Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Pope Reportedly Says Two Percent of Priests Are Pedophiles, Vatican Balks
NBC News ^ | 07/14/2014

Posted on 07/14/2014 9:10:03 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd

Pope Francis on Sunday was quoted by an Italian newspaper saying that about two percent — or 1 in 50 — of Roman Catholic priests are pedophiles, but the Vatican quickly released a statement saying the pontiff had been misquoted. Church officials also said that the journalist who did the story for La Repubblica had a history of having long conversations with public figures without taking notes or taping them, and then reconstructing them from memory.

~snip~

"Many of my collaborators who fight with me (against pedophilia) reassure me with reliable statistics that say that the level of pedophilia in the Church is at about two percent," Francis was quoted as saying.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: pedophiles; pope; priests
Two percent?

I wonder what the stats are regarding those who look the other way.

1 posted on 07/14/2014 9:10:03 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

I wonder what the stats are for trolls?


2 posted on 07/14/2014 9:11:28 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The more numerous the laws, the more corrupt the government." --Tacitus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd
the journalist who did the story for La Repubblica had a history of having long conversations with public figures without taking notes or taping them, and then reconstructing them from memory.

Yeah, he's the guy Francis should sit down and talk with.

3 posted on 07/14/2014 9:12:02 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Conservatism is the political disposition of grown-ups.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd
I know how to solve the pedophile priest problem in the United States for the Pope.

Have the problem priests sign up to be Boy Scout troop leaders in their spare time...

4 posted on 07/14/2014 9:14:41 AM PDT by kiryandil (making the jests that some FReepers aren't allowed to...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

Worldwide, just over 2% have been accused. Just over 1% have been convicted. That’s less than other areas such as teacher, or male relative.

That said … one priest doing this is one too many.


5 posted on 07/14/2014 9:17:24 AM PDT by al_c (Obama's standing in the world has fallen so much that Kenya now claims he was born in America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jeff Chandler

What? 90 year old atheists can’t be trusted here?

/sarc


6 posted on 07/14/2014 9:19:38 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (NO LIBS. This Means Liberals and (L)libertarians! Same Thing. NO LIBS!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: al_c
Just over 1% have been convicted.

Since the average conviction rate is 2% of all crimes perpetrated, that isn't comforting.

7 posted on 07/14/2014 9:19:45 AM PDT by aimhigh (1 John 3:23)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

“In the United States the 2004 John Jay Report commissioned and funded by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) was based upon volunteer surveys completed by the Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States. The 2004 John Jay Report was based on a study of 10,667 allegations against 4,392 priests accused of engaging in sexual abuse of a minor between 1950 and 2002.”

“The 4,392 priests who were accused amount to approximately 4% of the 109,694 priests in active ministry during that time.”

Source: Wikipedia.org Subject: Catholic sex abuse cases


8 posted on 07/14/2014 9:23:58 AM PDT by Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: aimhigh

Not 1% of the 2% accused. 1% of priests worldwide. Meaning that almost half of the cases might possibly have been falsely accused.


9 posted on 07/14/2014 9:25:38 AM PDT by al_c (Obama's standing in the world has fallen so much that Kenya now claims he was born in America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Trapped Behind Enemy Lines

Sad that the percentage in the states is higher than worldwide stats. What does that say about our society?


10 posted on 07/14/2014 9:26:33 AM PDT by al_c (Obama's standing in the world has fallen so much that Kenya now claims he was born in America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd
Two percent?

So is that good or bad???

11 posted on 07/14/2014 9:32:45 AM PDT by Uncle Chip
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: al_c

When the church in the 60s decided that admitted homosexuals could enter the priesthood.... that was when it let the wolf in... Now I have little doubt that ~25% of Catholic priests are likely homosexuals who trade sex acts for promotions and power and are blackmailed as well over it. They have created a Cabal within the church that goes all the way to the Holy See.... Until they are purged from the church, you will continue to see the church rot from within.


12 posted on 07/14/2014 9:43:49 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

Why would the Catholic priesthood attract pedophiles? It doesn’t make sense. Priests do not have unfettered access to pre-pubescent children as do elementary school teachers, pre-elementary school teachers, and social workers.

It does make sense that the Catholic priesthood would attract homosexuals. Priest do have unfettered access to other men and, to some degree, pubescent altar boys.

The media frenzy over pedophilia in the priesthood appears to primarily serve as a cover for homosexual activity by priests.


13 posted on 07/14/2014 9:46:10 AM PDT by Prolixus (We feed; they breed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

I suspect that what he was referring to was the % of homosexual priests who have abused young boys, mostly teenage boys.

That is not pedophilia.

Also, Pope Benedict XVI had every seminary visited [all over the world] and procedures regarding denying Holy Orders to known homosexuals were instigated early during his pontificate. Psychological tests are now given, character witnesses questioned, several lengthy interviews, etc. The quality of the young priests being ordained in the last decade is much higher, both in character, and in theological training.


14 posted on 07/14/2014 10:09:36 AM PDT by Gumdrop (~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

Whatever the percentage is of pedophiles within the priesthood, 100% of the Catholic Church has engaged in a cover-up of their perversion. The church has only admitted that any of this was true when they were dragged kicking and screaming into the courtroom.


15 posted on 07/14/2014 10:25:52 AM PDT by Dr. Thorne ("Don't be afraid. Just believe." - Mark 5:36)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

Stop saying pedophiles. It’s more than that. They’re homosexuals doing what they do....solicit...engage and cause grief.


16 posted on 07/14/2014 10:28:09 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gumdrop

“young priests”

Not so sure about that anymore. According to our pastor the average age of a man entering into a Catholic seminary these days is about 35 years old...many considerably older.

You are quite right about all of the layers of psychological testing, physical examinations, background checks, and extensive interviewing which the Church has put into place to screen out candidates for the priesthood since the homosexual/pedophile priest scandal. According to our pastor only about one in ten candidates for priesthood are actually accepted into the seminary.

And I see this morning in the Drudgereport, that Pope Francis is recommending major changes in the Church’s policy of compulsory clerical celibacy.


17 posted on 07/14/2014 11:09:01 AM PDT by Trapped Behind Enemy Lines
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Thorne

Yes, it’s the institutional cover-up that’s the scandal. Bishops shielding pedophiles from the law - and transferring them to other parishes, with unsuspecting congregations.


18 posted on 07/14/2014 10:12:32 PM PDT by WilliamIII
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson