News Priest sex abuse scandal.

[Mach123]

There is a new priest sex abuse scandal breaking in Pennsylvania.

'Bigger than Boston': What the Pa. clergy sex abuse report could mean

You know I'm from greater Boston or I've said it plenty of times and we watched all this happen here. In fact, we worked in a local church where it happened b4 even Boston broke. My heart is wrecked for these kids, just devastated. I just don't know what to say.

My therapist wrote a book about this, about what they did to her. She wanted to be a nun. I'm a mess now. : (

 

[frogthroat]

Aww Mach, if it wasn't a priest, it would be a CEO, a coach, and in my case a teacher. Many people in authority use their positions to do horrendous shit and they get away with it because of their status. It's easy to get the community and even the parents to believe they have a "troubled" kid.
As far as a religion goes, this is my personal opinion so DON'T be getting your feathers ruffled, it's big business.

 

[Mach123]

I was not molested by a priest and it's just one of those things. I feel bad for all the children who are not children anymore. I remember when it happened in Boston and I had not realized yet that I had CSA. All those years I thought about it but I didn't know it happened? I really did not think all that meant CSA?

 

[blackemerald1]

I feel bad for all the children who are not children anymore.

^^This is what I get caught up with too @Mach123 . These children have their whole lives to live out and some pervert has created a life-long problem for them. It is nothing short of a tragedy that this type of crime continues to prevail. May they rot in hell.

 

[somerandomguy]

Catholics are taught from birth that priests are your only direct line to God. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church goes layperson - priest - bishop - cardinal - pope, with laypeople at the very bottom. Unlike other Christian denominations, Catholics are not allowed to interpret the Bible as they see fit. They must interact with the Bible and with God only through the intercession of a priest. That's why abuse is ingrained in Catholicism - priests are officially regarded as infallible when it comes to the Word of God. Lay Catholics are not allowed to question a priest.

An abusive person who has become a priest can get whatever they want, and for years pedophilia was an open secret and, to be perfectly blunt, an unofficial perk of the job among priests.

 

[Ronin]

That's why abuse is ingrained in Catholicism

I would dispute that one, thoroughly, because religious dogma being in place does not yet mean people will be abusive about it, or that they inherently are.

Stricter rules on religion and faith and the extent to which something is discussed, and through which channels, do not yet mean the people have to be abusive about it. Merely authoritative does not mean abusive. And, there are different Catholicisms, too. I am quite sure Roman Catholic and Old Catholic churches would wiidely disagree being swept under the same rug like that, and that is just two types of Catholic I recall off the top of my head.

 

[somerandomguy]

Merely authoritative does not mean abusive.

I disagree quite strongly. Authoritarianism does breed abuse. If your followers consider you to be no less than God on Earth, and you are literally above the law, someone who wants to abuse will be naturally drawn to that situation.

I have few doubts that any religions that share Catholicism's hierarchical structure will have exactly the same issues as the Roman Catholic Church.

 

[Tinyflame]

I'm not sure though, that such kind of perspective is held in the Church today in the same way, or all churches, respect is earned. I get what is being said, but I see it from a perspective of constantly being myself with vulnerable people, there will always be abuses where people can commit them. And when it comes to children as a target, it will be people who are trying to work in environments of all sorts with children, that's what they will purposely seek, and why upon conviction they're prevented from (or should be). That being said, I've met abusive Doctors; had a relative nearly raped by a group of cops, etc. , had more than a handful of pervy teachers. Etc. I've even met creepy hair dressers, and taxi cab drivers. So are or were those people 'protected'? Well, yes, in a manner of speaking I expect so. And I've met people of all professions committing acts they shouldn't be. But does it reflect for me on the profession as a whole? Well, I have reserve, yes, but I've met great priests, doctors, cops and teachers. Idk what else to say. I get it, but it's important to understand the opposite, too: when you serve others, bad apples can cause grief as well, as all people are human beings and fallible, not super-human. (Which does not mean I am in any way, shape or form minimizing someone else's abusive actions.) And yes, I agree that abuse of children in all forms but especially to anyone that cannot be questioned (and hence Religion or church can be used as a prime area) causes great injury, and also moral injury. I also think the healthier the church and/ or religion, the less crazy, or extreme beliefs that are held. Just like certain AA or self help groups: predators look for who can they victimize. In the case of children, they have little defense. I had a relative like that. Turned out he had brain damage/ a brain injury, but tbh I don't know if he did that before the injury. No one knows the cause. Doesn't excuse it, but I think something has gone off the rails.

 

[Tinyflame]

I just wanted to come back to add, @Mach123 I am so sorry and hope you are feeling a bit better. ? I hope my post didn't cause you grief.

I said only what I did from the perspective:

- I am RC (i always wait to tell anyone, I say to give them a chance to hate me for 'me')
-I did not grow up being taught extreme beliefs
-abuse of any sort is nowhere advocated as acceptable to God or men in RC doctrine; if anyone is saying otherwise or covering it up, they should be, must be, held accountable
-I have gotten to know terrific priests whose help has been instrumental and often the only legitimate, non-abusive help, in saving and turning around lives, mine included
-I know of priests who have been abusive
-I personally know what it means to suffer abuse, and at the hands of authorities. How what seems a God send becomes a nightmare
-I do believe priests receive special graces to be one; I also know they are human beings who shouldn't be expected to produce on demand as though they are God, and I think a lot of people in churches often expect that
-I think anyone partaking in harm or abuse needs to be stopped, and I believe there are in fact priests (doctors, teachers, coaches, cops) that are discouraged to speak out about what they see. But I cannot speak to that specifically, only from the perspective of my field of work.
-I think you could take away all the structures in the world, and still not get to the root of the cause. Because I know even when it wasn't a position of authority, it was propinquity- a neighbour, or someone else with access. And really under the radar, because they're not even in view.

I sincerely hope we could all come to a point in history when people stop harming others, and especially children, and stop before they cause so much destruction to other peoples' lives.

But yet I know Mach, (these) are 'words', too. They don't address the devastation you feel. And knowing so, I offer very heartfelt words of, I am so sorry. ?

 

[Mach123]

Actually I don't feel anything for me. I feel for the children who are now like me and are going to experience, to one degree or other, the hell I lived through.

 

[Tinyflame]

Yes @Mach123 that's the empathy born of understanding.

 

[Sideways]

I think anyone partaking in harm or abuse needs to be stopped, and I believe there are in fact priests (doctors, teachers, coaches, cops) that are discouraged to speak out about what they see.

This is probably what separates the Catholic Church specifically for me, and makes it really difficult for me to understand.

Australia’s recent Royal Commission did a pretty good job of uncovering abuse that has gone on for years across a whole heap of denominations. The thing that stands out in that research about the Catholic Church specifically is the way that specific church structure seems to work to protect and perpetuate abuse among its clergy, to a degree which really isn’t seen elsewhere.

There do seem to be practices (such as the confessional and celebacy policies etc) and a culture very specific to the Catholic Church that not only covers up pedophilia where it occurs, but actually actively protects the offending priests, and simply moves them out of the way of potential complaints.

We now have massive amounts of evidence of this occurring, over generations, and across the globe. What I can’t get my head around? Is how there are people who still go to a Catholic Church in preference to other places of worship. How much evil does the institution need to perpetuate before people decide - this can’t be what my god had in mind...

Honestly can’t wrap my head around that.