Ongoing Scourge Of Rape Scandals Rock The Australian Catholic Church

[centurionguard]

catholica.com.au/forum/index.php?mode=thread&id=116545

au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/15340976/catholic-order-had-pedophile-ring-in-vic/

Brothers ‘Pack Raped’ Boys, Two Boys ‘Disappeared’, Seven Later Committed Suicide.

A GROUP of 15 religious brothers led by an “alpha paedophile” is suspected of the unreported deaths of two boys and the sexual abuse of more than 40 others.

The victims – abused over three decades – include wards of the state cared for by the brothers in homes for the mentally impaired, a state parliamentary inquiry into child abuse is expected to be told. Seven are believed to have committed suicide.

The suspected paedophile brothers from the Hospitaller Order of St John of God have never been charged in Victoria because of a lack of police resources, says the submission’s author, Dr Wayne Chamley, a researcher for Broken Rites, the support group for church sex abuse victims.

While most of the suspected paedophiles are dead, Fairfax Media is aware of three who have left the Catholic order and moved away but are in roles where they could have access to children.

 

[LEMAITRE]

They will hold a Royal Commission into the Church’s handling of pedophile clergy and religious here in Australia.

The public and the politicians are very angry with strong evidence and allegations put forward about a deliberate cover-up.

Please pray for the Church and the clergy here.

On a different note we also had two 80yo Priests get into fistycuffs over a parking spot. One Father bit off the ear of the other Father.

news.com.au/top-stories/year-old-mans-ear-bitten-over-parking-brawl-in-dianella/story-e6frfkp9-1226514219093

 

[triumphguy]

They will hold a Royal Commission into the Church’s handling of pedophile clergy and religious here in Australia.

The public and the politicians are very angry with strong evidence and allegations put forward about a deliberate cover-up.

Please pray for the Church and the clergy here.

**On a different note we also had two 80yo Priests get into fistycuffs over a parking spot. One Father bit off the ear of the other Father.
**
news.com.au/top-stories/year-old-mans-ear-bitten-over-parking-brawl-in-dianella/story-e6frfkp9-1226514219093

That’s probably due to dementia

The pedophile brothers - that’s just demonic.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

catholica.com.au/forum/index.php?mode=thread&id=116545

au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/15340976/catholic-order-had-pedophile-ring-in-vic/

Brothers ‘Pack Raped’ Boys, Two Boys ‘Disappeared’, Seven Later Committed Suicide.

A GROUP of 15 religious brothers led by an “alpha paedophile” is suspected of the unreported deaths of two boys and the sexual abuse of more than 40 others.

The victims – abused over three decades – include wards of the state cared for by the brothers in homes for the mentally impaired, a state parliamentary inquiry into child abuse is expected to be told. Seven are believed to have committed suicide.

The suspected paedophile brothers from the Hospitaller Order of St John of God have never been charged in Victoria because of a lack of police resources, says the submission’s author, Dr Wayne Chamley, a researcher for Broken Rites, the support group for church sex abuse victims.

While most of the suspected paedophiles are dead, Fairfax Media is aware of three who have left the Catholic order and moved away but are in roles where they could have access to children.

We don’t know anything about this case. If proven true it is horrible. But how do you know when you have the truth, absolutely? That is the question.

Of course, the disabled are sitting ducks for any abuser. I don’t know how you can protect them absolutely.

Again, the focus is on Church institutions. Secular institutions are largely ignored. But the feeling by some is that it is much worse in secular institutions of all sorts, including grammar and high schools. And I don’t really think this is something peculiar to our culture or age. I think, suspect that it has been going on since the dawn of man and in every culture and nationality group. How do you stop it? Only God can stop it but we have to do the best we can. :sad_yes:

 

[centurionguard]

We don’t know anything about this case. If proven true it is horrible. But how do you know when you have the truth, absolutely? That is the question.

Of course, the disabled are sitting ducks for any abuser. I don’t know how you can protect them absolutely.

