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Pope Benedict faces demand to dismiss Irish bishops in child abuse scandal
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jay29
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They have no authority to demand anything.
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Pamm
Guest
It makes me very sad that the Church continues to protect those who abused so many young children. A priest who submits a child to such horrors of abuse also selects to be removed from his priesthood. I understand the teachings that a priesthood is forever – but just as a married person can leave their spouse if their is abuse (although they may never marry again), a priest who abuses should be relieved of his priesthood. He can continue on in whatever capacity he can but should never be revered and have the ability to pass judgment on others in the confessional when he himself is a sinner of the worst kind. Too many of them continue the abuse from parish to parish. The Church MUST stand up and make this stop. I pray that Pope Benedict expends the mercy of the Church on the victims rather than the perpetrators.
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judechild
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But the law of conscience does.
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Guyonthestreet
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Yellow_Belle
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lemonbeam
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Here, here!!
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Irish_Becca
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This is just incredibly sad. I can’t believe these deviants have gotten into our beloved Church. Please pray to St. John Bosco for priests who truly love children as Jesus loves them.
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Art321
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Yes, I wish every priest was like that. This whole case of the priests abusing children is just sick. It really hurt us as catholics to know that this has happened in our church and also to see children, the most innocent, treated like this. May the victims find peace in their lives after what they have been through.
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kimmielittle
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While I admire their stance…I question them releasing this stance public.
Do they not have a way to communicate their stance within Church?
Was it self beneficial, in some-way to make this public…OR…
As always, just my thoughts
Do they not have a way to communicate their stance within Church?
Was it self beneficial, in some-way to make this public…OR…
As always, just my thoughts
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DOShea
Guest
Despite the rhetoric, what I think they are after is swift, decisive action. That has never been the hallmark of the Church in any matter. Things are slow to happen and often take years or decades to fully resolve. I think it’s foolhardy to expect this case to be different.
The one question I have is how this took so long to surface? The allegations indicate many of these cases date back to the same period as many of the cases in America. So it begs the question what were these Bishops in Ireland doing while American Bishops were being publicly roasted on a spit? Surely they knew they had the same problem brewing in their ranks. One would think they would view what happened across the Atlantic as a precursor of what was to come if they didn’t start taking some action. It certainly doesn’t look good for them when the world finds out they had the same problem and didn’t act until it was pried out into the open.
In my view, the bigger damage of this scandal is that it calls into question the earlier church reforms. If this can happen in Ireland, who is to say it won’t happen next week in Wisconsin?
The one question I have is how this took so long to surface? The allegations indicate many of these cases date back to the same period as many of the cases in America. So it begs the question what were these Bishops in Ireland doing while American Bishops were being publicly roasted on a spit? Surely they knew they had the same problem brewing in their ranks. One would think they would view what happened across the Atlantic as a precursor of what was to come if they didn’t start taking some action. It certainly doesn’t look good for them when the world finds out they had the same problem and didn’t act until it was pried out into the open.
In my view, the bigger damage of this scandal is that it calls into question the earlier church reforms. If this can happen in Ireland, who is to say it won’t happen next week in Wisconsin?
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Irish_Becca
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JReducation
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We have to pray that this is resolved soon. At the same time, we also have to pray that the world, especially Catholics, will also know that this is a very small percentage of the priests and not the status quo. Sometimes these reports have a way of ignoring the incredibly large number of priests who are good, faithful and holy men.
We have to problems to tackle here.
To restore life, we must be willing to heal.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
We have to problems to tackle here.
- Resolve the problem.
- Help restore trust by reporting the large number of priests and religious who are faithful and how these make up the majority of the clergy and religious.
To restore life, we must be willing to heal.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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Yellow_Belle
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The Pope might start by offering a sincere, heartfelt public apology first and foremost to the victims and their families who have suffered so much for so long, but also to the ordinary Catholic people of Ireland whose trust in the Church and its priests has been shattered so painfully. The Irish state through the current government has accepted responsibility and apologised for the part its departments, especially the police, have played in covering up what was happening. Yet not one word, not a single public utterance of regret or sorrow has emanated from Rome. The Pope has apologised publicly to American and Australian victims/survivors and has met with many of them; are Irish victims/survivors somehow less deserving of the Pope’s compassion and apology? Because that’s what many in Ireland have concluded from this very obvious silence.We have to pray that this is resolved soon. At the same time, we also have to pray that the world, especially Catholics, will also know that this is a very small percentage of the priests and not the status quo. Sometimes these reports have a way of ignoring the incredibly large number of priests who are good, faithful and holy men.
We have to problems to tackle here.
