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Prominent Priest Defended Child Sex Abusers, Later Apologizes
Yahoo News ^ | 08/30/2012 | Colleen Curry

Posted on 08/31/2012 8:35:36 AM PDT by wyowolf

A well-known Catholic priest who hosts a weekly religious television show said in an interview this week that child sex abusers are often seduced by teenage boys and should not go to jail on a first offense. But the comments were removed by the website that published them and replaced by an apology from the priest and the site's editors.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: priest
Seriously?? sick!!
1 posted on 08/31/2012 8:35:39 AM PDT by wyowolf
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To: wyowolf

I seriously doubt that even the gayest of gay teenagers would want to seduce a 79 year old priest.

That being said, I am waiting for the administration at Penn State to trot out this defense.


2 posted on 08/31/2012 8:40:08 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: wyowolf

InB4 FR Catholic apologizers 3,2,1...


3 posted on 08/31/2012 8:40:32 AM PDT by trailhkr1
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To: wyowolf

Excommunication—Now!


4 posted on 08/31/2012 8:43:31 AM PDT by Arm_Bears (Re-distribute my work ethic, not my wealth.)
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To: wyowolf
should not go to jail on a first offense.

Public authorities are not those keeping count.

The term "first offense," for serial perverts, means first time caught.

5 posted on 08/31/2012 8:43:31 AM PDT by OldNavyVet
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To: wyowolf
Fr. Groeschel is a holy many who was in a serious car accident a few years ago, from which he has never recovered fully. After the accident, he was in a coma for a month. As a result of he accident, his cognitive abilities are seriously and permanently impaired. The archdiocese of New York and Groeschel’s own order of priests have repudiated his remarks, and groschel himself has recanted, apologized, and asked for understanding in light of his brain injuries.
6 posted on 08/31/2012 8:45:32 AM PDT by utahagen
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To: wyowolf
Fr. Groeschel is a holy many who was in a serious car accident a few years ago, from which he has never recovered fully. After the accident, he was in a coma for a month. As a result of he accident, his cognitive abilities are seriously and permanently impaired. The archdiocese of New York and Groeschel’s own order of priests have repudiated his remarks, and groschel himself has recanted, apologized, and asked for understanding in light of his brain injuries.
7 posted on 08/31/2012 8:46:19 AM PDT by utahagen
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To: wyowolf; Buckeye McFrog
This is seriously wrong, inexcusable. Fr. Greschel, who's about 80, had head injuries from a near-fatal car accident a few years ago, and several strokes since then. I wonder if tha has had an impact on his ability to think clearly?

That does not, however, explain why the Register put it up on their website --- and then took it down.

Horribly bad judgment all around.

8 posted on 08/31/2012 8:49:08 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o
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To: utahagen

Here’s an idea. Don’t let him host a program.


9 posted on 08/31/2012 8:49:25 AM PDT by AppyPappy (If you really want to annoy someone, point out something obvious that they are trying hard to ignore)
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To: utahagen
who was in a serious car accident a few years ago, from which he has never recovered fully. After the accident, he was in a coma for a month. As a result of he accident, his cognitive abilities are seriously and permanently impaired.

Then he should no longer be on television. Just like Pat Robertson.


10 posted on 08/31/2012 8:49:48 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Mrs. Don-o
Horribly bad judgment all around.

Indeed. When people have gone dotty, it's important for those around them to recognize it and keep them away from cameras, audio recorders, and keyboards. (Pat Robertson springs to mind, as someone who's been having Extremely Stupid outbreaks, apparently unchecked.)

It's hard, though, when a person was once very impressive, when he was "all there."

11 posted on 08/31/2012 8:52:32 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Now a hit television series starring Judi Dench!)
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To: AppyPappy

I agree completely.


12 posted on 08/31/2012 8:52:57 AM PDT by utahagen
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To: AppyPappy

He really shouldn’t be hosting this program. I think he’s been confused and out of it for some time, but more or less in gratitude for all the good work he did before the accident, he’s been allowed to continue with his public appearances.

I suspect this will be the last of them.


13 posted on 08/31/2012 8:59:13 AM PDT by livius
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To: wyowolf

I agree. Fr. Groeschel is a wonderful man, a true priest. But he probably is suffering from some sort of brain damage to have said this.

To put it in perspective, I think it is probably true that a good man of the small percentage of priests who have affairs are seduced by the women or young men with whom they have those affairs. Perhaps even a majority, although that must be pure speculation.

But a priest is a priest, sworn to serve God. It’s his job to refuse any such temptations, and if he gives in to them, that’s no excuse.

In other words, he may be technically correct in what he says, but he never would have put it that way when he was entirely sound of mind.


14 posted on 08/31/2012 9:01:16 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Cicero
But a priest is a priest, sworn to serve God. It’s his job to refuse any such temptations, and if he gives in to them, that’s no excuse.

Yes, and the same for a husband or wife, no matter how desirable and/or provocative the potential adulterous partner is.

15 posted on 08/31/2012 9:03:26 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Now a hit television series starring Judi Dench!)
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To: wyowolf

This guy should be banned from any future public appearances. He apparently has lost it and should be sent out to pasture unless its revealed he is a pedophile.


16 posted on 08/31/2012 9:05:35 AM PDT by kenmcg (t)
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To: wyowolf
Father Groeschel previously made very appropriate remarks about what a shame such behavior is and how harm harmful. I agree with those who say this is probably an example of age and injury having confused him. His seminars on sin and virtue are so excellent. He'll probably have to stop doing tv and radio, but sorry to see him go off the air.
17 posted on 08/31/2012 9:15:03 AM PDT by Missouri gal
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To: wyowolf

No they shouldn’t go to jail on first offense. They should be shot and removed from the gene pool.


18 posted on 08/31/2012 9:36:13 AM PDT by formosa
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To: Buckeye McFrog
Gosh, those old priests are hot! Not!

I remember when I was a teen I thought anybody over 30 was ancient. The thought of having sex with some old person was ridiculous, given all the teen hotties at school.

Turns out I was completely wrong. There was no sex with the hotties, none with the “old” people, & I had to get old myself to realize that sex with “old” people is great.

19 posted on 08/31/2012 9:37:12 AM PDT by Mister Da (The mark of a wise man is not what he knows, but what he knows he doesn't know!)
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To: Mister Da

The priest in my former parish was in his forties when he made advances to a number of boys.

What Fr. Groeschel said was that some boys may seek a father figure, and the physical affection they lack. If both the boy and the priest are vulnerable to homosexual attraction, they can be seduced by the physical contact. Groeschel very improperly put the focus on the boy, and given that many, probably most, of the priests were serial abusers it is ridiculous to focus on the first offense.

It is very hard to go through life without physical affection - those priests with a large family near by are fortunate, but that was more the old days. A priest I loved and respected dearly had a dog that was nearly always with him except for the mass.

Anyway, it IS proper to speculate, how a man who does not start out intending to do something evil, who was not initially a predator, can become enmeshed in evil and justify it to himself. But Groeschel probably would have done better to look at the seminaries, rather than at vulnerable teenage boys, who are unlikely to have been the first homosexual contact for these priests. Still it’s a big world, and Groeschel probably counselled some for who that was the case - if they weren’t lying to him and justifying themselves.


20 posted on 08/31/2012 10:25:55 AM PDT by heartwood
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