As the article pointed out, the problem is not primarily pedophilia, which is sex with children before the age of puberty. Their studies have shown that the great majority of those molested were post-puberty, which means the problem is not pedophilia but homosexuality. Many of the victims were young men attempting to become priests, and were pressured to have gay sex or lose their place in the seminary. One report I read said that the seminary, if it dismisses someone, that young person has to repay the expenses of his education; and that many vulnerable young men from poor backgrounds submitted to the pressure rather than burden their families.
In my experience as an older person who grew up in an America when homosexuality was overwhelmingly regarded as an unfortunate, unwelcome and/or sinful behavior, there were decades in which I struggled to come to terms with the political pressures in favor of itdecades in which I, and most other people, simply could not form dispassionate language or objective comments about itthe understanding of homosexuality as an abomination in God's eyes had been deeply impressed upon most Christians. It took actual grad school study of the history of constitutional law regarding family for me to be able to discuss the matter objectively, even though I worked in the arts for 40 years and had many gay friends and colleagues.
So I think this deep abhorrence for acts that Catholic teachings regard as unholy and offensive to God has retarded the Catholic church's recognition or appropriate action about this crisis. And now it simply can't be swept under the rug any moreit's become so deeply institutionalized that wiping it out threatens to destroy, economically and reputationally, the entire RC church. By extension, all of Christianity will suffer.
Any perv going after young teens would do kids in a heartbeat given the opportunity.
It's not better because it was teens and not kids younger. It was probably just a matter of access.
Thank you and I agree with your assessment for the most part except I believe anyone over 18 having sex with anyone under 18 is committing pedophilia except under very exclusive circumstances such as childhood sweethearts with one being a year or two older but were together when they were both underage.
Maybe the law describes it different but kids can’t think right with their still developing brains. In truth I don’t believe most kids are truly adults mentally until around the age of 25. Boys just want to hump and girls are all emotional and mixed up. Well, so are the boys I guess, but boys generally think about 2 things; food and sex. If you offer him a sammich and he declines; you know what is on his mind.
Back to the RC; it will survive this. Damaged, hurt, bruised, and maybe even crippled; but it will survive. I wonder if the priests in Europe are the same way. I’ve been to Vatican. A truly wondrous place with a lot of power which is probably why certain factions want to take it down a notch. They may have even played the long game making the homo/pedo thing flourish and mature until there would be no way the church could deny it.
These days I put nothing past the evil ones behind the scenes. Nothing. They want pure global control. Not just as back seat drivers, movers, and shakers; but likely a more public look at some point. Conspiracy theories abound but in my experience there’s usually some truth to the more plausible ones.