Posted on 09/29/2009 9:31:08 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
The Vatican has lashed out at criticism over its handling of its paedophilia crisis by saying the Catholic church was "busy cleaning its own house" and that the problems with clerical sex abuse in other churches were as big, if not bigger.
In a defiant and provocative statement, issued following a meeting of the UN human rights council in Geneva, the Holy See said the majority of Catholic clergy who committed such acts were not paedophiles but homosexuals attracted to sex with adolescent males.
The statement, read out by Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican's permanent observer to the UN, defended its record by claiming that "available research" showed that only 1.5%-5% of Catholic clergy were involved in child sex abuse.
He also quoted statistics from the Christian Scientist Monitor newspaper to show that most US churches being hit by child sex abuse allegations were Protestant and that sexual abuse within Jewish communities was common.
He added that sexual abuse was far more likely to be committed by family members, babysitters, friends, relatives or neighbours, and male children were quite often guilty of sexual molestation of other children.
The statement said that rather than paedophilia, it would "be more correct" to speak of ephebophilia, a homosexual attraction to adolescent males.
"Of all priests involved in the abuses, 80 to 90% belong to this sexual orientation minority which is sexually engaged with adolescent boys between the ages of 11 and 17."
The statement concluded: "As the Catholic church has been busy cleaning its own house, it would be good if other institutions and authorities, where the major part of abuses are reported, could do the same and inform the media about it."
The Holy See launched its counter–attack after an international representative of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, Keith Porteous Wood
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Sorry you couldn't find it.
It really takes a sick mind to turn that logo into something dirty.
It’s a Rorschach test, and the pervert sees the child facing away from the point of view.
You put your words in their mouth and then complain about what they did not say.
Yeah, that is disgusting.
I think the Vatican would like to point this out because everyone else is AFRAID to.
Child/sex abuse is RAMPANT in islam, but it is a “protected” religion. You will NOT see the median/Hollywood trying to expose it the way you will see them trying to expose it in Catholicism.
Maybe it is “juvenile”, but it IS valid.
I’m confused, their not pedophiles but homosexuals attracted to sex with adolescent males? OK I guess its pre-pubescent versus adolescent. Its all sick, is all wrong, the church denomination, gender, pre-pubery, post-puberty etc is irrelevant. It saddens me that “spirtual leaders” are pointing their fingers saying look they are just as bad or worse. “Only 1.5-5% of Catholic Clergy were involved in child sex abuse” The hearts and souls of our children are not percentages or statistics. How many children have not received Christ or have turned away from God because of the abuses that happened to them at “church” whether Catholic, Baptist, Luthern whatever denomination. The Church of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ should and must be first and formost a sanctuary for the children in our society
Shame on any church that doesn’t look the world in the eye when this happens in their church and take full responsibility and accountability. Pointing fingers, statistics and presenting statistics is for politicans not the Church of Jesus Christ our Priest, our King, our Savior!
I just realized some of you like this Vatican statement and are not bothered by it at all.
As an American it does bug me to see American Jews and Protestants dragged into this thing between the UN and the Vatican.
Saying that child abuse is “common” in American Jewish Synagogues is really even more disgusting.
That's not the question.
You spat:
Oh, well that makes it okay then.At what point did the Vatican official say anything like "makes it okay?"
Take your time.
Yes, dear.
Your come-on is not welcome. Stop embarrassing yourself.
So, only American Catholics may comment???
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
Also, do not use potty language - or references to potty language - on the Religion Forum.
It was a Rorschach test. It really takes a sick mind to turn two words - "yes dear" - into something dirty.
Call it an informed, common-sense individual interpretation.
Oh, wait, the RCC disapproves of that.
Perhaps you'd like to venture an explanation of what the point of bringing this up was if not to deflect blame?
Take your time.
From now on I’ll play it safe and assume other posters are ignorant and unthinking - no more “You know” benefit of the doubt.
I would not want to lie.
I didn’t say it was dirty. I said it was a come-on.
Stop embarrassing yourself.
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