www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Boston Revelation Of Clergy - State Of Emergency

I'm not sure if this should go here but as to the Church being universal I'll put it here.


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According to the Milwaukee Journal, it has been discovered that the Boston Archdiocese in the last ten years has settled claims of child molestation against a whooping 70 Priests. And if that is not bad enough, through investigation conducted by the Boston Globe, documents reveal 19 current and former Priests. Four having already been found guilty in the court of law including former active Priest John J. Geoghan. And to add to all of this, these cases brought to light now, according to a number of the attorneys involved, represnt only a fraction of all the pedophile case, numerous that where settled in secret.

I have for some time defended the Catholic Church against it reputation as being a bed for a Priesthood of pedophilers. I'm not sure of what the state of our Eastern rite Catholics are. But I think now it is evident to declare the Catholic Church in a state of emergency. This news will rock it's laity to the core, and no amount of Papal plea for world peace and no war against butcherers like Terrorist or that Priest shouldn't give communion to active homosexuals, will be able to deflect from this obviously covered up and tolerated atrocities within the "Holy" Roman Catholic Church.

It is my suggestion that the Church should now move swiftly and decisively against what appears to be an opinion of men with pedophilic tendencies to view the Church as a place where they can operate at their personal lust level and get away with it.

This is very, very sad. We had a tragedy a decade or so ago at our parish in Minnesota. I don't understand Cardinal Law's passivity on this matter.

K.

Honestly, I have not been able to look at any priest the same way I did before all this. I used to defend our priest and say that 99% where pure and only a few were bad. Now I know that is not the case.

To make things worse there are 2 cases 1 in the south and 1 in Ill. regarding priest selling drugs. Currently, both cases are waiting for there cases to be heard in court.

Here is a link to one of those stories:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-date30.html

I am so ashamed of the Roman Catholic Bishops and the way they handle these cases. From my familys New Orleans days there where many of these cases that people just did not talk about. (That is one of the reasons I no longer go to a Roman Catholic Church but a Byzantine Catholic Church - I don't like the American RC Bishops)

Why can't the Church just send these people to Monastaries when something like this happens after they get out of Jail? If they don't agree with the Church tell them to take off the collar. If we have a shortage of Priest - Well so be it!

This is sad. Let's consider this thread a request to pray for all those who have been involved – those who have been harmed and those who have harmed others.

Please don't turn this thread into tabloid thread were we publicly discuss other peoples problems. That will do no good to anyone whereas prayer will do everyone much good. While all topics can be discussed on The Byzantine Forum there has been far too much emphasis on tearing one another down rather than on building up the Church.

I agree. The sharing of news and discussing views is alright, but as these things generally have the tendency of breaking out into something they shouldn't have a chance to develop into, I say we should pray, and continue to pray.

Let's reverse this around. What is the root case for these problems? Does the Orthodox Church have to deal with this situation?

What can be done to help our priest? What can the Laity do?

Admin,

I understand what you are saying. And believe me I don't want to add agony to these Priest who I'm sure (for most of them anyways) are tormented inside. I have my own serious issues to deal with. I don't speak about them here publicly, and I don't mean to hide myself in the dark and then point my finger at those that are reaveld under the light. But I have had some real issues with the direction of our modern Catholic Church since I was turned away from a monastary, a monastic in which I was not to highly impressed with to say the least - though I was highly impressed with the young man (friar) who escorted me. While we all need forgiveness and charity - Priest included - there still is the matter of protecting the Church and giving the people of God the leadership they deserve. Molesting the young boys of Catholic parents is not what I call "evangilizing". It seems the Church can bend over backward to Protestinize the Mass, court the rich and powerful, apologize for wrongs it may not have even committed, but refuse to protect catholic boys from a Priesthood racked with pedophilers. *NOTE* I in know way mean to imply that all Catholic Priest are pedophilers. Infact I am indebted to the charity and good character of a few Priest.

Someone asked why don't they send these Priest to the monastery - good question, it actually would be the most charitable thing to do, it is preferable to prison. And may I say it has more characteristics to it that allow for spiritual growth then prisons. But while I admittedly only went to one monastic grounds (that was of the friar oreintation) and so my observation is very limited, I did come away with the feeling that the monastics (at least here in America) is lack-a-dazzical and mostly concerned with their realistate and golf courses. I've seen more discipline in the most undisciplined military unit. *disclaimer* Again I admit limited observation and experience.

Every denomination, Catholic, Protestant (and I daresay Orthodox, but that is speculation without data) has had and probably will have to deal with this type of situation.

The Catholics just get the media attention.

In the past, it was widespread practice to hush it up & simply transfer the offending clergy. (At the same time, it was common to blame the victim in abusive marital situations.) Thank God times are changing.

How to prevent it? Perhaps better screening before & during seminary, and before ordination? No system will prevent 100% of abuse, but we can all do a better job. It's only recently that Rome has spoken on the matter as well - until now it's been a diocesan matter, with few if any written policies on how to deal with either the perpetrator or victim of sexual abuse. God grant that will change, at least to the point of dioceses having real policies which address the concerns of the faithful in terms of prevention, accountability & professional help when there is a need.

