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Thursday, July 19, 2007

Is this the end or the beginning?

Sexual abuse charges leveled at priests seem to be ho-hum news these days. The latest is a current crop of accusations in our local archdiocese. It's embarrassing to be a Catholic these days. The priest jokes are endless.
If these accusations are true, it's sick, sick, sick.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's not sick. It's criminal.

I am not being overly critical - but it seems that now-a-days everytime someone is caught doing something wrong, they claim to be suffering from some sort of syndrome or disease. Instead of going to jail - they go into therapy. Jail is a good place for all of these men.

Many people believe that these activities (priests taking advantage of young boys) has been happening for a long time and secretly accepted within their community.

But, thing change, kids talk to their parents - parents of this generation are not overly impressed or in awe of the priests' position in society - so they take action.

It is nothing less than hypocritical that this institution that looks down it's nose at (for example) divorced couples, but somehow condone preying on young children.

It is sickening to think that the Sunday offerings of many good families is going to be used to pay off victims. Not what they envisioned when they put their money in the basket, is it?

The Catholic Church has to clean house if they want to regain credibility. You cannot claim to be "of God" and victimize so many young boys.

6:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I disagree. There is nothing ho-hum about child abuse. This is nothing to joke about AT ALL. I suspect that people making jokes would not be laughing if it were their child that was taken advantage of by priests.

In Miami, there are SIX that we know of...there may be many more. Parents have been deceived and their children victimized. Not funny.

I agree that it is not "sick, sick, sick" -- it is CRIMINAL, CRIMINAL, and CRIMINAL.

9:54 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Catholic Mom of 3 Boys,
I think that there is a healthy change in the church where the priest is being viewed as the human person that he is - I think that holding anyone - priest, doctor, teacher, counselor - too high on a pedestal is unhealthy and leads to a trust level that many human beings are not worthy of.

As an adult survivor of sexual abuse I can tell you that every position of authority has abusers of that authority and as parents we need to be vigilant about making sure we question and expose any and all who take advantage of their power. It is the responsibilty of anyone who works in an area where children are to question any suspicous activity.

As a youth worker I am personally invovled in screening anyone who comes in contact with those youth - BE WARY PARENTS!!! Danger lies at church, in school, but overwhelming AT HOME.

One thing I don't understand - why are these lawyers going after money not conviction? Why are these men being tried in the media and not in the courts? I think yet another system is failing us.

8:57 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think people are on 2 sides of this topic -- either they decide to cut loose the money strings to the Roman Church OR they pretend that it didn't happen and that it CAN happen anywhere to anyone.

Good luck to them.

It's a systemic problem -- not isolated cases and until it is dealt with as such, it will continue to happen. No doubt.

2:16 PM  

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