Pope ’ashamed’ of sex abuse scandal

[Algorem]

Source: Boston Herald


Critics want pontiff to take action
Jessica Fargen By Jessica Fargen
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 -


On the heels of Pope Benedict XVI’s bold statements this morning that he’s “ashamed” of the clergy sex abuse crisis and wants to bar pedophile priests, Boston victims and Catholic critics are speaking out and demanding more action from the visiting pontiff.

“There has to be more substance to what’s he’s saying,” said Mitchell Garabedian, the Boston attorney who represented dozens of clergy sex abuse victims who sued the Boston Archdiocese. “He actually has to take steps. He has to let victims and the public know what those steps are.

“The words are fine, but we need action."

Garabedian is holding a press conference today with six clergy abuse victims and their families, which was planned before Bene dict made his comments. Prior to his arrival in Washington D.C. today, Benedict told reporters aboard the papal airplane that he was “deeply ashamed” of the U.S. sex abuse scandal and will work to make sure pedophiles don’t become priests...



Read more: http://news.bostonherald.com/news/national/general/view.bg?articleid=1087167&srvc=home&position=0

[truthisfreedom]

1. Papal airplane...

[pingzing58]

2. Shepherd One.

[Ian David]

3. It was Ratso's job to cover-up the abuse in the first place.

Also, Der Popenfuhrer's idea of preventing pedophile priests is to attack and scapegoat gay priests while demonizing gay people in general.

[saigon68]

14. The "Frocked Ones" need zipper control

Their bosses, the Bishops need to stop the Game of "Hide the Pederast" in the neighboring diocese.

And one law firm in Minnesota has made $350 Million in contingent fees, from the collection plate and increasing as we speak.

[uppityperson]

4. Words are cheap, action is needed

[rhett o rick]

25. Here, here. I will believe it when I see it. nm

[rhett o rick]

5. Nothing has been done and nothing will be done. The Church long ago

decided that it was necessary to elevate priests to a status above normal mankind. It is imperative to the Church that normal people seek God thru the priests and Church hierarchy.

To solve the child abuse problem, parents should be told that priests are not in fact above normal man and have the same failing as other men. When it comes to protecting children, priests should not be trusted anymore than a baseball coach or scout leader. This is impossible for the Church because the autocratic hierarchy of priest, cardinal, pope and God must be maintained. The Church decided that the child abuse is a necessary consequence of this power structure and should be hidden if at all possible.

The Church also is strongly fighting the compensation of the victims.

The only true solution is for parents to get a different faith.

[heliarc]

7. I hardly think it's just a catholic problem.

I don't think that changing your faith is the "true solution" Come on. I knew kids in my junior high years ago that were molested by their Presbyterian minister. In Texas we have a new Latter day saints debacle. Catholicism isn't the problem. Accountability is the problem.

[rhett o rick]

8. Not intending to pick on the Catholics but I think the problem is more serious

in the Catholic church. Granted you have pockets of abuse everywhere. But in the Catholic church it is almost institutionalized. All churches should teach their parishioners that the church leaders are no different than everyman. God is God but church officials are human. Some non-Catholic churches do and some do not. But the Catholic church makes it part of their religion to place priests above everyman. It is important to their structure that parishioners think that priests are closer to God than everyman. When parishioners do believe that, they are far more trusting in ways they shouldn't be. Parents should not trust anyone with their children including priests.

[heliarc]

17. I think that among a LOT of evangelist churches...

The same minister is holier than thou mentality persists. You have any number of healers, soothsayers and "prophets" like Koresh and like Warren Jeffs crawling around. Churches and minister's offices are considered sanctuaries (informally if not officially) just as the rectory is and there is persistent abuse of those trusting locales too. I'd much prefer to "pick on" all of the offensive use of the God Complex rather than single out the obviously heinous one. My criticism was of the suggestion that "the only true solution is to change one's faith" as was previously posted. I think the only true solution is not to leave your children all alone unsupervised with someone who tells them that the world is only a few thousand years old, and is run by an old bearded man who is supposedly the same as the guy who walks on water.

Sorry it was too tempting.

But seriously now. God, (whatever your belief in Him or Her) has been used to dupe men and women for centuries (and millennia) The true solution is to be aware that people are not always doing "God's will" (whatever that is... it changes all the time).

[saigon68]

28. Jeffs is a kind of pederast

[DemBones DemBones]

9. Democrats must think they can do without Catholic voters.

Lotsa luck, chumps!

[yellowcanine]

10. What does this have to do with Democrats? It is lay Catholics who are leading the charge on this.

It has nothing to do with whether they are Democrats or Republicans. It was Catholic children who were abused.

[MichiganVote]

11. Sure, cuz' politics should come before child rape anytime.

:sarcasm:

[rhett o rick]

24. Are you saying that Democrats are chumps? Are you a Democrat? nm

[davidthegnome]

26. Not really

But this has more to do with principle than with politics. I realize that lots of Catholics feel some loyalty to the church, and/or the Pope. Yet, it stands to reason that if he were as concerned as he pretends, certain changes would be made. The Catholic church is not a democracy - the Pope is more or less it's Emperor. Perhaps the time has come for another Vattican council - perhaps that time came years ago.

