[Dinsdale]

I don't understand his arguement. Vatican II caused all of this?

Pardon my french but, Bull. Priests were molesting alter boys well before Vatican II (you can bet it happened all the way back to the early church). Anglicans (CofE overseas) were involved in molesting there charges along with catholics in the canadian schools for native children (it's going to bankrupt the canadian catholic and anglican churches). This went on all through the 19th and early 20th centuries.

There is not one major orginized religion that has not had a child molester on the pulpit (yep that includes your religion whatever it is). Also schools have this problem. They are attracted to positions of authority with access to children. Simple as that.

[uncbob]

There is not one major orginized religion that has not had a child molester on the pulpit (yep that includes your religion whatever it is). Also schools have this problem. They are attracted to positions of authority with access to children. Simple as that.

Well something sure as hell has changed since I graduated from an all boys Catholic HS in 54.

We had a graduating class of 1004
We had 64 priests and 36 noviates teaching us.
No way teenagers don't talk
We had several known boozers
But NO ZILCH ZERO rumors of any homosexual hanky panky PERIOD

[aristeides]

I was trying to make the same point, that this problem existed -- although, I suspect, on a much smaller scale -- before Vatican II.

[Mike Fieschko]

I don't understand his arguement. Vatican II caused all of this?

If his argument is that the Council caused this, you're right ... that argument is bull.

If the argument is that by 'opening the windows' to let 'the spirit of Vatican II' blow through the Church, and that the 'spirit' was the spirit of the 1960s, I agree with Reid.

[weegee]

I understand the issue with molestation in the church but the larger issue is that priests are not remaining celibate.

Are there issues of adults coming in for counselling and being "seduced"/"molested"? This happens in the medical and psychological fields. I'd agree that children being harmed is worse but all of the behavior is reprehensible if people are being taken advantage of (young and innocent, or vunerable and confused).