Again, the focus is on Church institutions. Secular institutions are largely ignored. But the feeling by some is that it is much worse in secular institutions of all sorts, including grammar and high schools. And I don’t really think this is something peculiar to our culture or age. I think, suspect that it has been going on since the dawn of man and in every culture and nationality group. How do you stop it? Only God can stop it but we have to do the best we can. :sad_yes:

I think, suspect that it has been going on since the dawn of man and in every culture and nationality group. How do you stop it? Only God can stop it but we have to do the best we can. :sad_yes:

Couldn’t agree with you more. Its extremely sad. Being a Victim myself outside the Church these stories turn my stomach.

We must pray hard for our clergy and religious, offering up our sufferings for the healing of all involved.

 

[Tampa_Dave]

They will hold a Royal Commission into the Church’s handling of pedophile clergy and religious here in Australia.

The public and the politicians are very angry with strong evidence and allegations put forward about a deliberate cover-up.

Please pray for the Church and the clergy here.

On a different note we also had two 80yo Priests get into fistycuffs over a parking spot. One Father bit off the ear of the other Father.

news.com.au/top-stories/year-old-mans-ear-bitten-over-parking-brawl-in-dianella/story-e6frfkp9-1226514219093

Ah, that would be Fr. Mike Tyson of the United States on vacation, wouldn’t it?

On the serious side, the article highlights a horrible story that carries international implications for the Catholic Church. Ugh!

 

[Linda_Marie]

**Not **ongoing.

from 1952 to 1986,

In Western Australia, during the same time frame, they discovered that it didn’t matter who ran the facility, Catholics, Anglicans, the Government. Children were abused and everyone covered it up, including the government institutions.

Child abuse spectre over 26 institutions

But the Department for Communities, which was responsible for administering 5345 ex-gratia payments under the Redress WA scheme for children abused in State care, has indicated the taint of the scandal could be more widespread.

PAEDOPHILIA: THE PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM OF THE DECADE

The effects of extra-familial child sexual abuse were similarly down-played or ignored. A text book which was recommended reading for medical students as recently as twenty years ago declared that:

…various authorities who have examined children who have been seduced have concluded that the emotional as opposed to the physical damage which is done to children is more the result of adult horror than of anything intrinsically dreadful in the sexual contact itself (Storr, 1974, page 105).
<…>
Our response to child sexual abuse over the last century, therefore, has been largely that of denial. If we do not deny the offences, then we refuse to recognize the victims. If we do not deny that there are victims, then we refuse to recognize their suffering. The reasons for this state of affairs are complex and arise from a combination of entrenched patriarchal values, child (and woman) hatred disguised as pseudo-science and misguided “sexual liberationism” (Rush, 1980; Masson, 1985). However, the denial cannot continue. We must now not only define the problem but define paedophilia as a problem in order to deal with it effectively.

Society at the time tended to minimise and cover up both pedophelia and ephebophilia, even in medical textbooks. The Church has done more than any other institution to address the problem and none of these allegedly new scandals are actually ‘new’ but date from more than 30 years ago.

Current data:
Australian Institute of Criminology
Misperceptions about child sex offenders

The relationship of victims of child sexual abuse to the perpetrator varied by the sex of the victim. Female victims were most likely to have been abused by another male relative (35.1%), followed by their father or stepfather (16.5%), a family friend (also 16.5%), an acquaintance or neighbour (15.4%), another known person (11%) or a stranger (8.6%). Very small proportions were sexually abused by another female relative (1%) or their mother or stepmother (0.6%; although both these figures have a high standard error and should be interpreted with caution). A small proportion of female victims (4.7%) reported perpetrators from more than one of these categories.

Male victims were most likely to be sexually abused by another known person (27.3%), followed by a stranger (18.3%), another male relative (16.4%), an acquaintance or neighbour (16.2%), or a family friend (15.6%). Small proportions were sexually abused by their father or stepfather (5%; this figure has a high standard error and should therefore be interpreted with caution). Proportions of male victims who were sexually abused by their mother or stepmother or another female relative are either not available for publication or considered too unreliable for general use (ABS 2005).

