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mlund
Guest
Yet another example of how far journalism has degenerated - it is really quite sad.
They want to smear Pope Benedict XVI because his office did not put a dying, professedly repentant man on a trial where he could not defend himself due to infirmity. They don’t bother to mention that civil judiciaries do the same thing all the time. They also bury in the back of the article the fact that civil charges were dropped against this priest.
Their outrage is selective, hypocritical, and ignorant. Works like this demean the value of the written word.
They want to smear Pope Benedict XVI because his office did not put a dying, professedly repentant man on a trial where he could not defend himself due to infirmity. They don’t bother to mention that civil judiciaries do the same thing all the time. They also bury in the back of the article the fact that civil charges were dropped against this priest.
Their outrage is selective, hypocritical, and ignorant. Works like this demean the value of the written word.
- Marty Lund
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latin_rite
Guest
HUH? He all but admitted it. Bishops were telling the future pope about him. He did nothing.
"But Cardinal Bertone halted the process after Father Murphy personally wrote to Cardinal Ratzinger protesting that he should not be put on trial because he had already repented and was in poor health and that the case was beyond the church’s own statute of limitations.
“I simply want to live out the time that I have left in the dignity of my priesthood,” Father Murphy wrote near the end of his life to Cardinal Ratzinger. “I ask your kind assistance in this matter.”
This is just sicking on ratzinger behalf.
The creature ask for dignity and kind assistance. Pity the animal didn’t see fit fit to bestow that right on the children. Catholics always say that Jesus Said That nothing will destroy “his” Church. I wouldn;t be surprised if Jesus isn;t thinking about coming back and tearing it apart himself. Tear it down and start again. Popes now and in the future. Need to realize. The Church his nothing. Its there for us. We aren;t here to protect it. Its there to protect us. And i would rather see the church torn down to the last stone. Than see this **** going on all the time.
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blue2010
Guest
This priest raped at least 200 children, some in the confessional, over a long period of time. He admitted it. There is no doubt that he did do it. His superiors knew that he did it. Yet the people above him who could remove him from contact with children did not. They knew more children would be raped, especially as they knew his long history of doing so in the later years.
It is my understanding that the Catholic church considers pedophilia by priests on the same level as a priest sleeping with an adult woman who gives consent. I understand the church considers all sexual crimes as pretty much the same, a sin against chastity. The secular world considers pedophilia much worse. I doubt they will let this go.
I have to wonder at the church’s stance though. Are the shepherds more important than the sheep? I hope not.
It is my understanding that the Catholic church considers pedophilia by priests on the same level as a priest sleeping with an adult woman who gives consent. I understand the church considers all sexual crimes as pretty much the same, a sin against chastity. The secular world considers pedophilia much worse. I doubt they will let this go.
I have to wonder at the church’s stance though. Are the shepherds more important than the sheep? I hope not.
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Alexia2000
Guest
I do not quite have the words to express my loathing for what this man did
But, he did repent and therefore the Church has to accept him
What would happen if a man who has raped a woman, later truly regrets his actions and confesses to a priest and repents? What should the priest do? Report him to the secular authorities?
No, this is not a rhetorical question. I just do not know what the answer is
But, he did repent and therefore the Church has to accept him
What would happen if a man who has raped a woman, later truly regrets his actions and confesses to a priest and repents? What should the priest do? Report him to the secular authorities?
No, this is not a rhetorical question. I just do not know what the answer is
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MarcoPolo
Guest
Something doesn’t sit quite well about this whole thing because of sentences like this tucked in the article:*Father Murphy not only was never tried or disciplined by the church’s own justice system, but also got a pass from the police and prosecutors who ignored reports from his victims, according to the documents and interviews with victims. *More information is needed.
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Steadfast_love
Guest
Is the Vatican the ordinary that defrocks priests? I thought it was supposed to be the bishop. 
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Rich_Olszewski
Guest
No, he can’t by the seal of confession. But, if that raped woman says that she was raped, and tells who the rapist was, should anyone else report him for the crime?
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joeflow
Guest
Since I don’t know what happened in this situation, I’m not going to pass judgement. While it is surely possible, that even the Pope can do something wrong, the media tend to reserve a special type of coverage for the Catholic Church.
But regardless, while not trying to downplay the wrong committed by priests and bishops, WHY is nobody calling for the heads of the police and civil authorities who ignored these cases? Apparently they are all off the hook, for some unknown reason.
And who in their right mind, reports child abuse directly to the Church, and not to the police? If a teacher abuses your kid, you go to the cops first, not the principal.
I just hope we can get all responsible for these things out, so we can finally move on from this.
But regardless, while not trying to downplay the wrong committed by priests and bishops, WHY is nobody calling for the heads of the police and civil authorities who ignored these cases? Apparently they are all off the hook, for some unknown reason.
And who in their right mind, reports child abuse directly to the Church, and not to the police? If a teacher abuses your kid, you go to the cops first, not the principal.
I just hope we can get all responsible for these things out, so we can finally move on from this.
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anode
Guest
To be…um…fair, the priest didn’t ‘rape’ them --in the usual sense of the word used in this context, which is sodomy, which would be forced anal intercourse (sorry…). He ‘molested’ them, which is he fingered their genitals–(how he did this in the confessional is not clear…). This violates privacy and the integrity of the body, but it isn’t rape in the usual sense of the word (I guess).
Here’s this mornings link to the New York Times article–the article may be the same or reworded and expanded.
nytimes.com/2010/03/25/world/europe/25vatican.html?hp
Here’s the link to the subject in Catholic News:
catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1001246.htm
The jist is that by the time the Vatican got involved, the priest was old and retired. Cardiinal Ratzinger, then head of the Cong for the Doctrine of the Faith, to whom the priest appealed, chose not to do anything at that point. This is similar to his instruction to Fr. Maciel, the pedophile (and fornicator) who founded the Legionaries–that he retire to a life of prayer and penance only, because of his age and ill-health. Maciel died not long after this.
