Posted on 11/30/2011 1:52:20 PM PST by Alex Murphy
With all due respect, Pope Benedict XVI either lives in an alternate reality or needs better PR handlers. His comments over the weekend to U.S. bishops about the sex abuse of children showed a continued disconnect with the church’s mishandling of this ongoing scandal. The pope referenced the church’s “conscientious effort” to confront sex abuse by priests.
Uh? Perhaps the pope meant to say conscientious cover-up.
No institution has done more to deny and downplay the sexual abuse of young boys than the Catholic Church. No institution has done more to discredit victims and protect pedophile priests than the Catholic Church. And no institution has done more to avoid accountability for decisions made at the highest levels to cover up decades of sexual abuse of boys by scores of priests.
After decades of denial, it is really stunning for the pope to talk about the church’s “conscientious effort” to confront this scandal. At best, there have been some half steps brought on mainly by legal actions. If anything, the church has orchestrated a conscientious effort to minimize the scandal and hide behind any legal statute of limitations. But most everyone—including many Catholics like myself—is still waiting for church leaders to root out all the problem priests and hold others accountable for the cover-up.
The pope is right that all of society’s institutions—not just the Catholic Church—must be held to “exacting” standards in their response to sex abuse of children. He correctly called pedophilia a “scourge.” But then the pope had the gall to hold up the church as an example for how to confront the problem.
“It is my hope that the Church’s conscientious efforts to confront this reality will help the broader community to recognize the causes, true extent and devastating consequences of sexual abuse, and to respond effectively to this scourge which affects every level of society,” he said.
If other institutions follow the church’s lead regarding the handling of sex abuse by priests, well, then heaven help us all. David Clohessy, head of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said: “No public figure talks more about child safety but does little to actually make children safer than Pope Benedict.”
Of course, one can’t help but feel the pope’s recent comments were timed to coincide with the sex-abuse scandal at Penn State. In a sense he was saying: “See, the church isn’t the only institution with a pedophile problem.” At Penn State, former defensive football coordinator Jerry Sandusky has been charged with sexually abusing eight boys over a number of years. Some have said the two scandals are similar because of the cover-up that reached the top echelon of two esteemed institutions.
But that is also where the similarities end. Unlike the Catholic Church, Penn State has taken swift and decisive action, with more likely to come. Days after Sandusky’s indictment, university president Graham Spanier was forced out and legendary coach Joe Paterno was fired. Granted the university, like the church, initially did its best to cover up the abuse. But unlike the church, once the allegations came to light there were no excuses or denials or efforts to blame the media by the university trustees. Instead there has been real accountability. Those not charged with crimes were removed from power because they failed to alert law enforcement. Including JoePa, the proverbial pope of Penn State.
“The church to this day, while waving a moral flag, hasn’t even come close to the Penn State Board of Trustees response,” said Kristine Ward, chair of the National Survivor Advocates Coalition. She pointed out that no bishops have been fired. “Issuing self-satisfied pats on the back while children remain in danger only further diminishes the church’s credibility and deepens the laryngitis in its moral voice.”
The pope is correct that child sex abuse isn’t limited to the church. But no one has said as much. The reason so much attention has been paid to the church is because of the Vatican’s supposed moral authority; the abuse stretched around the world; and the cover-up was extensive. “While child sex crimes happen in every institution, in no institution are they ignored or concealed as consistently as in the Catholic Church,” Clohessy said.
Not even at Penn State.
....At best, there have been some half steps brought on mainly by legal actions. If anything, the church has orchestrated a conscientious effort to minimize the scandal and hide behind any legal statute of limitations. But most everyone—including many Catholics like myself—is still waiting for church leaders to root out all the problem priests and hold others accountable for the cover-up. The pope is right that all of society’s institutions—not just the Catholic Church—must be held to “exacting” standards in their response to sex abuse of children. He correctly called pedophilia a “scourge.” But then the pope had the gall to hold up the church as an example for how to confront the problem....
....The pope is correct that child sex abuse isn’t limited to the church. But no one has said as much. The reason so much attention has been paid to the church is because of the Vatican’s supposed moral authority; the abuse stretched around the world; and the cover-up was extensive. “While child sex crimes happen in every institution, in no institution are they ignored or concealed as consistently as in the Catholic Church,” Clohessy said.
I’ll bet he puts the Christian Brothers right on it
And the writer thinks the pope lives in an alternate reality?
ROTFLMAO!
This Pope is a “Pitbull” when it comes to sex abuse. That’s why gay groups hate him.
The only person who acted correctly in this case with any authority was Joe Paterno.
Shortly after Sandusky admitted to showering with boys, Joe Paterno removed him from his post at the football program.
University policy granted Sandusky his tenure status and allowed him to continue to abuse children for the next 12 years, with the consent of the President and the Board of Regents.
That's right Alex. For example, before the Penn State pedophilia scandal became public, they purchased a whole bunch of .xxx domain names.
Penn State Bought Adult Domain Names to Block Usage Prior to Sex Abuse Scandal (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2814307/posts).
Swift and decisive action!
He DID have knowledge of the 2002 incident of the observed anal rape of a male child who looked 10 years old.
