www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Priests abused hundreds of Irish kids, church says

Cardinal George Pell the Archbishop of Sydney was himself falsely accused of molesting a boy and after the matter was sorted he was found not guilty. As the Cardinal had written the rules to be followed after such an accusation was made he stepped asside until it was all over. There was no surprise in the accusation as he has made some enemies along the way since he was first made a bishop and it was only a matter of time. He is seen as the Pope's man "down under" and that was why JPII translated him from Melbourne to Sydney. The man making the allegations was exposed as liar and a criminal.

The media frenzy over the offences done by those in the service of the Church has in my view distorted the whole issue. It was more about attacking the institution of the Priesthood as held by the Catholic church and was too hard to pass up by those who have a grudge against the Church.

Pope John-Paul II contacted Cardinal Pell and let him know he was praying for him. Cardinal Pell himself was attacked in the media earlier as having gone to Court with a priest who was found guilty in court. The Cardinal said that he went as the man was not then guilty of the offences and he was supporting a fellow priest, he was not taking sides in the matter.

ICXC
NIKA

Theist Gal

In the case of a pre-adolescent making a false accusation, I'd be much more inclined to blame the parents, BUT if that child gets older, reaches adulthood and has still not recanted a false claim of abuse, I would consider that person to be every bit as vile as an actual molestor, since lives and ministries have been destroyed and in some cases men have even committed suicide.

We might be jumping to conclusions here when we assume they have parents. If they lie then they lie. Why they do it, when they do tell lies is the big question. Portioning blame out is too convenient. It's the mothers it's the Dads its the school system, it's elsewhere.

ICXC
NIKA

Daniel:

I agree that an extension of the statute of limitations should not be selective; it should apply to all defendants, whether they are priests, schoolteachers, stepfathers, policemen, firemen, white collar workers, blue collar workers. and the unemployed. A person who commits a deviate sexual act with a minor must pay his or her debt to society.

In Missouri, the proposed extension is applied equally to all. The strongest opponent to an extension is the Roman Catholic Church.

JP

Incognitus:

Every person accused of a crime is presumed to be innocent until proven to be guilty.

This even includes Osama bin Laden who must be assumed to be innocent until found to be guilty by a jury. Of course, hiding from the authorities is powerful evidence against him.

I can't help it if the media wants to prejudge the accused. The media's conduct is reprehensible. The cable news channels have to do something to attract viewers to their programs. Its no excuse for their behavior, however.

As to a defendant who is found not guilty by the jury, he or she can sue for malicious prosecution. Such lawsuits are filed everyday. The vast majority are amicably settled out of court with money going to the person wrongfully prosecuted.

JP

Dear Alex you said:

"What does NOT make the headlines is the numbers of priests who are routinely accused of this crime and who are automatically assumed to be guilty until proven innocent.

Even when they are shown to be innocent, the stigma of being accused in this manner in the first place often remains (I haven't done any studies of this, so I simply ask you to take my word for it on the basis of "intelligent subjectivity . . .)."

I say:

I couldn't agree with you more. One only has to read the lives of the saints to realize that almost every saint was calumnized in some way, and in most cases repeatedly.

These charges are really an attack on the Church as an institution, and it is pathetic. The same people that are encouraging the law suits, (undoubtably lawyers), at least in this country, do not realize that their tax money will end up paying for all the social work that the RCC does. So do they really want the government to take over these charities?

I know that the government workers that provide the social work will never accept the low wages that those in religious institutions, or individual churches, (whether Catholic or Protestant), are willing to accept...that is if they accept any wages. So what then the cost?

How self destructive we are. But then again, leave it to ignorance.

Zenovia