However, the priest’s bishop simply moved him around, actually to continue working with youth in parish and detention work–until the priest retired. He died in 1998, buried in priestly vestments.
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barb_finnegan
Guest
Amen to that, Marty.
I’m soooo tired of all this. The NYSlimes and similar outlets has gone too far, smearing our Holy Father.
I agree with Fr. Benedict Groschel when he says, ‘The media makes me sick!’
And it’s also too nosy, too…
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IgnatiusJReilly
Guest
Just as I do not want my tax money to fund abortion, neither do I want my tithe money to support the defense funds of these predators. Nor do I want my tithe money to support the hypocrites who shielded them FOR YEARS.
Right now, I am barely Catholic because that is all the hierarchy has allowed me to be in good conscience.
I’ll tithe to some other organization. I’m sure as hell not supporting this mess.
Right now, I am barely Catholic because that is all the hierarchy has allowed me to be in good conscience.
I’ll tithe to some other organization. I’m sure as hell not supporting this mess.
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tomarin
Guest
I think by law church officials are required to report any crime that they have knowledge about (outside of knowledge obtained through the sacrament of reconciliation of course). To refrain from doing so is itself a criminal act.
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serrevin
Guest
To be…um…fair, the priest didn’t ‘rape’ them --in the usual sense of the word used in this context, which is sodomy, which would be forced anal intercourse (sorry…). He ‘molested’ them, which is he fingered their genitals–(how he did this in the confessional is not clear…). This violates privacy and the integrity of the body, but it isn’t rape in the usual sense of the word (I guess)."
the very fact that these distinctions are being made is amazing to me. i’ve got three children and I cannot imagine something like that happening to them and hearing this as a response. as far as “why didn’t they go to police first, why did they go to the bishop” it’s my understanding of catholic theology/doctrine that they hold more power than the state. it amazes me that this person was allowed to do this and that folks are willing to defend those who allowed this type of thing to continue unchecked.
the very fact that these distinctions are being made is amazing to me. i’ve got three children and I cannot imagine something like that happening to them and hearing this as a response. as far as “why didn’t they go to police first, why did they go to the bishop” it’s my understanding of catholic theology/doctrine that they hold more power than the state. it amazes me that this person was allowed to do this and that folks are willing to defend those who allowed this type of thing to continue unchecked.
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anode
Guest
I do not mean to defend the priest, of course, OR the bishop, the real man who was in charge, but to describe what the priest actually did. It’s all heinous and very destructive.
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Rence
Guest
WOW! Would you and others like you who defend poor those old sex-crime-commiting priests like a shovel? What’s sad is completely disregarding the children who were abused. That’s what’s sad.
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Rence
Guest
Ok, well, this is the first time being on this forum that I am speechless. I have nothing nice to say in response to this post. Sorry.
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serrevin
Guest
“It is my understanding that the Catholic church considers pedophilia by priests on the same level as a priest sleeping with an adult woman who gives consent. I understand the church considers all sexual crimes as pretty much the same, a sin against chastity. The secular world considers pedophilia much worse. I doubt they will let this go.”
the secular world? how about: " Whoever causes one of these LITTLE ONES who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea"
virtually every participant in the world of pornography has been the victim of some early childhood abuse. many homosexuals have recounted the same thing. how many children were led into sin by these so-called vicars of christ??? and these folks were allowed to finish with dignity and buried in priestly vestments? and you’re angry at the media?
amazing.
the secular world? how about: " Whoever causes one of these LITTLE ONES who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea"
virtually every participant in the world of pornography has been the victim of some early childhood abuse. many homosexuals have recounted the same thing. how many children were led into sin by these so-called vicars of christ??? and these folks were allowed to finish with dignity and buried in priestly vestments? and you’re angry at the media?
amazing.
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whatevergirl
Guest
When this first came out, it was seen as isolated incidents…when was that, like 10 yrs ago? Now, this seems so far reaching, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to believe that no one knew the depth of all of this. They said nothing, and transferred priests to harm other kids, because they (those in charge) didn’t want a scandal, which is far worse than it ever would have been, had those offending priests been removed, and defrocked years ago, when it should have happened. There is NO excuse for this to have happened, in so many different dioceses, across the world. It has tarnished Christ’s Church, and good honest priests’ reputations. I believe in God’s forgiveness, but these men should never have been able to remain priests (and Bishops that shuffled them all around), once it was WELL KNOWN that crimes were commited. This goes way beyond the sin of chastity…these are crimes against society. And these men were never dealt with, and hurt more and more kids every year. We have a huge mess on our hands now…and making excuses for men who abused kids, please stop. We are all sinners, but we must own what we do…this is what the Church teaches us, and so those who are in the clergy, should own this, and stop saying they didn’t know how bad it was, or that it would continue, or they didn’t know. They did know, and did nothing… 
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anode
Guest
The shepherds were *definitely *more important than the sheep. These cases were managed quietly, in secret, simply by moving the perps around–in this case to another parish with more contact with children. The entire focus was on avoiding scandal–not on those abused. This in itself is shameful.
Although a priest’s fornication with a consenting adult female is deplorable, it is not nearly as heinous as abusing children, who, by law, cannot legally consent, as long as they are underage. It is tantamount to rape, with equally devastating psychological results. It may be that adolescents were titillated by the prospect of doing something ‘bad’ with a priest, and didn’t need to be ‘forced’ into doing what was wanted, but this in no way mitigates the crime.
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