Australian Institute of Criminology Conference
Pedophilia : Policy & Prevention

More particularly, the work of the Royal Commission fed the misconception that pedophilia is not just sex with a person under the age of consent, but homosexual sex:
To a man each of the pedophiles interviewed by the Commission or the media so far has claimed to be a homosexual with an interest in young men but not a pedophile, despite evidence that each has had sex with boys barely into their teenage years and younger. 23
<…>
More pertinently, current data from the same source points the finger squarely at the heterosexual, nuclear family:
A natural parent was believed responsible in 72% of substantiated cases, a step-parent in 6% and a de facto in 5%.26

Another study, considered to be the most reliable to date, says only 8% of abusers were strangers with 41% being family members including biological relatives and step-fathers or adoptive fathers, with 75% of research subjects reporting the use of coercion.27
Child abuse experts, both academic and at the coalface, tried to be heard:
The facts are quite clear. The vast majority of physical and emotional abuse occurs in the child’s own home, usually caused by a parent or caretaker. Only about one quarter of child sex abuse is caused by strangers. Most cases are caused by someone who is in a position of trust, who knows the child and who is often a family member.
Concentrating on the minority of abusers is more comfortable than facing the fact that most abuse occurs in the child’s own home.28

 

[mlz]

Prayers always for our priests and religious.

In Christ forever,
mlz

 

[LEMAITRE]

Ah, that would be Fr. Mike Tyson of the United States on vacation, wouldn’t it?

On the serious side, the article highlights a horrible story that carries international implications for the Catholic Church. Ugh!

HAHAHAH LMAO - wouldn’t you know it Mike Tyson finally got a visa approved after an application was denied due to criminal charges and will be in Australia this month.

 

[LilyM]

HAHAHAH LMAO - wouldn’t you know it Mike Tyson finally got a visa approved after an application was denied due to criminal charges and will be in Australia this month.

After New Zealand refused him - a bit sad. I don’t know that we should be letting him in with his multiple misdeeds.

 

[ringil]

Couldn’t agree with you more. Its extremely sad. Being a Victim myself outside the Church these stories turn my stomach.

We must pray hard for our clergy and religious, offering up our sufferings for the healing of all involved.

I will pray for the good priests and that any inclined to pedophilia or sex with adolescents is sicovered before they hurt anyone and ejected from the Priesthood.

Their vile presence does the institutional Church no good.

 

[Seeker1961]

We don’t know anything about this case. If proven true it is horrible. But how do you know when you have the truth, absolutely? That is the question.

Of course, the disabled are sitting ducks for any abuser. I don’t know how you can protect them absolutely.

Again, the focus is on Church institutions. Secular institutions are largely ignored. But the feeling by some is that it is much worse in secular institutions of all sorts, including grammar and high schools. And I don’t really think this is something peculiar to our culture or age. I think, suspect that it has been going on since the dawn of man and in every culture and nationality group. How do you stop it? Only God can stop it but we have to do the best we can. :sad_yes:

Secular institutions are not being ignored,but even if they were that does NOT minimize the evil that has occurred here. “Other people do it too and nobody talks about them” is a horrible thing to use as an excuse or a rationalization.

Just in the last few months we’ve had the national story of Penn State, and there was also an investigation at Syracuse. There have been more than a few stories here in FL exposing public school teachers and youth coaches and there is a HUGE scandal right now at the BBC.

I think because it is OUR church it seems like it’s always about us, but it really isn’t. Also, because we expect more of our church leaders, it’s more horrifying when we hear stories like this.

 

[Linda_Marie]

Pressure mounts for Royal Commission into sex abuse within the Catholic Church

PRESSURE is mounting on Julia Gillard to launch a Royal Commission into child sex abuse within the Catholic Church following public demands from key independents, and the Greens.
<…>
There are already state based commissions into sex abuse within the clergy currently underway in New South Wales and Victoria.
<…>
“There is no doubt that cover-up occurred and the key thing was to protect the church at all costs rather than have the embarrassment and the humiliation of this coming out.”

Everyone knows that child sexual abuse was covered up in the past, not just by the Church, but by every institution that had to do with children, from orphanages, to schools. Even the Department of Education moved offending teachers around to hide what was happening.

