Victims of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth want to sue Catholic Bishop over alleged failure to prevent abuse

[Micosil]

independent.ie/irish-news/courts/victims-of-paedophile-priest-brendan-smyth-want-to-sue-catholic-bishop-over-alleged-failure-to-prevent-abuse-34454554.html

Three people sexually abused by paedophile priest Brendan Smyth want the Supreme Court to permit them sue a Catholic Bishop here over the church’s alleged failure to act to prevent Smyth abusing children.

 

[Shirtless]

independent.ie/irish-news/courts/victims-of-paedophile-priest-brendan-smyth-want-to-sue-catholic-bishop-over-alleged-failure-to-prevent-abuse-34454554.html

The legal principle involved is that of respondeat superior. If the bishop knew of the abuse, and failed to prevent it, then, by virtue of the authority a bishop exercises over a priest incardinated to him, the bishop may be legally responsible for the priest’s actions.

 

[Petaro]

This has been attempted in Australia, where the court found the priest was not an employee of the Bishop. However, we all know that the Church has paid many millions of dollars across the world in compensation for the massive abuse uncovered in many countries.
This is the greatest scandal of our times and the fall out in the loss of entire generations, respect etc not to mention the massive scar on the Body of Christ caused by these pedophiles within the priesthood cannot be underestimated.
The Royal Commission set up in Australia to probe this problem has shown that it was endemic across most religions and secular authorities where people had control over vulnerable children. It found that the Church moved pedophiles around without censure or control. However our laws cannot deal with the specific relationships of control within the church as they fall outside employment laws or agency. What a relief, eh?
What caused this evil? My own theory is that many men who returned from WW2 were very mixed up and no one recognised it. Also no one was prepared to question authority in those days. Whatever the cause it was not limited to the Catholic Church. However the Church makes a good target for the secular press and the organised haters.

 

[Shirtless]

This has been attempted in Australia, where the court found the priest was not an employee of the Bishop. However, we all know that the Church has paid many millions of dollars across the world in compensation for the massive abuse uncovered in many countries.
This is the greatest scandal of our times and the fall out in the loss of entire generations, respect etc not to mention the massive scar on the Body of Christ caused by these pedophiles within the priesthood cannot be underestimated.
The Royal Commission set up in Australia to probe this problem has shown that it was endemic across most religions and secular authorities where people had control over vulnerable children. It found that the Church moved pedophiles around without censure or control. However our laws cannot deal with the specific relationships of control within the church as they fall outside employment laws or agency. What a relief, eh?
What caused this evil? My own theory is that many men who returned from WW2 were very mixed up and no one recognised it. Also no one was prepared to question authority in those days. Whatever the cause it was not limited to the Catholic Church. However the Church makes a good target for the secular press and the organised haters.

I believe that one of the primary causes of the problem is the Roman Rite’s unnatural and unscriptural insistence on priestly celibacy. Certainly not all homosexuals are pedophiles, but all of the pedophiles are homosexual (otherwise they would be attracted to little girls). As a result of the celibacy rule, the Roman Rite has limited itself to a very narrow cross section of society that is more likely to contain homosexual pedophiles.

The Eastern rites do not impose a celibacy requirement. The Ukrainian Catholic church, of which I am a member, and which has been in communion with Rome since 1596, ordains married men to the clergy. Our pastor is married and has three children, and he is one of the most normal, down-to-earth priests I have ever met. The incidence of child abuse in the Eastern rites is virtually nonexistent.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I believe that one of the primary causes of the problem is the Roman Rite’s unnatural and unscriptural insistence on priestly celibacy. Certainly not all homosexuals are pedophiles, but all of the pedophiles are homosexual (otherwise they would be attracted to little girls). As a result of the celibacy rule, the Roman Rite has limited itself to a very narrow cross section of society that is more likely to contain homosexual pedophiles.

The Eastern rites do not impose a celibacy requirement. The Ukrainian Catholic church, of which I am a member, and which has been in communion with Rome since 1596, ordains married men to the clergy. Our pastor is married and has three children, and he is one of the most normal, down-to-earth priests I have ever met. The incidence of child abuse in the Eastern rites is virtually nonexistent.

I agree and back in the 50’s and 60’s when men who were homosexuals were kept in the closet, many turned to the priesthood as their career.

The majority of the sexual abuse cases here in the USA, were not pedophilia by definition, but rather, homosexual priests with post-pubescent teen age boys.

Also, because homosexuality was generally not understood well, many homosexual males were allowed into the priesthood, because of the lack of heterosexual men applying for the priesthood. The result was that many seminaries in the US took on a homosexual culture. The worse was St John’s Seminary in the Archdioceses of Boston, where the biggest scandal rocked the Catholic Church in the USA.

Lifting of mandated celibacy would’ve broadened the pool of available men in seeking to become priest, instead of the majority coming from homosexuals.

Also, married men who have children, are more protective of children and I believe they would not have let priests engage in sexual abuse children. They would’ve jumped on much faster.

Jim

 

[Petaro]

I believe that one of the primary causes of the problem is the Roman Rite’s unnatural and unscriptural insistence on priestly celibacy. Certainly not all homosexuals are pedophiles, but all of the pedophiles are homosexual (otherwise they would be attracted to little girls). As a result of the celibacy rule, the Roman Rite has limited itself to a very narrow cross section of society that is more likely to contain homosexual pedophiles.

The Eastern rites do not impose a celibacy requirement. The Ukrainian Catholic church, of which I am a member, and which has been in communion with Rome since 1596, ordains married men to the clergy. Our pastor is married and has three children, and he is one of the most normal, down-to-earth priests I have ever met. The incidence of child abuse in the Eastern rites is virtually nonexistent.