I have no clue as to how the Holy Father is going to manage this situation. My guess is that he may have already asked one of the Vatican offices to do whatever they have to do. This may involve replacing some bishops. That may be very helpful in those dioceses where the bishop lost control. You can’t leave someone at a post if they can no longer do the job. It would be unproductive. I’m thinking of Boston. The recovery is working. The bishop was transferred and the new archbishop is a very credible man. Recoveries are never easy, but they are possible. Boston’s seminary is full. The number of new religious congregations is higher in Boston than any other archdiocese in the country. **Let us pray for healing where ever it may be needed.
- Resolve the problem.
- Help restore trust by reporting the large number of priests and religious who are faithful and how these make up the majority of the clergy and religious.
To restore life, we must be willing to heal.**
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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JReducation
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We all know that’s not the case. The Irish deserve as much compassion as everyone else. I’m sure that Pope Benedict feels for the Irish Church as he feels for the American and Australian Churches. Give it time. You’ll see. Good things will happen. Never lose hope. God and the Church are good. In the meantime, I’ll ask my brothers to pray for Ireland.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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Tigg
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Did anyone not pick up on the fact that this group making demands of the Holy Father (according to the OP,) is none other than “Voice of the Faithful?” I am assuming that this is the same dissident group which associates itself with another heretical group, “Call to Action.” They work for a structural (hierarchical) change of the Catholic Church and have actually done much harm, so I’m suspecting their motivation is not entirely pure and what it seems.
ourladyswarriors.org/dissent/dissorg.htm
Having said that however, we all know the Church has mishandled this issue in the past. I am confident, however, that our Holy Father will be given the grace to resolve this matter with prudence and wisdom.
ourladyswarriors.org/dissent/dissorg.htm
Having said that however, we all know the Church has mishandled this issue in the past. I am confident, however, that our Holy Father will be given the grace to resolve this matter with prudence and wisdom.
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barb_finnegan
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Hear, hear! You have always such common-sense answers, Brother!We all know that’s not the case. The Irish deserve as much compassion as everyone else. I’m sure that Pope Benedict feels for the Irish Church as he feels for the American and Australian Churches. Give it time. You’ll see. Good things will happen. Never lose hope. God and the Church are good. In the meantime, I’ll ask my brothers to pray for Ireland.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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Yellow_Belle
Guest
I have no wish to offend you, Brother, but the section of your response I’ve bolded above is almost word-for-word what those who complained about their children being abused by priests and religious in Ireland heard from their bishops. Many accepted it then, trusting in their Church to do the right thing; they’re not buying it now. The Pope (two of them!) and the Vatican have had more than adequate time to make their apologies to Irish victims/survivors and their families. The only Irish church leader who has come out of this recent report with any kind of integrity is the current archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin who has had the courage to face up to the truth of what went on in his diocese before he took over. One would hope that others, lay and clergy, follow his example.We all know that’s not the case. The Irish deserve as much compassion as everyone else. I’m sure that Pope Benedict feels for the Irish Church as he feels for the American and Australian Churches. Give it time. You’ll see. Good things will happen. Never lose hope. God and the Church are good. In the meantime, I’ll ask my brothers to pray for Ireland.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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JReducation
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My dearest sister:
I’m not offended at all. I grew up wiht a father who made many promises and kept few or was late in delivering. I know the feeling. The difference between the Church and my father is that my father was not protected by the Holy Spirit. The Church is. I always trust in the Holy Spirit and the Immaculate Heart to deliver a dose of love. We never know when, but it does come.
I had a very interesting experience. The week before my father died, out of the blue, he called me and wanted to talk about the past. He was sincerely sorry. A week later he was killed. If my father can come around, so can the leaders of the Church. You’ll see. God is very good to his people.
I’ll pray as hard as I can. I’ll offer my day today for you. I have cancer and today is a very bad day, a lot of pain. I’ll try to smile for Ireland, instead of complain.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
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Yellow_Belle
Guest
Brother, I am touched by your gracious response even in the midst of the pain of your illness. Be assured of my prayers for you.My dearest sister:
I’m not offended at all. I grew up wiht a father who made many promises and kept few or was late in delivering. I know the feeling. The difference between the Church and my father is that my father was not protected by the Holy Spirit. The Church is. I always trust in the Holy Spirit and the Immaculate Heart to deliver a dose of love. We never know when, but it does come.
I had a very interesting experience. The week before my father died, out of the blue, he called me and wanted to talk about the past. He was sincerely sorry. A week later he was killed. If my father can come around, so can the leaders of the Church. You’ll see. God is very good to his people.
I’ll pray as hard as I can. I’ll offer my day today for you. I have cancer and today is a very bad day, a lot of pain. I’ll try to smile for Ireland, instead of complain.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
I don’t know if you’re familiar with this article on Carrying a scandal biblically My parish priest says it has helped him through much of the pain and anger of the sex abuse scandal and given him hope for the future.
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