Minister recalls WA education chief over damning report

"The report by the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) found the Department puts the welfare of its teachers ahead of a safe and secure learning environment for students.
"In one case, the department reprimanded a teacher convicted of indecently dealing with a 13-year-old girl and then transferred him to a new school.
<…>
"The CCC report says about 25 allegations of sexual abuse are made against state school teachers each year, but the Education Department lacks the will to investigate them properly.

Yet there are no calls for a Royal Commission into the state education departments.

The only reason to have a Royal Commission is to attack the Church, to humiliate and embarrass the Church, not to help the victims.

It is not like the Church is not already addressing the problem.
10 Myths about Priestly Pedophilia
6. The Catholic hierarchy has done nothing to address pedophilia.

While we can all agree that the hierarchy hasn’t done enough, this claim is nevertheless false. When the Church’s Code of Canon Law was revised in 1983, an important passage was added: “The cleric who commits any other offense against the sixth precept of the Decalogue, if the offense was committed with violence or threats, or publicly or with a minor who is under 16 years [now extended to 18 years], must be punished with just punishments, not excluding expulsion from the clerical state”
<…>
In 1994, the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse issued guidelines to the nation’s then 191 dioceses to help them develop policies to deal with the problem of sexual abuse of minors. Almost all dioceses responded and developed their own policies (USCCB document: Guidelines for dealing with Child Sexual Abuse, 1993-1994). By this time, pedophilia was recognized as a disorder that could not be cured, and a problem that was becoming more prevalent due to the increase of pornography. Before 1994, bishops took their cue from experts in the psychiatric profession who believed pedophilia could be successfully treated. Priests guilty of sexual abuse were sent to one of several treatment facilities across the United States. Bishops often relied upon the judgments of experts in determining whether priests were fit for ministry. This doesn’t mitigate the negligence on the part of some in the hierarchy, but it does offer some insight.

In response to the recent scandals, some dioceses are setting up special commissions on child abuse, as well as victims’ advocacy groups; and they are officially acknowledging that any legitimate allegation of abuse must be dealt with immediately.

Sexual abuse in the Catholic church

Sexually abusive priests share many features with other child molesters, but differences were also noted. As with other child molesters, deviant sexual interests and alcohol abuse are common among abusive priests. In contrast to other child molesters, priest abusers are typically older, better educated, and less antisocial (although still more antisocial than other priests). Whereas the victims of child molesters are typically girls, priests typically abuse adolescent boys.

Weeding out homosexuals from the priesthood will go a long way to dealing with abuse in the Church.

 

[hansard]

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has announced the establishment of a Royal Commission into child sexual abuse within institutions, including (but not limited to) the Catholic Church.
Many of the allegations are of the most repulsive, sickening type.
This has been brewing for decades. Several brothers and priests have already been put on trial.
When I say “not limited to” the RCC, I am going easy on the church. I will bet my miraculous medal that most of the allegations are in relation to RCC priests and brothers. Based on several important cases, that’s my gut feeling.
I’m awaiting the evidence, as everyone is; I just hope I have a strong stomach when that evidence comes out.

 

[centurionguard]

Pressure mounts for Royal Commission into sex abuse within the Catholic Church

Everyone knows that child sexual abuse was covered up in the past, not just by the Church, but by every institution that had to do with children, from orphanages, to schools. Even the Department of Education moved offending teachers around to hide what was happening.

Minister recalls WA education chief over damning report

Yet there are no calls for a Royal Commission into the state education departments.

The only reason to have a Royal Commission is to attack the Church, to humiliate and embarrass the Church, not to help the victims.

It is not like the Church is not already addressing the problem.
10 Myths about Priestly Pedophilia
6. The Catholic hierarchy has done nothing to address pedophilia.

Sexual abuse in the Catholic church

Weeding out homosexuals from the priesthood will go a long way to dealing with abuse in the Church.

In speaking about the article 10 Myths about Priestly Pedophillia.

No# 7. The Church’s teaching on sexual morality is the real problem, not pedophilia.

The Church’s teaching on sexual morality is rooted in the dignity of the human person and the goodness of human sexuality. This teaching condemns the sexual abuse of children in all its forms, just as it condemns other reprehensible sexual crimes such as rape, incest, child pornography, and child prostitution. In other words, if this teaching were lived out, there’d be no pedophilia problem at all. (“The notion that this teaching somehow leads to pedophilia is based on a misunderstanding or deliberate misrepresentation of Catholic sexual morality.”)

