Bishops to Defrock Pedophiles?

The Washington Times ^ | 06/05/02 | Uwe Siemon-Netto

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

SAN DIEGO, June 4 (UPI) -- The Vatican will be asked to defrock any American priest who has sexually abused a minor, according to a draft document released Tuesday in Washington by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The UCCB members will vote on this Draft Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People at their extraordinary meeting in Dallas June 13-15. The proposal drawn up by the Conference's Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse amounts to "zero tolerance" in all future cases.

[maryz]

Someone in authority has to stand up and stop the Church in America from being a homosexual brothel.

Does this look to be in the cards? The bishops have apparently been dragged, kicking and screaming, to take a tough stand on clinical pedophilia. But:

The eight-member committee voted to allow the retention of priests who have committed a single offense, have undergone psychological treatment and have not been diagnosed as pedophiles.

Priests who have "committed a single [reported?] offense" and who are not clinical pedophiles can only be described as active homosexual "chickenhawks." If they watch their step around the legally underaged, they're fine??? Does this mean the continued molestation of anyone over 18 -- e.g., students, seminarians -- and continued "consenting" homosexual (or heterosexual, though that seems to be less of a problem) relationships will still get the benefit of a blind eye?

There was an op-ed article in the Boston Herald sometime in the past few months by a local young man coming to the "defense" of homosexual priests, especially the Jesuit who helped him to learn to "affirm" his own homosexuality. (Feel free to put that in actual straightforward English for yourself.) This kid ain't complaining, so that Jesuit doesn't even come under the policy at all.

The article I posted this week from Crisis, Can the Bishops Heal the American Church? notes:

The crisis is not going to be solved just be instituting new procedures, or tightening up reporting or using more psychological testing. It will disappear only when bishops understand the responsibilities of their office and are not afraid of striking at the root of the problem – which is going to involve, among other things, firing vocations directors, cleaning up the seminaries, and defrocking (with Rome’s permission) a number of priests. We are not talking about witch-hunts, and due process is important. But why should so many teaching centers of the Church be in the hands of people who not only reject Catholic doctrine but don’t seem to mind priests breaking their vows?

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Canon Law of 1961 did lay down the law that homosexuals do not belong in official religious life as priests:"Advancement to religious vows and ordination should be barred to those who are afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality or pederasty, since for them the common life and the priestly ministry would constitute serious dangers." [Careful Selection And Training Of Candidates For The States Of Perfection And Sacred Orders (S. C. Rel., 2 Feb., 1961). An Instruction, Religiosorum institutio, to the Superiors of Religious Communities...]

Posted Here

And (full text)here

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Valid points. The concerns I raised in 1983 and have posted over the last several weeks run along similar lines. The problem is the tolerance of homosexuality and opposition to the Church's moral teachings on sexuality. The problems addressed by Rose in his book Goodbye! Good Men underscore this.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

It will disappear only when bishops understand the responsibilities of their office and are not afraid of striking at the root of the problem – which is going to involve, among other things, firing vocations directors, cleaning up the seminaries, and defrocking (with Rome’s permission) a number of priests.

One could add cleaning up and restoring Catholic orthodoxy and orthodox Catholic culture in the colleges and universities as well.

[Angelique]

What you say is so true, and to reiterate, the Church has fallen short of showing serious concern and understanding about the depth of this scandal. Already on this board some Catholics say they have had it.

With this cavalier approach of ignoring the harm done to the children, I wonder if the authorities can take action against the Church. I have repeatedly expressed that priests who do this should should have criminal charges filed against them. They would get their day in court if the accusations are false.

Your link to Keeler's photo does not work. Also, I don't know where I was, but I never heard about the shooting of the homosexual priest.

[Domestic Church]

"The crisis is not going to be solved just be instituting new procedures, or tightening up reporting or using more psychological testing. It will disappear only when bishops understand the responsibilities of their office and are not afraid of striking at the root of the problem..."

The crisis will end when there is a zero tolerance of these cases, a zero tolerance of gays(ie active homosexual lifestyle) in the priesthood and a returning of the tabernacle to the center and the Crucifix above it...until then I will not entrust my children to the Catholic education system in this country which in turn is off track from the Magisterium.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

The AP link, sorry about that. The Washington Times also has it. Hold on, I'll find that link...

A homosexual priest who had molested a teenage boy some years back was shot by the victim (now a young man in his 20s). Cardinal Keeler had returned the accused priest back to ministry before finally removing him after new charges surfaced. The original victim was apparently angry enough to try to settle things Wild West style.