Almost ten years later, under the full view of Paterno, who knew of AT LEAST ONE incident, and according to you TWO; Sandusky was still running around Penn State with young boys in tow.
And you have the temerity to suggest that Paterno acted correctly?
“No institution has done more to deny and downplay the sexual abuse of young boys than the Catholic Church. No institution has done more to discredit victims and protect pedophile priests than the Catholic Church. And no institution has done more to avoid accountability for decisions made at the highest levels to cover up decades of sexual abuse of boys by scores of priests.”
This is a complete lie....we have the Franklin Cover-Up and the Penn State coverup over a decade (and maybe since the 70’s). The difference is the “deep” pockets of the Catholic Church and their Moral foundation—they know and accept the fact that pederasty is deeply evil—unlike the secular/pagan world which embraced homosexuality and pederasty for thousands of years and revered abnormal sex as “good”.
The Catholic Church dares to condemn homosexuality and pederasty—unlike many Protestant Churches today. The Slippery Slope is that homosexual acts are learned and modeled—homosexual societies have pederasty. It is necessary to corrupt and pervert the young while forming worldview.
Christianity is trying to be eliminated by humanist/secularists because they want to bring back pederasty/homosexuality as a “good”.
The Catholic Church has been infiltrated by Satan—it is true—but they still call sin a sin, unlike most of the pagan/secular/humanists who defy nature and God’s Laws—so ANYTHING will be ok if a person has the “urge”.
The Catholic Church has been hampered by APA and “hate speech” and they try to dance that fine impossible line (homosexuals are not evil—it is the “act” nonsense)-—They need to QUIT this nonsense and fight and rid themselves of the corruption in their ranks. I think they know this, but the corruption within the Church runs pretty deep with all the humanist/secular Jesuits who contaminated minds of many they “educated”.
Pederasty was rife with Hollywood producers—Corey Feldman claims-—and nothing—no names===nothing but protection of these pederasts. These pederasts create shows like Glee to normalize immorality and promote their (im) morality which includes child sex. Where is the outrage and names of the producers????????
We fight for Afghani’s who sodomize boys. Why would we fight to “protect” and rebuild such a corrupt, evil culture. This is the worldview of many of our University elites though—the Billy Ayers—the homosexual advocates—who even realize that promoting homosexuality as “good” in a society always means child abuse-—ALWAYS. But that is Marxist ideology—the destruction of the natural family-—so they will be easily able to make slaves out of the unprotected minds and bodies of the children. Only biological family unit is the safest and best and most natural way to bring up children...nothing else will create normal, natural thinking and logic and common sense.
At least the Catholic Church acknowledges the evil of pederasty and homosexulity. The secular humanists/pagans/Marxists hate the Church for this and their is a war to destroy the Catholic Church since Voltaire.
The Catholic Church is was rid the Western Civilization of the idea that pederasty and homosexuality was a “good”....and that has creeped into Africa and Asia and the colonies—where pederasty was rife.
“Legionaries of Christ In Wake of Scandal”
“In early 2009, the Legionaries said that Father Maciel had fathered a daughter; more recently, Legionary officials acknowledged that he had sexually abused seminarians, and they asked forgiveness for failing to listen to his accusers.”
This last paragraph tells only a bit of the story. The scandal was covered up for decades, it was not a secret among officials in the ‘Legion’.
And now the so-called investigation is a timid and averting of official eyes from the unpleasant truth.
Real pit bull...with sharp gums.
Joe Paterno did what was within his control at PSU.
He removed Sandusky as Defensive Coordinator in 1999. He reported future behavior to people with the authority to address it.
If Paterno is guilty, so is the Governor of PA. Who started the investigation of Sandusky as AG last year, and after taking the office of Governor allowed him to continue hanging around campus for months before the indictments came along.
The major point is that instead of having a conversation about the concept of tenure and if it should be extended to people who engage in misconduct with children, and having a conversation about a board of regents who brought on a School President who studied ‘wife-swapping’ and ‘swinging.’
Instead people follow the meme that lazy jounalists and other useful idiot tools of the MSM created... that Sandusky’s abuse of children is all about Joe Paterno and the Catholic church.
Great reference site, thanks for posting.
Thanks really goes to NYer. I borrowed it from a posting somewhere else.
I'm guessing that someone didn't get the memo:
Gay Episcopal Bishop to Preach at San Francisco Catholic Parish
German Catholic Church resolves to sell their Porn Publishing company after story goes mainstream
Pope accepts resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law from Vatican post (Catholic Caucus)
Hey alex........here are some facts for you..... the protestent church ( baptist, lutheran, protestant, charismatic, episcopal, and so on ) have more documented cases of child abuse than the catholic.... why do I mention such evil??? because the real evil lies in those that do not look in the mirror.... the catholic church has established a clearinghouse for lazy reporters and catholic bashers, like yourself, to find easy prey... why is it so hard to find this info on the non catholic christian churches??? because they bury it and do not let it out... wanna cast stones, look in the mirror first, enabeler of evil...
Which is it? If it's "so hard to find", and someone knows where this "hard to find info" is "buried", perhaps someone could prove the allegation and actually cite these "documented" cases?
And the burden of proof rests entirely on the word "more".
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