I think it would be a heavy blow to the Catholic Church if one were to say She has made a deliberate misrepresentation “in the teaching” of Catholic sexual morality.

In reference to Pope JPII’s beautiful book “Theology of the Body” there’s nothing new in this book overall that hasn’t already been brought to light in the Church’s Moral Teachings down through the ages. The fact and blessing that this book came to light was to reinforce the teachings of the entire Catechism.

The fault really lies on the (“deliberate rejection”) of these moral teachings of the Catholic Church and most of all God’s ordinances in the Ten Commandments.

 

[hansard]

Linda Marie: you might find the 1985 timeframe to be irrelevant when a royal commission starts. Such an inquisition has the full authority of the state. It’s powers are likely to be far-reaching. Also, the claim that no one has done more for kids, and that other organizations were involved in no way excuse the church in this matter. Is it any wonder that the pews are emptying out in this part of the world. This is complete and utter sinfulness–immorality condoned quietly by the church of Jesus. It is the most disgraceful behaviour by (so-called) men in authority, and represents a complete breach of trust.
The octogenarian Pope, and his predecessor, did virtually nothing to address this. Yet they’ll both be declared saints, no doubt.

 

[centurionguard]

Linda Marie: you might find the 1985 timeframe to be irrelevant when a royal commission starts. Such an inquisition has the full authority of the state. It’s powers are likely to be far-reaching. Also, the claim that no one has done more for kids, and that other organizations were involved in no way excuse the church in this matter. Is it any wonder that the pews are emptying out in this part of the world. This is complete and utter sinfulness–immorality condoned quietly by the church of Jesus. It is the most disgraceful behaviour by (so-called) men in authority, and represents a complete breach of trust.
The octogenarian Pope, and his predecessor, did virtually nothing to address this. Yet they’ll both be declared saints, no doubt.

The octogenarian Pope, and his predecessor, did virtually nothing to address this. Yet they’ll both be declared saints, no doubt

Obviously; there’s alot of emotionality in what your saying, but don’t you think your words concerning the Pope are somewhat harsh? The Pope’s hands are virtually tied without the collective assistance of all his clergy. The laity too share a certain acquiscence of responsibility in some of the burdens and deep wounds in these heart wrenching circumstances. My thoughts and prayers go for the victims and their families for the most part.

 

[chris62]

The John Jay report, I find, is good for statistics on these matters, especially if going to a barbecue where I think the topic will come up.

Worth a google.

 

[Linda_Marie]

Linda Marie: you might find the 1985 timeframe to be irrelevant when a royal commission starts. Such an inquisition has the full authority of the state. It’s powers are likely to be far-reaching. Also, the claim that no one has done more for kids, and that other organizations were involved in no way excuse the church in this matter. Is it any wonder that the pews are emptying out in this part of the world. This is complete and utter sinfulness–immorality condoned quietly by the church of Jesus. It is the most disgraceful behaviour by (so-called) men in authority, and represents a complete breach of trust.
The octogenarian Pope, and his predecessor, did virtually nothing to address this. Yet they’ll both be declared saints, no doubt.

The Royal Commission will be looking at more than the Church, but the media reserves its vilification for priests and the Church, even down to misrepresenting Church teaching to condemn Her. They give Anglican clergy who abuse less of a hard time. As the previously quoted article said, the abuse was endemic in the entire child welfare system no matter who ran it. Everyone, Anglicans, government employees included , covered it up and enabled it to continue, yet only the Church is raked over the coals.

I did not say “no one has done more for kids.” I said the Church is addressing the problem and is taking steps to prevent it occurring any more. Raking up more 30 year old cases is not going to make the Church any more aware, or more determined to eradicate the abuse.

All it does is make it seem like the Church is doing nothing and is still covering up and enabling child abuse. The other misrepresentation is that priests were abusing small children when the problem in the Church has been mostly ephebophilia, abuse of teenagers.

