US Catholic Church seeks to find root of priest sex abuse

AFP ^ | 11/16/06

[Petronski]

When the pool of candidates is so small, the void is filled with men with abnormal sexual habits.

That's a filthy slur.

[DCPatriot]

I was a cradle Catholic, an altar boy, and taught by the Sisters of Mercy, the Fransicans and the Jesuits.

Knock wood, I never had any abnormal experiences growing up with clergy.

[MonroeDNA]

If the Boy Scouts decided that only celibate (unmarried) guys could be scoutmasters, do you think we would end up with more gay scoutmasters, less, or the same?

[DCPatriot]

Not my intent to slur any group.

Bottom line is that if the Church would allow priests to have physical relationships with women, the priesthood wouldn't have the reputation it enjoys today.

[Petronski]

Bottom line is that if the Church would allow priests to have physical relationships with women, the priesthood wouldn't have the reputation it enjoys today.

That is your groundless conclusion.

[ichabod1]

I can't resist, however, commenting on the tone and logic of the posts already made which suggest that voluntary celibacy turns an otherwise healthy heterosexual male not only into a homosexual, but also into a child abuser.

I can see how a homosexual, wracked by guilt, might join the priesthood with the intention of forswearing sex for the rest of his life as penance, only to give in later when tempted by adolescent pulchritude.

That's where the church is supposed to be vigilant. Many are called but few are chosen -- I believe that phrase was coined for just this situation.

[DCPatriot]

Reminds me of the educational establishment: if not enough students become competent under their care, redefine "competency" down!

So, the light just went on between your ears....congratulations!

[Petronski]

Post an article which addresses a Catholic issue and out come the Protestants...

And atheists.

[ichabod1]

Even homosexuals who aren't going to molest boys and even those who have the strength to remain entirely chaste don't belong in the priesthood

To me, it's not even about whether they're strong enough (and how would anybody know?) but that it's intrinsically a disordered condition and not what you want in a leader, teacher, counselor, pastor.

[incredulous joe]

Celibacy is the cause of pedophilia,...?

Whew, sure am glad I got married!

Duh!

[DCPatriot]

That is your groundless conclusion.

So Petronski....what's your solution to their image problem?

What's your conclusion?

I didn't mean to slur anybody or any group.

[DCPatriot]

That's not what I meant...as I tried to establish late on in the thread.

[littlehouse36]

How in the world can a celibate man give advise to a married couple. This is so ridiculous it is just frustrating to see the church so uncompromising on this issue.Is it any wonder why the churches are closing and are empty.It is ruled by celibate bureaucrats who have no life experience and are very immature men.

 

I agree.  When Christ comes again he should be married & h??ny so as to have "life experience"; that way he'll be mature enough to give advice to married couples. /sarc.

 

 

 

 

[ichabod1]

I'm also quite sure that a respectable occupation with lifetime security which relieved men from the "why aren't you married" question has ALWAYS been overpopulated by those burdened with SSA.

That may be true, but it seems like in the old days there were at least equally many Fathers who conducted scandalous affairs with women, many of them married parishioners who came to him for counseling.

[Jim Noble]

in the old days there were at least equally many Fathers who conducted scandalous affairs with women, many of them married parishioners

100 000 of those men are now married, and no longer functioning as priests.

It is an interesting sidelight that some bishops were much, much more harsh with priests who announced their intention to marry than they were with priests who destroyed the lives of little boys.

[ichabod1]

Being a priest is not just a job its a way of life. It's not fair to either the family or the parish. You can disagree, but that's how we define our clergy. I submit that protestant ministers, particularly the married ones, are lesser than Catholic Priests for this reason. It's just a job to them.

[little jeremiah]

No the problem wasn't celibacy, it was PINOs (priests in name only) NOT being celibate - DUH!

(Later pingout unless you get to it first, wag!)

[littlehouse36]

Translation: the closted homosexuals of the US Catholic church are trying to BUY a study which says homosexuals who attack boys are not performing a homosexual attack.

 

Totally agree.  They need something to quote in the NYT since they can't use the current leading sources (Goodbye Good Men, by Michael Rose & Rite of Sodomy by Randy Engel.) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Petronski]

What's your conclusion?

A lot of people with no connection to the Roman Catholic Church love to throw mud at it.

[DCPatriot]

A lot of people with no connection to the Roman Catholic Church love to throw mud at it.

Agreed...but not my intent here. I was born and raised a Catholic and credit that for my moral foundation.