So many cases of abuse have been covered up, so much corruption has been revealed over the last years. This Pope is doing far too little, far too late. The Catholic church cannot claim moral or religious authority while this continues.

That's not to say I place any blame on you personally, or on any individual who isn't responsible for this. And as a former Catholic myself, I understand to some extent how you feel. If you had your way about it, I am sure things would be done very differently. I've known some great priests and some terrible priests. I liked John Paul 2 (even though I rarely agreed with him) - I can't stand this one.

I guess, for me, it comes down to who is responsible for letting this happen - and letting it continue today. Obviously the Pope is one of those responsible - obviously some high ranking church members are also largely responsible. The Priests guilty of betraying the trust of their people - molesting young children and not paying the penalty they should it goes without saying that they're responsible.

That doesn't mean I don't see the good in the church. I've known a few good churches that have helped people out (my family included) in some very desperate times. As time goes on though, I'm seeing less from the church, less piety, less dignity or charity. I'm seeing little compassion and a great deal of conservative judgement. Little forgiveness, but a mentality that seems all too eager to judge and condemn.

So, I realize it's not your fault - but you can't expect anyone to love Ratzinger, and you can't realistically expect the majority not to be more than a little angry with the church.

Now to be a little more frank... if those old twats had any clue what they were doing, they would've chosen Andrew Greeley to shepherd the flock. Not this near fanatic conservative zealot.

[MichiganVote]

13. Each faith has its share of problems with this. But Catholics do elevate the

priests and certainly Bishops and Cardinals way above most clerics.

[heliarc]

18. Changing your faith is not a "true solution" to the cycle of abuse...

as this poster suggests. That was the substance of my argument. And I think that is a pretty healthy, smart advice to to give people who might otherwise be disposed to leave their children in the unsupervised care of reverends, pastors, ministers, priests, or rabbis.

[rhett o rick]

23. My recommendation was that Catholics should change their faith because that Church

has a very long history of abuse. I completely respect ones desire to worship Jesus and God. But I think one can do so without having to do so via the Catholic Church with it's baggage and extremely rich and aristocratic hierarchy. If enough people left the Catholic Church, they might get the message that protecting children is more important than convincing parishioners that priests are Godly and therefore can be trusted, unsupervised with children.

Of course all parents should understand that they should not trust their children unsupervised to teachers, coaches, priests, pastors, ministers, etc.

[heliarc]

29. eeek...

I generally trust my children... I don't trust the teachers, coaches, priests, pastors, ministers. I think we're just arguing semantics now, but I understand your point even if I think there is quite a history of transgressions in other churches. :-)

[rhett o rick]

31. Yes I agree. And the bottom line responsibility rests with the parents. nm

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Rage for Order]

22. Really? 1 in 4?

I'd be interested to see where you "heard" those figures, and perhaps follow a link that you provide to back up your assertion. As an aside, I've "heard figures" that say 68% of statistics are made up from whole cloth.

[katty]

6. ashamed? it's called a criminal offense

[MichiganVote]

12. Really? Ashamed? Great! Let's defrock a few Bishops then Benny

Or how about good buddy Cardinal Lawless....

[katty]

20. yeah, i think Henry VIII&Anne Boleyn were on the right track

[Critters2]

15. It's funny he didn't bring Bernie Law along for the ride.

Ashamed, my ass.

[MichiganVote]

16. No shit.

[woo me with science]

19. Punish the guilty ones severely.

But be sure to separate the "recovered" memories from the real abuse memories first.

[saigon68]

27. Father Feeney and Anal Rape

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=226244


Appleton - A Catholic priest found guilty of four charges related to the sexual abuse of two brothers in 1978 was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison.

Father John Patrick Feeney, 77, was sentenced by Outagamie County Circuit Judge Dennis Luebke after being convicted in February of three counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of attempted sexual assault of a child.

Feeney was arrested in Los Angeles in September 2002 and waived extradition. Defense attorney Gerald Boyle said Feeney would appeal the ruling that the statute of limitations did not apply.

Bishop David Zubik said the Green Bay Diocese has begun taking the steps necessary to remove Feeney from the clerical state, and that the decision barring him from all public ministry remains in effect.
I want to extend my apologies again to those who have been hurt by Father Feeney's actions," Zubik said in a statement. "Please know that I am praying for all involved."

[AngryOldDem]

30. If he truly means what he says...

...then he should find some time in his busy schedule to meet with representatives of sexual abuse survivors, like SNAP, as well as the survivors themselves. HE can tell THEM to their faces just how sorry and ashamed he is of an institution and those in positions of power that ignored predator priests for years.

And I'm sorry, but the resolve to "bar pedophile priests" is nothing more than Popespeak to further root out gays in the priesthood. The Church, I believe -- and especially this Pope -- will NEVER disassociate one from the other.