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Penny_Plain
Guest
So suggesting that the Church should be accountable for the actions of its priests and bishops when they commit horrible crimes is anti-Christian?
For shame.
For shame.
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Ziggy
Guest
Penny Plain:
It’s not about the Church being accountable, it’s about being treated fairly and not have legislation that seems to particularly go after the Church while ignoring other organizations who are as or even more so guilty. Try reading this catholicleague.org/linked%20docs/colorado_lawmaker_letter.htm
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beckers
Guest
Right on Mr. Donohue! The law should apply to EVERYONE!!!
*State Senator Paula Sandoval, who co-sponsored one of the bills, was recently asked why public institutions should be exempt from the reach of her legislation. Her candor was refreshing: “I think the law should apply to everybody,” she said, “but my guess is there would be probably a lot of opposition by the CEA (Colorado Education Association).” *
- Colorado lawmakers have a moral and legal obligation to treat all parties equally. Either these bills should be amended to blanket all institutions, or they should be rejected as discriminatory. Unequal justice is injustice, and it is profoundly un-American, as well. *
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bellesjoy
Guest
Penny Plain:
Fair offers of settlements made by the Church is also Catholic.
The shame comes in when innocent bishops who were not even bishops or priests when abuses occurred are painted as guilty, spit upon and insulted. The shame comes when innocent Catholics in the pews are made to pay for the crimes of men they never met, for crimes committed years ago. The shame comes when those who are dead and gone and cannot either defend themselves or cannot pay the price of their guilt by serving their sentence. The shame comes when the people of a diocese are made to serve the sentence in terms of churchs, schools and property sold to pay settlements.
This is reminicent of the days when the family of a man found guitly was punished along with him.
If your deceased grandfather were to be found guilty of abuse would you find it acceptable to have your family savings and home (in no way inherited from him) sold to pay a settlement? How about including gifts given to you by your friends? How about if your grandmother knew but didn’t step in…are you now accountable for them both? How about if you are only a grandchild through a recent adoption? How about if you weren’t even alive when all that happened? How far back should we go? One generation? Two? No limitations? Will your grandchildren also be responsible for future claims?
You may offer a fair settlement for counseling, pray for them, offer aid in anyway fesible because you see the injury and as a Catholic want to help them. But you would not ask you children or grandchildren to give up their homes or their futures. That would be irresponsible in your role as parent.
Hold those who’s behavior has been proven to be criminal accountable and quit looking for deep pockets among the innocent.
Priests and or bishops guilty of horrible crimes should be tried by law, convicted if the evidence supports it and put in jail as any other law breaker. Throw away the key! That is accountability.
Fair offers of settlements made by the Church is also Catholic.
The shame comes in when innocent bishops who were not even bishops or priests when abuses occurred are painted as guilty, spit upon and insulted. The shame comes when innocent Catholics in the pews are made to pay for the crimes of men they never met, for crimes committed years ago. The shame comes when those who are dead and gone and cannot either defend themselves or cannot pay the price of their guilt by serving their sentence. The shame comes when the people of a diocese are made to serve the sentence in terms of churchs, schools and property sold to pay settlements.
This is reminicent of the days when the family of a man found guitly was punished along with him.
If your deceased grandfather were to be found guilty of abuse would you find it acceptable to have your family savings and home (in no way inherited from him) sold to pay a settlement? How about including gifts given to you by your friends? How about if your grandmother knew but didn’t step in…are you now accountable for them both? How about if you are only a grandchild through a recent adoption? How about if you weren’t even alive when all that happened? How far back should we go? One generation? Two? No limitations? Will your grandchildren also be responsible for future claims?
You may offer a fair settlement for counseling, pray for them, offer aid in anyway fesible because you see the injury and as a Catholic want to help them. But you would not ask you children or grandchildren to give up their homes or their futures. That would be irresponsible in your role as parent.
Hold those who’s behavior has been proven to be criminal accountable and quit looking for deep pockets among the innocent.
M
manualman
Guest
Penny, you have got to be kidding me.
You think it’s fair that an abusive predatory creep sneaks into the priesthood and as a result it is FAIR that MY kids can’t go to a catholic school anymore, that MY diocese has to cut back on programs for unwed mothers, crisis pregnancy centers, soup kitchens, homeless programs, MY parish has to fire music ministry and youth ministry people? These lawsuits don’t punish those who commited the crimes. They suck funding out of church programs at every level.
Nobody wins in these cases. Money won’t give the victims their innocence back, the lawyers are just tying millstones on their necks, the whole people suffer when funding for already chronically shoestring operations get cut further. Only the devil wins. And don’t kid yourself. The rare predator priests don’t give a rats heini what their actions cost the diocese or the people.
You think it’s fair that an abusive predatory creep sneaks into the priesthood and as a result it is FAIR that MY kids can’t go to a catholic school anymore, that MY diocese has to cut back on programs for unwed mothers, crisis pregnancy centers, soup kitchens, homeless programs, MY parish has to fire music ministry and youth ministry people? These lawsuits don’t punish those who commited the crimes. They suck funding out of church programs at every level.
Nobody wins in these cases. Money won’t give the victims their innocence back, the lawyers are just tying millstones on their necks, the whole people suffer when funding for already chronically shoestring operations get cut further. Only the devil wins. And don’t kid yourself. The rare predator priests don’t give a rats heini what their actions cost the diocese or the people.
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Ortho
Guest
The shame comes when Catholic bishops put the reputation of the Church before the welfare of kids.
O
Ortho
Guest
Perhaps it’s time for Catholics to hold their bishops accountable. They didn’t, and they got a mess.
The law suits may not be punishing the ones who committed the crimes, but the suits seem to be the only thing that has gotten the bishops attention. Looks like they are working.
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RonWI
Guest
Given the subject of the Colorado legislation, I find the title of this thread to be both incredibly ironic and in very poor taste.
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bellesjoy
Guest
You are asking for accountability from bishops who are dead or removed from office. Who are you talking about?? The Bishops who are cleaning up the messes…left holding the bag…are not those who caused the problelms in the first place any more than I did.
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bellesjoy
Guest
Again the bishops who are trying to clean this up are not the ones who put children at risk. They never did need a wake up call, they have always been good men. The ones who were found guilty of directly covering up or of abuse should be in jail. Leave the good names of the others out of the dirt. You seem to paint all Catholic bishops with one stroke. That is wrong, not Catholic and the true shame.
It is noted that questions from the above posts are not answered.
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RonWI
Guest
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Ortho
Guest
I haven’t asked dead people for accountability. I simply pointed out where the shame comes from.
Those who are now in charge have to deal with what their predecessors did. The organization remains accountable. Death does not get an organization off the hook.
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bellesjoy
Guest
This confirms that the Bishop is doing his job. You find fault with him for doing that?
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Ortho
Guest
Oh, No. Am I answering to slowly?
The common behavior of many bishops points to an institutional value of protecting the reputation of the Church at all costs. So far, the bishops haven’t done anything to really show us that is not the case.
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Ortho
Guest
I find no fault from the info presented. There is insufficient info to say he acted properly or not. We don’t know the background.
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bellesjoy
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Ortho
Guest
Law, Bevalaqua.
(Am I answering fast enough?)
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Nohome
Guest
The same comes from promoting Cardinal Law to Rome when he should stand trial in Boston.
Nohome
O
Ortho
Guest
Perhaps it was a merit promotion?
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