St. Louis Archbishop Didn't Know Sex With Children Was a Crime

[kpete]

The St. Louis archbishop embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal testified last month that he didn’t know in the 1980s whether it was illegal for priests to have sex with children, according to a court deposition released Monday.

..............................

In a video released by the St. Paul law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates, the Catholic archbishop is asked whether he had known it was a crime for an adult to engage in sex with a child.

“I’m not sure whether I knew it was a crime or not,” Carlson responded. “I understand today it’s a crime.”

When asked when he first realized it was a crime for an adult — including priests — to have sex with a child, Carlson, 69, shook his head.

“I don’t remember,” he testified.



http://www.nbcnews.com/news/religion/st-louis-archbishop-didnt-know-sex-children-was-crime-n127291

[misterhighwasted]

1. FFSake! Rot the F in That Hell You Spent Your Life Preachin About. LIAR

How about "moral". He didn't think it was immoral either?
Freak.

[enough]

2. More to the point, I would imagine he didn't CARE whether sex with children

was illegal. As a member of the church hierarchy, he probably felt that matters of mere legality did not actually apply to him and his brethren. They were living on a different level, where secular legality is irrelevant.

Of course they can't say that in this day and age.

[Greybnk48]

3. Bearing false witness, under an oath to God no less,

is a violation of the 9th Commandment. I wonder if the sleazebag Archbishop knows that?

[minidriver]

4. When was this legal?

The 1500s? Oh wait, there's still some parts of the world where it's OK as long as the kid's reached double digits.

[csziggy]

5. One church official once said it was "part of church culture"

Apparently not one part of the "moral compass" of the Catholic Church included prohibiting sex with children. Dictating to women what they can do with their bodies, fine. Raping little kids, fine. Telling adults that they cannot marry their loved one just because they are same sex, fine. Such moral clarity makes my head and heart hurt.