Priests, Abuse, and the Meltdown of a Culture. The lessons of an important new study.

National Review ^ | 05/19/2011 | George Weigel

[TSgt]

A complete and disgusting white wash by the Catholic church.

The only thing missing from there unrepentant report is, “the children were just asking to be raped.”

I have to go throw up now.

[rlmorel]

The root is not pedophilia. It is homosexuality. As much as homosexuals complain and protest, it is the truth.

[bboop]

You don’t just suppose, as has happened in history many times before, that ‘someone’ does not like the Catholic Church and wants to destroy it? So that man can be God? just a thot.

Satan hates the Cross and all it stands for.

[bboop]

I agree — further, that it is the Homosexual Agenda and the 60’s mentality that set this all up as a way to ‘change’ (read, destroy) the Catholic Church.

Goes with: “Priests should be married,’ ‘the Catholic Church is a patriarchy,’ ‘women are hopelessly subjugated in the CC, marriage, etc.’

It is a fight to the finish, too.

[sigzero]

I am not sure what side you are arguing. You say “Priest should be married”. “Should” is too hard a word. “Priest can marry” is much better AND biblical. That one change might not help the CC but at least it would have the biblical stance on what the Bible says.

[Flightdeck]

“...ephebophilia (a sexual attraction to adolescents, often boys) was clearly a serious problem. But to label this a “pedophilia crisis” is ignorant, sloppy, or malicious.”

Malicious, because ephebophilia is so much less disgusting and evil than pedophilia? This report is pathetic and as trustworthy as a critique of the Glenn Beck Show paid for by Media Matters.

[wideawake]

Again, you prove that you are incapable of analytical thought.

[babble-on]

depends on your definition of “pedophile”.

I agree with you. This is a whitewash, setting up “tropes” i.e. straw men, and then defeating those strawmen, leaves you where we started. There was systematic tolerance of sexual abuse of minors by priests, over generations, and nothing was done about it until the media got involved.

[bboop]

I do not agree that priests should be married. I am saying this is part of the 60s agenda to destroy the Catholic Church. That’s why those things are in quotes.

[Hacksaw]

Again, you prove that you are incapable of analytical thought.

Careful, you're going to get accused of "supporting child rape" now.

[Bigg Red]

MARK

[mas cerveza por favor]

A Church that was not in doctrinal and moral confusion from the late 1960s until the 1978 election of John Paul II might have been better armored against the worst impacts of the sexual free-for-all unleashed in the mid-1960s.

The Church hierarchy was mired in doctrinal and moral confusion all through the JP2 papacy. Weigel's attempt to whitewash his hero John Paul "the Great" is pathetic.

Also, the idea of blaming Church problems on society is backward. Christians are supposed to the leaven of society.

[wideawake]

Malicious, because ephebophilia is so much less disgusting and evil than pedophilia?

Would you feel the same about a 30 year old man who is attracted to 17 year old girls and a 30 year old man who is attracted to 7 year old girls?

No difference in the two as far as you're concerned?

[mas cerveza por favor]

They should call this report the John Gay study.

[End Times Sentinel]

A complete and disgusting white wash by the Catholic church.

The only thing missing from there unrepentant report is, “the children were just asking to be raped.”

You didn't even read far enough to see who wrote the report. Nothing like being open to information.

[Upstate NY Guy]

Most of those abused (51 percent) were aged eleven to fourteen and 27 percent of victims were fifteen to seventeen; 16 percent were eight to ten and 6 percent were younger than seven....clearly a serious problem. But to label this a “pedophilia crisis” is ignorant, sloppy, or malicious.

What???! Not pedophilia??? This writer is nuts. Any man who wants to have sex with a boy 17 years or younger is a seriously sick pedophile. And more than half of the abused kids 14 years or younger! Unfreakingbelievable that this writer does not consider this behavior to be a pedophilia crisis.

This article clearly points out why this problem continues to go on decade after decade...too many people who could do something about it are in denial.

[Mr Rogers]

“Clerical ephebophilia (a sexual attraction to adolescents, often boys) was clearly a serious problem. But to label this a “pedophilia crisis” is ignorant, sloppy, or malicious.”

No, it is normal use of the word in common language, as opposed to specialists. When men try to get oral sex from a 12 year old, the common usage calls that pedophilia: “sexual desire in an adult for a child.” - Random House Dictionary

When the 12 or 13 year old is a male, and men have sex acts with him, it is a cross between homosexuality and pedophilia.

I don’t think this is a case of Catholic priests becoming homosexuals or pedophiles, but of homosexuals and pedophiles being drawn to the Catholic priesthood. Maybe it is the theatrical aspect of being a priest, or maybe the idea of having authority over the young, or both, but SOMETHING draws homosexual pedophiles. It might take a time where homosexuals - including celibate homosexuals - need to be thrown out wholesale to restore the good name of Catholics.

[Salvation]

Just so the facts get out here:

In 2010,

seven credible cases of abuse were reported in a church that numbers over 65 million adherents.