If only it were that easy. The Anglicans don’t have celibacy; nor the Salvos; nor the JWs; nor the State orphanages; nor the Scouts; nor the Surf Life saving clubs… the list goes on from the exposure of our Royal Commission. No, celibacy may well tempt the priesthood, but no more than the single man in our sexualized society.
I believe that it may well be impossible to understand the cultural malaise that affected the entire world and still infects the Middle East, certainly its solution cannot be drawn down to one issue such as celibacy.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I am a little confused about some of the comments since Episcopalians and Baptists have a higher rate of clerical sexual abuse (source: Reformation.org)

 

[adamhovey1988]

I believe that one of the primary causes of the problem is the Roman Rite’s unnatural and unscriptural insistence on priestly celibacy. Certainly not all homosexuals are pedophiles, but all of the pedophiles are homosexual (otherwise they would be attracted to little girls). As a result of the celibacy rule, the Roman Rite has limited itself to a very narrow cross section of society that is more likely to contain homosexual pedophiles.

The Eastern rites do not impose a celibacy requirement. The Ukrainian Catholic church, of which I am a member, and which has been in communion with Rome since 1596, ordains married men to the clergy. Our pastor is married and has three children, and he is one of the most normal, down-to-earth priests I have ever met. The incidence of child abuse in the Eastern rites is virtually nonexistent.

Just pointed out that Protestants have clerical sexual abuse. The problem is homosexuals becoming priests, not that priests can’t have sex. Sorry, you’re wrong.

 

[Shirtless]

Just pointed out that Protestants have clerical sexual abuse. The problem is homosexuals becoming priests, not that priests can’t have sex. Sorry, you’re wrong.

That other religious groups have pedophiles within their clergy is no excuse for the Catholic church. The excuse “everyone else is doing it” does not work for little children, and I will not accept it with regard to an organization that claims to have a monopoly on the means of eternal salvation.

 

[_Abyssinia]

I believe that one of the primary causes of the problem is the Roman Rite’s unnatural and unscriptural insistence on priestly celibacy. Certainly not all homosexuals are pedophiles, but all of the pedophiles are homosexual (otherwise they would be attracted to little girls). As a result of the celibacy rule, the Roman Rite has limited itself to a very narrow cross section of society that is more likely to contain homosexual pedophiles.

The Eastern rites do not impose a celibacy requirement. The Ukrainian Catholic church, of which I am a member, and which has been in communion with Rome since 1596, ordains married men to the clergy. Our pastor is married and has three children, and he is one of the most normal, down-to-earth priests I have ever met. The incidence of child abuse in the Eastern rites is virtually nonexistent.

Philip Jenkins has said (who says he is not Catholic by the way):

My research of cases over the past 20 years indicates no evidence whatever that Catholic or other celibate clergy are any more likely to be involved in misconduct or abuse than clergy of any other denomination—or indeed, than non-clergy.

jknirp.com/jenkins2.htm

Since the mid-1980s, insurance companies have offered sexual misconduct coverage as a rider on liability insurance, and their own studies indicate that Catholic churches are not higher risk than other congregations. Insurance companies that cover all denominations, such as Guide One Center for Risk Management, which has more than 40,000 church clients, does not charge Catholic churches higher premiums. “We don’t see vast difference in the incidence rate between one denomination and another,” says Sarah Buckley, assistant vice president of corporate communications. “It’s pretty even across the denominations.”

newsweek.com/priests-commit-no-more-abuse-other-males-70625

There was an Australian report that claimed celibacy “may also have contributed to abuse in some circumstances” which is discussed critically here: catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2014/12/19/clerical-child-sex-abuse-has-nothing-whatever-to-do-with-celibacy/

But I’m not sure what actual evidence there is that it “may” have “contributed” ?

 

[lax16]

I believe that one of the primary causes of the problem is the Roman Rite’s unnatural and unscriptural insistence on priestly celibacy. Certainly not all homosexuals are pedophiles, but all of the pedophiles are homosexual (otherwise they would be attracted to little girls). As a result of the celibacy rule, the Roman Rite has limited itself to a very narrow cross section of society that is more likely to contain homosexual pedophiles.

The Eastern rites do not impose a celibacy requirement. The Ukrainian Catholic church, of which I am a member, and which has been in communion with Rome since 1596, ordains married men to the clergy. Our pastor is married and has three children, and he is one of the most normal, down-to-earth priests I have ever met. The incidence of child abuse in the Eastern rites is virtually nonexistent.

Public school teachers are not required to be celibate but engage in pedophilia in much greater numbers. Obviously, celibacy is not the problem.

Titled, “Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature,” the report says the mistreatment of students ranges from sexual comments to rape.

In fact, says the studies author, Carol Shakeshaft, professor of educational administration at Hofstra University, in Hempstead, New York, the scope of the school sex problem appears to far exceed the clergy abuse scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church.

Comparing the incidence of sexual misconduct in schools with the Catholic Church scandal, Shakeshift notes that a study by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops concluded that 10,667 young people were sexually mistreated by priests between 1950 and 2002.

In contrast, the extrapolates from a national survey conducted for the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation in 2000 that roughly 290,000 students experienced some sort of physical sexual abuse by a public school employee between 1991 and 2000.

The figures suggest “the physical sexual abuse of students in schools is likely more than 100 times the abuse by priests,” said Shakshaft, according to Education Week.

Indeed, more than 4.5 million students are subject to sexual misconduct by an employee of a school sometime between kindergarden and 12th grade, says the report.

 

[pnewton]

Just reading this, it looks like the problem with this case is that the bishop has already defended himself against two previous cases on this same guy successfully, but was still out the cost of the defense. I think the idea is that a third time over the same ground was not just.