Pope begs forgiveness for church sex scandal

AFP/Google ^ | June 11, 2010 | Gina Doggett

[vanilla swirl]

“Give the Catholic Church credit!”

Actually, I do. Probably (although I don’t have proof) the incidence of abuse cases by Catholic priests isn’t much different from Protestants or even the general population. I think Catholics have been put more in the spotlight because they have the assumed reputation of being more “pure” than the general public.
Too bad.
It makes all of us who follow Christ look bad.

[Salvation]

You may be right on the public apology. I know many have, though.

However, what we don’t know is how many offending priests have sought forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation — usually done with a spiritual advisor.

Nor do we know how many were grandted absolution and the forgiveness of God that absolution of the priest conveys. God forgives and forgets those sins confessed and forgiven, provided adequate penance is performed.

[Grunthor]

“I don’t see Gene Robinson or the European Lutherans being defrocked. And I don’t see Benny Hinn being booted out, or Joyce Meyers for her views.”

THose people are for the most part n9ot worth listening to however I must ask given the subject matter of the thread; “Who did they rape?”

[FourtySeven]

Not to hijack the thread, but hasn’t the Pope (different Popes of couse) spoken ex cathedra two times since 1870? Once, to declare the Assumtion to be dogma, and the other to declare the Immaculate Conception dogma? I’ve never really known for sure how many times it’s occured. It seems to be a debatable topic, isn’t it?

[Cronos]

I was replying to caww who talked about people being defrocked.

[Cronos]

Good point, however, that was prior to the solemn definition of 1870 when Pope Pius IX, with the support of the overwhelming majority of Roman Catholic bishops, had proclaimed the Immaculate Conception of Mary an ex cathedra dogma in December 1854.

According to the Vatican

For how many times, Catholic theologian and church historian Klaus Schatz made a thorough study, published in 1985, that identified the following list of ex cathedra documents (see Creative Fidelity: Weighing and Interpreting Documents of the Magisterium, by Francis A. Sullivan, chapter 6):

A 1998 commentary on Ad Tuendam Fidem, written by Cardinals Ratzinger (the later Pope Benedict XVI) and Bertone, the prefect and secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, listed a number of instances of infallible pronouncements by popes and by ecumenical councils, but explicitly stated (at no. 11) that this was not meant to be a complete list

Of course, the number of infallible pronouncements by ecumenical councils is much more than the number of infallible pronouncements by popes.

[Cronos]

That's the point --> you said "Protestants remove the offenders from leadership..." --> but that's not correct, as you admitted there are Protestant groups that don't. Even Haggard came back to create a new Protestant group. you do have bad eggs on both sides

Haggard or Hinn are hardly defining examples of all Pentecostal-word-of-lifers or whichever sub-sub-grouping of a Protestant group they belong to no more than the 2% of bad priests are a comment on all Catholics.

My point being that your statement was incorrect considering the ECUSA, European state "churches" etc.

Anyway, leaving that aside, the good thing is, as you pointed out, the Baptists keep a strict view and the Pope is also cleaning house.

[Grunthor]

“who talked about people being defrocked.”

Defrocked for what?