Consider that schools today assume that teenagers will be having sex, and not only do not condemn it, but enable them to have so-called ‘safe sex’. What is condemned for priests, is celebrated by schools. It should be condemned for both. I submit that ephebophiles have taken over and are running schools’ sex education programs. By far, children are much more likely to be abused by a teacher than by a priest. And that is today, not 30 years ago.

This should not be about ‘getting’ the priests and ‘sticking it’ to the Church but about protecting our children.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces royal commission into child sexual abuse

Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston welcomed the announcement of a wide-ranging powerful inquiry into institutional responses to allegations of child abuse.

She says the issues are endemic, and sweeping powers are critical if the inquiry is to succeed.

“The Royal Commission needs to include not only the churches,” Ms Johnston told AAP.

“It needs to include family and other courts, government organisations and other institutions, anybody who who has a duty of care.”

Royal commission to consider confessional seal

The royal commission into child sex abuse is likely to consider whether Catholic priests should be forced to tell police about crimes against children told to them in the confessional.

There are growing calls for priests to be subject to the same mandatory reporting rules that other professions are, despite church rules that the confessional should remain secret.

Expert: ‘Priests believe child abuse forgivable’

SOME priests think pedophilia does not “break celibacy” and that sins can be confessed away, one of the nation’s top child protection experts says.

Emeritus Professor Freda Briggs, who has just published a seminal text on child protection, says sexual abuse by a priest is “the most damaging of all" for children and that the Catholic Church is guilty of forgiving priests instead of punishing them.
<…>
UniSA Associate Professor Dale Bagshaw, an adjunct professor in the School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, says <…>, “It’s the patriarchal nature of the system. They don’t have women priests, I think they really think they’re a cut above, that they’re beyond the state."

yes, the old ‘Catholics believe they can continue to sin, because they have Confession’ accusation.

 

[Matt_Guitar_Man]

Linda Marie: you might find the 1985 timeframe to be irrelevant when a royal commission starts. Such an inquisition has the full authority of the state. It’s powers are likely to be far-reaching. Also, the claim that no one has done more for kids, and that other organizations were involved in no way excuse the church in this matter. Is it any wonder that the pews are emptying out in this part of the world. This is complete and utter sinfulness–immorality condoned quietly by the church of Jesus. It is the most disgraceful behaviour by (so-called) men in authority, and represents a complete breach of trust.
The octogenarian Pope, and his predecessor, did virtually nothing to address this. Yet they’ll both be declared saints, no doubt.

The Catholic Church is recieving a lot of negative press here in Australia. A lot of uninformed people are even suggesting that the Royal Commision of inquiry should be restricted to the Catholic Church, this sort of sentiment is running so high that those with an open anti Catholic agenda seem to be getting almost unrestricted air time.
One thing to consider in all of this is that first and formost the victems of sexual abuse should be given priority during the process, and that this should be kept in mind when setting the terms of refrence for the inquiry.
It is a well documented fact that the vast majority of sexual abuse victems are abused in thier own homes by members of thier own extended family’s or close and trusted friends, these victems will not be given a voice in the upcoming Royal commission.
The Royal commission will only be dealing with institutional offences to restrict it to the Catholic Church alone would deny a voice to those people who have been abused in state run institutions, state run schools, police run orginisations etc. To deny these people a voice in my opinion would be crimminal.
Also the tipping point here in Australia to give this Royal commission some momentum was the alligation that the police have been involved in retarding the investigation into some crimes so for the inquiry to go forward all reporting proccess including the actions of our police force have to be included in the terms of refrence.

When looking at the inquiry in Ireland, those responsable for setting the terms of refference soon realised that although the inquiry was primarily focused on the Church it could not do its job without including the state and the state’s pariticipation in the entire proccess.

Our proccess of justice is more often than not a proccess of vengence and a lot of the strident voices in the press in Australia at the moment are looking for some one or some entity to hang, draw and quarter. With repeated calls for Cardinal Pell to resign etc.

My hope is that the Commission will actualy do it’s primary job responsably and that is to pin point how corruption of this nature a) gets into the system b) stays in the system and worst of all c) in some circumstances is allowed to florish in the system. and d) make recomendations so that the systems in our institutions wether religious or secular can be made robust enough to identify and extingiush this sort of evil before it gets hold.