was shocked at his evading her direct question as to whether homosexuals should be ordained into the
priesthood. A disgusting, politically correct walk-around answer to her question four times before she finally nailed him to
respond. His answer? "We are looking for chaste men, hetersexual or homosexual doesn't really matter, who are
called into a life of service to God." Made me gag, and I'm not even a Catholic.
I am, however, a Bible-believing Christian saved by grace, who was victimized from the age of 9 to 17 by a Protestant
pastor (associate to my own father, the senior Pastor), who molested and raped me repeated under
the guise of a loving, trusting relationship. This happened day after day, year after year right in front of
people...adults who told me years later they knew something wasn't right about my relationship with him and his wife.
Catholic priests don't have a corner on sin and evil when it comes to hurting children. Plenty of Protestant "God-
fearing" ministers who know exactly who the needy ones are, who are patient and take their time in gaining trust,
who know which parents aren't paying attention, and who will wait until heads are turned, to pounce down on their prey.
Prayers for Roger Mahoney?? Nope. Don't think so. He's as sick as the rest from this girl's perspective. If he's
willing to call perversion equal with God-ordained male/female desires, he'd also easily turn his back on evil
behavior even knowing that the weak are being violated by the powerful. He's probably got a lot of practice.
Thankfully, I've had gracious, compassionate influences along the way who helped me find MY way through the despair
that years of childhood sexual abuse brings. God bless those who see, and hear, and acknowledge, and
reach out, and rescue the dying and the hopeless.
That's all....
I pray for Cardinal Mahony in part because the Bible tells me to do so, but also because I have felt called to pray for him to have a redemptive encounter with Jesus like Paul did on the road to Damascus. Since Jesus could turn Paul's life upside down and around, so I pray the Lord will do the same with Cardinal Mahony -- not out of retribution -- but for the honor and glory of God, the truth of his Word, his Son Jesus Christ.
You are right; this is not limited to Catholic clergy, but is something that appears in any situation where people have power and authority over others - and hide behind this power for their own purposes, abusing the trust and respect given to them.
There used to be a prayer in the Office of Compline with which people ended the day, one line of which was: "The Devil like a roaring line goes about seeking whom he may devour." The Devil is always lying in wait, and certainly found good pickings among the clergy.
This is particularly true because for the last 30 years or so, many churches have adopted the anything goes mentality of the world, and the clergy has not been subject to much control or discipline (in the Catholic Church, at least). The really grevious thing in the case of the Catholic clergy is that the institution, which should now be in sackcloth and ashes for its neglect of its duties, has done everything possible to hide and protect the evil ones that it should have driven out with lashes from its midst.