Prayer is indeed needed, but prayer alone can't fix it.

Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

I think, and liberal Fr Andrew Greeley, a Roman Catholic and a sociologist, agrees, that this problem happens among clergy at the same microscopic percentage as it does in the general population, and across the board religiously. The most recent such scandal in my area involved a married Protestant minister.

The Roman Catholic Church is far bigger than any one Orthodox or Protestant group in the US, so the problem perhaps is more visible there.

http://oldworldrus.com

Dear Friends,

Reader Sergius is quite right.

This happens with hockey coaches etc. but the RC Church is given the media attention on the basis of an agenda that would like to assign some sort of causality vis a vis this problem with mandatory celibacy among the clergy.

As if should the clergy be given the freedom to marry today, the pedophiles would disappear tomorrow.

Priests who are celibate don't become pedophiles. If they are pedophiles, they were so before they were ordained.

The problem is bad, however, as there is a tendency to paint a whole group with the same brush as a result of the crimes of a few, including the Church herself.

That is why it is important to write to newspapers about all the good that our Church and its priests are doing.

If we write ten letters and one gets published, we will have accomplished a great deal.

Alex

This happens with hockey coaches etc. but the RC Church is given the media attention on the basis of an agenda that would like to assign some sort of causality vis a vis this problem with mandatory celibacy among the clergy.

Thanks, Alex. Yes, teachers, coaches, et al. have been caught doing this, but Catholic clergy are picked on especially by the American media owing partly to longstanding anti-Catholicism in the culture.

http://oldworldrus.com

I will tell you what I do.

a) I avoid discussing these issues over the internet because poor folks with a fierce hatred for Catholicism, even Christianity, twist and turn the information or even honest sentiments for their own purposes.

b) I write to various hierarchs and remind them that the clergy are not exempt from criminal prosecution and they are subject to the same criminal, civil, and religious laws and moral standards as mere laymen.

The priesthood is, in some ways, a tight knit fraternity which is entirely male orientated and has a sort of "club" mentality. In the past priests have been protected and shielded by the hierarchy when they actually should have been prosecuted for their criminal acts.

Unfortunately, those who were ordained by God to be our moral leaders often looked the other way, showed no moral or pastoral concern for the victims of these criminals and even flaunted a chancery attitude of..."Well...Father XYZ is a priest....and we must be more understanding and indulgent in his case." You get the point----a twisted and sick double standard: "He is one of us, you know!," mentality. "Circle the wagons!"

That attitude worked well when so man Catholics had a superstitious and slave mentality vis a vis the priesthood. And there still are those who are so neurotic and emotionally immature that they would never question the actions and lifestyle of a priest under any circumstances. But, thank God, the vast majority of Catholics have moved far beyond that dumb as a stone and weak as a dishrag mentality.

Well, I have violated my first rule--a--but I hope you will find my position helpful.

Just keep reminding the hierarchy that they are not above the law of God and the church and you will hold them financially (they always listen when money speaks) responsible for their actions via pedophilia in the church.

In the eyes of the Holy Mother of God, children trump priests, and even popes.

Sonny

Wait a second!

Maximus, you are paraphrasing (1) a "report" in the "Milwaukee Journal" of 70 pedophilia cases as having been "settled" by the Archdiocese of Boston during the last 10 years and (2) citing the "Boston Globe" as "reporting" 4 convictions out of 19 pending cases.

Before we air our dirty linen in public, let us get the hard facts pertaining to each of the reports you mentioned. At best, your citations are third hand and are, therefore, hearsay. Do we have any means of securing the records from the Archdiocese re the 70 cases settled out of court?

In successfully posting your thread in this board, everybody is now allowed to voice, unhindered, his/her comments on the subject matter. Personally, I have problems in this regard because if it is true that there are 15 remaining undecided cases before the Boston courts, discussions or comments that may go astray and touch upon those pending cases, albeit tangentially, are unwarranted and pre-judgmental and may be against the civil law in that jurisdiction. Somebody please get the records of the 4 decided cases and let us discuss and hammer them out into pulp bits!

I now request the Administrator and/or the Moderator of this board to suspend the discussion of the thread indefinitely until we have the facts confirming the above reports.

Fraternally yours in Christ,

AmdG

I use to say this. But I no longer can, it is evident this attitude does not reflect reality.

The Catholic Bishops have a duty to their Priests to back them up and not to throw them to the dogs but they also have a duty to their catholic children and those childrens catholic parents. I'm afraid the Archbishop of Boston in my opinion should step down from his post.

I tell you what, Bishops of the Catholic Church would be on-guard through out the world if I were the Pope, because I would not hestitate to strip a Bishop of his post and flock and take one of the good young studs I know in seminary and give him the Bishops miter and staff of that same post, h#$$ I would take a catholic city bus driver in Boston in good standing with the Church and give him the Archbishops watch in Boston. We'll get through it and we'll get through it together - damn his would be lack of theological training or the Priest shortage. And if any Bishop would have a problem with it they could come see me in Rome I'm sure there's a open field in the Vatican somewhere - we can trade blows to the chest, last man standing wins.