[maryz]

I think this is the thread:

priest accused of child molestation shot by relative

The story should become clear through the thread -- it was the guy who was molested though who shot the priest, in Baltimore. There are other links on the thread as the story unfolded.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Click here http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/ and then on the right margin under AP BREAKING NEWS where it lists the headline "Bishops Urge Crackdown on Molesters". Not sure why the AP URL doesn't go right there. Strange. The AP article should come up after clicking on the headline. The photo of the grimacing and red-faced Cardinal Keeler is in that article.

[maryz]

The crisis will end when there is a zero tolerance of these cases, a zero tolerance of gays(ie active homosexual lifestyle) in the priesthood and a returning of the tabernacle to the center and the Crucifix above it...

I absolutely agree. I don't know whether you've read Why Catholics Can't Sing; I had heard of it before, but when someone quoted from it on another thread, I had to order it. I'm only halfway through it (and I'm not musical, so I can't speak to the specifically music sections), but he classifies most of the modern hymns as narcissistic (e.g., "We Are the People of God") or Voice of God ("Be Not Afraid," "I Am the Resurrection") and he characterizes much of the modern liturgy as performed as Ego Renewal. God becomes sort of a kindly on-looker, who just wants "the young people to be happy" (though that last phrase is one I remember from C.S. Lewis).

Shouldn't the spirit be more that expressed in Sicut Cervus (Psalm 41)? -- "As the hart panteth after the fountains of water; so my soul panteth after thee, O God."

I think this is related to the current general dismissal of any kind of self-sacrifice as "neurotic" -- unless of course one is "sacrificing" for his own benefit -- e.g., look what marathon runners go through, or health nuts (I say a letter in a magazine from someone who, in the interest of health and longevity, had given up not only red meat, but all meat, fat, salt and sugar -- I did say a little prayer that she lives to 120 if it means that</> much to her!).

[William Terrell]

There are thousands of ordinary citizens in jail for one pedophile act. Don't notify the Church; notify the authorities.

Defrock AND excommunicate.

[ArrogantBustard]

I'm not Catholic, but if I were, I would be changing to a different denomination now.
I am Catholic, and changing 'denominations' is unthinkable. I am not Catholic because of the relative holiness of the priests, deacons, brothers, nuns or my fellow lay Catholics, although the overwhelming majority of those whom I know are decent God fearing folk. I am not Catholic because of the excellence of the preaching or music I hear at church on Sunday; indeed in many places I have lived or visited the preaching and music have been anything but excellent. I am Catholic because I believe that the teachings of the Catholic Church convey the entirety of the Truth revealed to us by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The sexual depravity of a small or even large number of priests has no bearing whatsoever on the truth or falsity of the Church's teaching. To abandon the Catholic Church would be to join the scribes and pharisees in scheming against Jesus, the sanhedrin in slandering Him, and the Roman authorities in mocking, slapping, spitting on, and murdering Him. It would be to commit apostacy, heresy, and blasphemy. You're viewing this business from a Protestant perspective; you will never understand the behaviour of real Catholics from that point of view.

I think the Catholic church is doing this now to its good members.
Which teaching of the Church has been changed, that I should no longer see it as Truth? Answer: none whatsoever. The scandal is a scandal precisely because the perverted priests and bishops involved are egregiously violating several of the Truths they are ordained to proclaim and uphold.

AB

[Taliesan]

"Surely there is a difference between someone who had one encounter with a minor 35 years ago -- and has been clean ever since -- and someone who offended 35 days ago."

There's the problem. Right there. Until the Catholic laity force the heirarchy to get this out if their fuzzy heads the problem is not solved.

[Rita289]

If you were a Catholic, which other denomination would you join? Is there any denomination without sin? Being Catholic is not like being a member of some organization; it's a way of life.

[ThomasMore]

Viewer Poll

Do you think priests who have molested one child in the past should be automatically defrocked?
See Story

Yes	95%
No	3%
Not Sure	2%

 

CNSNews.com Poll

[CatoRenasci]

So what if there's a poll. The Church hierarchy has never changed its behavior because the faithul were unhappy. Those who are unhappy have three choices: 1. complain alot, but don't expect change; 2. shut up and BOHICA (Bend Over, Here It Comes Again); 3. vote with their feet and leave.

[topher]

Actually, this is old news. The Vatican has come out with policies months ago that outline that priests will be kicked out (defrocked) based on certain behaviors.

This just may be formalizing this doctrine for the American Church when it meets in Dallas.

[mewzilla]

You don't defrock. You arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate!