crisis in the Church drags on. St. Michael the archangel, defend us.
 
Last edited:
Keep in mind, those types of things happen in Protestant churches too. There is a Protestant website, I can’t remember if it’s reformation.com or reformation.org that actually flat out says that people shouldn’t pretend like it’s a Catholic problem. One of the churches mentioned, in the list they gave, is a Baptist Church, a very large one near where I live. It’s a human problem. what frustrates me, is when people act like it only happens with Catholic priests, they need to be looking into public schools
 
adamhovey1988 said:
Keep in mind, those types of things happen in Protestant churches too. There is a Protestant website, I can’t remember if it’s reformation.com or reformation.org that actually flat out says that people shouldn’t pretend like it’s a Catholic problem. One of the churches mentioned, in the list they gave, is a Baptist Church, a very large one near where I live. It’s a human problem. what frustrates me, is when people act like it only happens with Catholic priests, they need to be looking into public schools
Click to expand...
Yes, they do and I do know that, which is a large part of what keeps me in the Catholic Church honestly, knowing it might not be better elsewhere. But the bishops’ corruption in all this is stunning and heartbreaking. In most Protestant denominations (other than a few that have kept the hierarchical structure), the rot wouldn’t go all the way to the top worldwide because of their decentralized structure. Problems in congregations, sure, but it wouldn’t be a concentrated effort to conceal and minimize worldwide. The pope’s letter honestly made me very angry – all talk, no action.
 
I don’t live in PA, but just this weekend I learned a priest from the parish I grew up in had credible allegations against him, and my diocese paid a very large settlement to his victims.

He was the priest who heard my first confession. I feel a little shaken up.

😦
 

Here is an interesting article by then Father Joseph Ratzinger back in 1969…while it doesn’t specifically address sexual abuse cases it does give a prophetic insight on what might become of the church…I wonder if he…as Pope Benedict XVI had some knowledge of what was going to happen with the sexual abuse by some priests and had resigned because of his age…that he wouldn’t have the strength to stand against the onslaught and shame that it was going to cause the Catholic church
 
Last edited:
Exactly. We don’t need their names to pray for them. God knows who they are.
 
When you are mired in sin it’s impossible to be holy. It’s impossible to live a virtuous life. Grave sin engaged in frequently compromises any effort to preach the gospel or evangelize. Satan watches and waits. He keeps record of our sins. He accuses us before God. He accuses the sinner. In the case of an abusive priest, one not living his vows he traps you in a web of darkness that only prayer, fasting, and outside intervention can save.
 
It has affected me personally, but in a way I’m not willing to share. (I was not a victim!)

I do think of the victims and pray for them.
 
While terrible and completely unjustified that innocent priests would be physically attacked for the sins of the evil among them, I can’t say I’m surprised. The RCC’s half backward and often, enabling, response to the level of abuse inside its walls has been staggering. Even today there is more talk and not enough action. And I’m not talking another commission or some such. The Vatican and the dioceses need to clean house from top to bottom. Too much of the current leadership has been pegged as at least turning a blind eye which can’t be tolerated. If the RCC is ever going to reclaim the moral leadership it claims to possess, they need to get drastic. Even if it means the innocent are stripped of leadership. Only with fresh leadership who take decisive and complete action on their underlings consistently (ie: full cooperation with civil authorities for example), can the RCC help itself. The time for “thoughts and prayers” passed a long time ago on this matter.
 
I’m more cognizant of the need to support my priests with my prayers, encouragement, and contributions.
May God grant them strength as they labor in His vineyard.
Amen.
 
Last edited:
I cancelled my vacation to Pennsylvania. I was looking toward to going there in January to experience the forlorn, frozen wasteland of post-industrial urban living. But that’s off now.😎
 
TheOldColonel said:
I cancelled my vacation to Pennsylvania. I was looking toward to going there in January to experience the forlorn, frozen wasteland of post-industrial urban living. But that’s off now.😎
Click to expand...
Has sort of a (fictional) Paddy’s vibe.
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
phil19034 said:
To me, perhaps the most DAMAGING thing to society out of all this is the eroding concept in America of innocent until proven guilty. 😦
Click to expand...
There is a problem with this, I will admit that. There will be people who will use this to their advantage, and there are people who wouldn’t think twice about lying to either get back at someone they are angry with or to get money. However, it is true that hundreds or even thousands of kids lives have been ruined by this, and we can’t discount people who come forward. The cases we have heard about had some proof to back it up. Getting kids to tell is the key. I think what has to be done, is for children and teens to learn that they must tell an adult they trust if it has happened to them, no matter who did it to them. A lot of these teens have been groomed and love and respect the priest who did this to them. It really messes with their psyche. It is a difficult situation, but one thing is for sure. Priests should no longer take a vow to obey the Bishop, because how many stories have we heard about other priests knowing but were told to shut up by their Bishops, and they couldn’t tell anyone? It is ridiculous.
 
I agree about getting kids to talk, and we also need to get parents to act if the child does tell. Many parents downplay situations out of fear of looking foolish or afraid they are overreacting. And some parents won’t “disrespect” by confronting them or going to other authorities.
 
bmaz said:
40.png
phil19034:
To me, perhaps the most DAMAGING thing to society out of all this is the eroding concept in America of innocent until proven guilty. 😦
Click to expand...
There is a problem with this, I will admit that. There will be people who will use this to their advantage, and there are people who wouldn’t think twice about lying to either get back at someone they are angry with or to get money. However, it is true that hundreds or even thousands of kids lives have been ruined by this, and we can’t discount people who come forward. The cases we have heard about had some proof to back it up. Getting kids to tell is the key. I think what has to be done, is for children and teens to learn that they must tell an adult they trust if it has happened to them, no matter who did it to them. A lot of these teens have been groomed and love and respect the priest who did this to them. It really messes with their psyche. It is a difficult situation, but one thing is for sure. Priests should no longer take a vow to obey the Bishop, because how many stories have we heard about other priests knowing but were told to shut up by their Bishops, and they couldn’t tell anyone? It is ridiculous.
Click to expand...
Valid points, but I have two follow up comments for you.
  1. The American justice system was designed first and foremost to protect the innocent. The system was purposeful designed to error on the side of innocent. In other words, some criminals might go free in order to protect the innocent from going to jail. It’s not perfect, but that was the intent.
  2. I just want to make a point that priests do not take a “vow” to obey their bishop. They make promises. There is a difference. The main issue priests have is that the bishop controls every single aspect of their lives. I.E. where they live, where they work, when they may retire, where they can live when they retire, what education they can procure, etc, etc, etc.
God Bless
 
Last edited:
13pollitos said:
I agree about getting kids to talk, and we also need to get parents to act if the child does tell. Many parents downplay situations out of fear of looking foolish or afraid they are overreacting. And some parents won’t “disrespect” by confronting them or going to other authorities.
Click to expand...
Well, I would say that was very true in generations past. But I don’t think as true anymore. Sure, there might be some parents who would rather keep it quiet, but most TODAY would act.
 
phil19034 said:
  1. I just want to make a point that priests do not take a “vow” to obey their bishop. They make promises. There is a difference. The main issue priests have is that the bishop controls every single aspect of their lives. I.E. where they live, where they work, when they may retire, where they can live when they retire, what education they can procure, etc, etc, etc.
Click to expand...
Absolutely! Priests take NO vows. They make promises to their bishop and his successors.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top