Priests not paying child support

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Jodi

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adn.com/news/alaska/story/8622295p-8514890c.html

I admit I am new to being catholic but this just makes me mad. A priest breaks his vows and fathers two children on underage victims then is moved out of my state and never takes care of the emotional, physical, or financial obligations he took on when he created these children. Worse yet his priestly order supports him in doing this.

Are we all blind? How can we let this happen?

I am embarased frankly and you should be too. So here is my solution. The Jesuits pay up from the money he has donating back to them from being a prison priest and in the future when a priest fathers a child it should result in the 18 yr suspension from the cloth. That way he can follow up on the new vocation of fatherhood that he has chosen. These children while not born in optimal circumstances deserve better than what happened here and in other cases.

We as the body of christ should understand that man may fail and make sure that we help him repent and take care of the obligations that fall may require. We should not help him avoid the consequences of his actions. Please tell me that this is a fluke an aboration and in the rest of the church that children born to priests are not so mistreated.
 
I agree with you that a priest who fathers any child should be financially responsible for them, and not hide from these responsibilites. No child deserves that. The courts usually require that…so the biblical verse that says…Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s applies here as well in my estimation and no religious order should deny that fact.

As far as suspending his priestly ministry…I cannot judge that one because I don’t know the canon law regarding this moral matters. I do know that people sin and fail their obligations regularly, but reconciliation is not something that man invented. God did and ultimately he makes the final decision.
 
Are you kidding? How many children does canon law allow for? The very notion that a priest could father children and then leave them destitute while the “religious” order he has taken “vows” to cashes his checks and looks the other way is too absurd to contemplate! If there is a law which provides for such a thing- then I must belong to the wrong religion. Canon law, being a by-product of Scripture, can only follow what is morally right, and I can’t imagine anyone or anything that would find evidence of that here. This show only the depravity of everyone but these children.
 
I am a little surprised at the monies involved for these ‘children’ (the older is 40 and the younger 30 apparently today). $300,000 in support for the first? Born in 1966 (when money went a lot further and salaries were a lot lower). . .well, divide 18 into 300,000 and what do we get? Just under $17,000 a year for those 18 years.

Do you know anybody who even made $17,000 a year back in 1966? For his entire salary? I can tell you that New York State for example would take 17% of the gross salary–so to state that he owed $17 K would mean that they say he would have earned over $85,000 a year-- in 1966.

Yes, I think he should do what he can–but isn’t that a little ridiculous? Talk to some of us who are lucky if we get even a TENTH of that $17K for child support–for more than one child–in good old 2007 dollars.

I’m sorry but this looks like yet another case of “the Church has deep pockets, let’s pick them”. It’s really not the 83 year old priest (may God forgive him) who’s the target; probably the young men themselves don’t want the money (or what will be left after the lawyers graze).

Sad.
 
It is not really the amount that gets me upset it is the fact that the order is refusing to pay anything. The children (adults now) had to work for a long time just to get the DNA tests done. I see these paternity suits and it kills me. Why are these men allowed to continue working as priests when there children are living without a “father”? Yes the Lawyers win (they always do). I however would like the church to send a stong message that says if you break your vows and become a father than you need to be a father to any children you create and that service needs to come before the priesthood rolls you might fulfill. Once the children were 18 if the priest in question had done what was required I see no reason he couldn’t rejoin the priesthood. But there should have never been a question wither his children got child support or not.
 
The mothers of these men already suffered the consequences of their compliance with this man by raising children alone and in poverty. They were also branded by the Church heirarchy and those supposedly serving them in their villages as liars and adulteresses. These young men were reared with uncertainty as to who was their father and with the shame of being bastards. On the other hand, this man never acknowleged his fatherhood until he was forced to do so when he was in his 80’s and all the while, this liar was protected by his order from any suffering or responsibility.

I have no love for lawyers who prey on the Church, either, but the order more than likely could have settled earlier, and chose not to. What angers me most is the whole situation, and the fact that, *at the very least *this man was not even removed from the priesthood immediately. What arrogance to have hidden behind the doors of God’s house…what arrogance to believe that God, Himself would not expose this treachery.
 
because of his role as a morality teacher and father his penalty should be more harsch!
 
iserve said:
. . .
I have no love for lawyers who prey on the Church, either, but the order more than likely could have settled earlier, and chose not to. What angers me most is the whole situation, and the fact that, *at the very least *this man was not even removed from the priesthood immediately. What arrogance to have hidden behind the doors of God’s house…what arrogance to believe that God, Himself would not expose this treachery.
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Unfortunately the Church has shown Herself more responsive, note the abuse scandals, to civil law than to Divine Law in these matters.
 
But why is the church more responsive to the legal system? How can we as normal everyday catholics change this? How can I convey to the jesuits and other priestly orders that this is wrong? I plan on bringing this up with my local priest who I respect. Any ideas on how to change the world (or at least this small section of it) are welcome.
 
Pray for us in Alaska. Every day brings another abuse story. The sad part is most of the accusations are probably true but its hard to sort out once a feeding frenzy starts. As for the money, there is no money in any of the Alaska dioceses, at least not the kind of cash most of these folks are looking for. The Fairbanks diocese in particular has been hard hit and they have less than no money. Pray for us, pray for our priests and bishop.
 
Jodi said:
adn.com/news/alaska/story/8622295p-8514890c.html

I admit I am new to being catholic but this just makes me mad. A priest breaks his vows and fathers two children on underage victims then is moved out of my state and never takes care of the emotional, physical, or financial obligations he took on when he created these children. Worse yet his priestly order supports him in doing this.

Are we all blind? How can we let this happen?

I am embarased frankly and you should be too. So here is my solution. The Jesuits pay up from the money he has donating back to them from being a prison priest and in the future when a priest fathers a child it should result in the 18 yr suspension from the cloth. That way he can follow up on the new vocation of fatherhood that he has chosen. These children while not born in optimal circumstances deserve better than what happened here and in other cases.

We as the body of christ should understand that man may fail and make sure that we help him repent and take care of the obligations that fall may require. We should not help him avoid the consequences of his actions. Please tell me that this is a fluke an aboration and in the rest of the church that children born to priests are not so mistreated.
Click to expand...
 
Jodi said:
adn.com/news/alaska/story/8622295p-8514890c.html

I admit I am new to being catholic but this just makes me mad. A priest breaks his vows and fathers two children on underage victims then is moved out of my state and never takes care of the emotional, physical, or financial obligations he took on when he created these children. Worse yet his priestly order supports him in doing this.

Are we all blind? How can we let this happen?

I am embarased frankly and you should be too. So here is my solution. The Jesuits pay up from the money he has donating back to them from being a prison priest and in the future when a priest fathers a child it should result in the 18 yr suspension from the cloth. That way he can follow up on the new vocation of fatherhood that he has chosen. These children while not born in optimal circumstances deserve better than what happened here and in other cases.

We as the body of christ should understand that man may fail and make sure that we help him repent and take care of the obligations that fall may require. We should not help him avoid the consequences of his actions. Please tell me that this is a fluke an aboration and in the rest of the church that children born to priests are not so mistreated.
Click to expand...
Even with the 12 Apostles there was one that was an aberration. I kind of think that is an example that the Church has its strays. We must never, never think that the Church is about those men who were unfaithful to their calling.
 
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