How has the Pennsylvania scandal affected you personally?

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sure, but in many other cases priests were transferred, promoted, or given a lengthy paid vacation.
 
Bishop Law was once the bishop in my diocese before he was sent to Boston. He was, in my opinion, a holy and good-hearted man. I do think he was led into the psych nonsense of the time, when it was believed that “treatment” could cure a child molester or homosexual molester of young men. Those guys would “take the cure” and go right back to it. Many, many churchmen in that era were drawn into the psychobabble of the time. Some still are.
 
This has been my concern as well. I live in the Archdiocese of Boston and as horrible as things were here during the Law era, quite a few priests who were accused and had their lives ruined were later found to be innocent by investigation and ny civil criminal courts. But like you said the media never prints or talks about the innocent who were exonerated.

These are trying times for the faith, which makes me cling to it all the more.
 
Os2Hugh said:
These are trying times for the faith, which makes me cling to it all the more.
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I know this sounds cruel, but one defense mechanism I have is to think of the priests as a means to an end. They are not the object of our faith; Jesus Christ is. They are, if you will, expendable, and can be replaced by other priests. God will provide.
 
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SacredHeartBassist said:
I don’t know why the catholic church doesn’t go to the authorities for every case so that the state can decide whether it wants to prosecute or not. The Church talks a great deal about respecting the laws of the land but in cases like these she doesn’t seem to follow through
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The general training I received was: if in doubt, report, and if you have any doubt the case was handled at that level, feel free to report higher yet. Do not be afraid to practice diligence about concerns you report. It was “stick up for the kids and make life uncomfortable for these people who can only victimize if they can figure out how to operate under the radar.”

Allegations of sexual misconduct must be taken seriously and, if appropriate, reported to
the proper authority in the parish, school, archdiocese, or organization. If the situation
involves a minor, the allegations may also need to be reported to civil authorities, following
the Archdiocese of Portland Child Abuse Policy and the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children (http://www.usccb.org/bishops/charter.pdf).

Church personnel should know the child abuse regulations and reporting requirements
for the State of Oregon and follow those mandates.
 
I count myself blessed to have never encountered these vipers. My priests have always been selfless holy men who serve us well. I can’t imagine the disgust one would have finding out a pastor or curate was a monster.
 
Serene and confident in the Lord. It is the failure of modern and liberal behaviors, procedures and theology. The church only suffered the infection that exists in the civil world, in all the institutions. It is time for the laity, as legitimate members of the Church, to fulfil their active role in the church. Lay people, healthy, intelligent and with great faith, it is time to occupy the place of “religious” and “priests” failed. The clergy must not be a place for weak and weird people.
 
the problem is that seminarians and priests that DID report were punished by their superiors. this is a systemic problem. not just WAS, currently IS because I don’t buy that those in power are still not in positions of influence EVEN IF several of the priests who abused are dead now
 
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come on, don’t pretend like it was only the liberal priests who were caught doing this.
 
SacredHeartBassist said:
the problem is that seminarians and priests that DID report were punished by their superiors. this is a systemic problem
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Yes, and people in families that have a cover-up in place will shun the whistle-blowers, too. Their own flesh and blood standing up against a horrific crime against their own flesh and blood, and the ones on the side of right are shunned and vilified. This is what the fear of being seen as not having a “perfect family” or a “perfect Church” will do. That’s why I think it is a good sign when someone is turned over to the authorities and everyone is shocked because its his first offense. Yeah, that’s when it needs to stop.

I can’t say whether the people who did that it Pennsylvania were perpetrators themselves or were just trying to “protect the brand,” but it was an offense on a far more serious level than the first. If it stops with one individual perpetrator, the abuse of trust is not on anything like the same level.

I have read the released files from the Portland bankruptcy case, and there seemed to be this idea that you could let someone back into ministry if a psychiatrist told you they’d be OK. Again–a bank would never do that. They weren’t thinking straight. They weren’t thinking of how the victims would feel if they ever saw that their abuser was allowed in a position to do that again, even if he never did.
 
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I’m just very saddened and very frustrated with all this and it’s shaking my faith.
 
I felt sad during Assumption Mass today at the Assumption cathedral. I kept looking at the beautiful little children. This has got to be the greatest evil…to violate the innocents. Satan is having a field day it seems. I agree with the person who isn’t donating except to certain causes (like the missions). I plan to do the same. I was uncomfortable thanking the priest after Mass. So this latest horror has instilled a mistrust in me.
However, I was encouraged hearing others singing on the way to Communion. “Proclaim the goodness of God, rejoice in God my savior.” and sang as loud as I could at the recessional…Salve Regina!
 
I’m sorry. ):

Remember that what the Church teaches is still true.

There have been scandals in the past too. Sometimes Church leaders misstep. They are human. They are fallible. We were never meant to believe they were perfect.

But God has preserved Church teaching and will continue to do so.
 
My thoughts too. Watch out for sleepovers at friends homes too
 
redbetta said:
It has been covered up systematically everywhere.
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And by ‘everywhere’, that means not just in the Catholic Church but everywhere. We’re just a big target. With deep pockets. And we keep records.

Do you think that has anything to do with the extent to which the Church has seen the brunt of these allegations? Nah… can’t be… 😦
 
I meant to say “liberal” in the sense of “post-medieval”. It is not a political orientation; conservatism or traditionalism is part of the problem; the modern world has failed.
 
SacredHeartBassist said:
I’m just very saddened and very frustrated with all this and it’s shaking my faith.
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Don’t let that happen. “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the person through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin." Luke 17:1-2

It is sad, but there have always been predators prowling the world trying to seduce or victimize children. There have always been people failing to confront evil because they feared far lesser things like scandal or loss of face, even more than leaving a vulnerable person at the mercy of evil alone. Don’t let it shake your faith. This is a vale of tears; we have to be soldiers about it and pitch in on the battle lines.
 
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catholic1seeks said:
Why do such sexual abuse scandals in the Church, and their related coverup, propel Catholics to leave the Church? I don’t mean those who are directly involved. I just mean the typical Catholic — the ordinary Catholic who is scandalized by the news.

Can someone explain?
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Sometimes, it’s the ‘excuse’ that a person needs in order to feel OK with themselves for leaving the Church. I mean that both ways – either the “straw that broke the camel’s back” or “I need an excuse to do this so I don’t look like a bad person”.
 
It is very sad but we have to remember priests are human. There are still many many good priests and we need to be praying for them. Think how hard this must be for them
 
MagdalenaRita said:
It is very sad but we have to remember priests are human. There are still many many good priests and we need to be praying for them. Think how hard this must be for them
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Pray for the priests, but both pray and watch out for the children and the young people.
 
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