Posted on 03/09/2011 3:44:05 AM PST by Cardhu
The Archbishop of Philadelphia, Cardinal Justin Rigali, announced in a statement on Tuesday the suspension of 21 priests following examination of files implicating them in sexual abuse of minors.
The step initiated was in response to a grand jury report that was released last month where 37 priests were suspected of widespread child molestation.
These have been difficult weeks since the release of the Grand Jury Report: difficult most of all for victims of sexual abuse, but also for all Catholics and for everyone in our community," stated Cardinal Rigali.
"I wish to express again my sorrow for the sexual abuse of minors committed by any members of the Church, especially clergy. I am truly sorry for the harm done to the victims of sexual abuse, as well as to the members of our community who suffer as a result of this great evil and crime," he further added.
All the reported 37 cases were subjected to a review under the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, the Child Protective Services Act, the "Essential Norms" from the Charter for the Protection of Young People of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Archdiocese's Standards for Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries.
Apart from the 21 recently announced orders of suspension, three priests had already been suspended after the report was released in February.
The Grand Jury Report, presented on 21st January, 2011, contained a graphic description of instances of sexual abuse by priests of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The report also indicated that the abuse was "known, tolerated, and hidden by high church officials, up to and including the Cardinal himself."
It also stated that there are many abusers who are still on duty in the Archdiocese with "open access" to new young prey.
(Excerpt) Read more at uk.ibtimes.com ...
Hello?
Man needing woman = man molesting children?
Exactly what would it take to show you that does not make sense?
Congratulations! You have now inched out another as making one of the three most asinine comments I've seen in my dozen plus years as a FReeper.
Good question.
Harder than most people imagine and there's actually a message here for the Catholic hierarchy about the futility of some of the measures which they've supposedly enacted.
There has been a general assumption that after the enactment of the "Dallas Charter" of 2002 that everything was now OK. "Don't worry folks....we've instituted zero tolerance.....we'll clean up this mess!" However, the assumption that the simple enactment of some conference resolution by the bishops would solve the problem, always seemed naive to me.
Why?
Because long ago, the Church already had in place clear rules and regulations about the ordination of homosexual clergy and those rules were ignored. Why should we expect that one more set of rules would solve the issue?
As recent events in Philly have shown, they won't.
This problem won't be solved until the Church returns to actually following its own doctrine and the seminaries are straightened out. The current crop of homos must be flushed from the system and die off. Resolutions and declarations issued by the USCCB are just so much useless paper and these events in Philly may help them to see that.
Sorry..your request is denied.
There are too many good people in the Church...really good people.
On the other-hand, if you want to piss in the wind ..we won't stop you.
Again, nothing of value to add. Just insults, like a typical liberal...
Is there no 1 Corinthians 7:9 in your Bible?
Enough to discount about two millennia...
I am not going to comment on your sheltered life..let's just say..they didn't come up with the saying "go pound sand" for nothing. Some people will hump a tree to get it off. And no..I'm not a perv, I just work in the real world..the medical field.
Why? So we can spend our lives in a never ending rationalization of why life, the universe in general, and God in particular, does not conform to our favorite interpretation of the Bible like Protestants do?
Surely with all the accusations that have been made, at least one priest has been exonerated of charges leveled against him.
Did you know the name of said priest before I asked you about him?
I am totally unfamiliar with your charge. I’m sorry someone fed you a line that the Bible could not be understood.
For sure, there are difficult passages that require much study and prayer; but celibacy isn’t one of them.
Blessings.
Now can you cite the verse that tells you to use the Scriptures as a book of laws, and denies organic growth of the mechanisms of Church governance?
MM, as you well know, that is easier said than done.
I have predicted in the past that their will be an open schism in the American Catholic church one of these days. The rot is so entrenched it may be impossible to root out with out causing one.
I have seen this play out in many other churches, including the LCMS. Once you get enough people in power of that leaning, they will not willingly step aside.
I hear you.........
The value of my comment lies in exposing your duplicity.
Really... you actually write things like “everyone rapes children” and whinge about “personal attacks?”
You want to have a real debate: let’s go. If you want to snark like John Stewart, don’t cry about getting it back “in kind.”
Now can you cite the verse that tells you to use the Scriptures as a book of laws, and denies organic growth of the mechanisms of Church governance?Can you site the scriptures that tell us to follow non biblical sources that are on par with God Breathed scripture?
Certainly, there is no other God Breathed revelation the church universal can draw from. The principles found in scripture provide all we need for church growth.
I'm just getting to your responses, Cuomo. Now that I have your attention, I REALLY wanna "dance."
I agree: we need to get rid of priests and bishops who aren't Catholic.
Typical...
Show up on a thread about sex abuse in the Catholic church and do everything EXCEPT condemn the abuse. Instead you condemn those that condemn the abuse.
Who’s side are you on? Certainly not that of the victims...
All in black and white for everyone to read.
Like I said, typical...
Well I am going to comment on your non-disprovable inference.
Are you so enamored of your own opinion that you can actually believe if it were simply a matter of sexual gratification, these priests couldn't find a cooperative partner that wouldn't put them at risk of JAIL?
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