Comment by Catholic friend about the priest scandals.

[FloridaPat]

She was saying how there were a few cases in her area. Won't go into details about where. Then she made a statement that absolutely floored me. She said it was just as much the kids fault because they could say no and leave. I didn't say much because she had her two grandchildren along - ages around 8 & 10. Not too much I'd want to say in front of kids that age.

[politicaholic]

1. There's only one thing to say...

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
:banghead::banghead:

[KarenInMA]

2. No, no,

It's not the kid's fault, it's Boston's fault.

Haven't you heard what Santorum said??? :sarcasm:

[liberaliraqvet26]

3. I cant talk to religious catholics anymore..

they have become so far right its sickening. They have merged with the southern baptist nuts on every issue, even poverty. its dispicable.

[CatholicEdHead]

7. Not all Catholics

there are many religious Catholics who lean moderate to the left.

Those ultra-tradionalists you refer to are very similar to Southern Bapitst nuts. I often view them as Republicans first and Catholics second.

[CatholicEdHead]

4. No, the priest has power of stature

in the Parish, and along with that comes a certian level of trust.

They view the Priest as a teacher, and Catholic kids are often pushed to follow that leader. So it makes it extremley hard to just say no.

[Southsideirish]

13. There were about 12 kids graduating from the 8th grade class in my current

north side, upscale parish.

In the day when I graduated on the south side there were hundreds in the graduating class.

I can't even believe how things have changed.

[Fenris]

5. Oh for fuck's sake...

:banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

[Kerrytravelers]

6. Wonder if she'd say the same thing if a priest got to her grandkids.

Then, it woould probably be "different."

:mad:

[rox63]

8. What a bunch of horseshit...

Priests are presented to these kids as representatives of God on earth. Hmm, wouldn't any good Catholic kid do what God's representative asked of him?

It's a blatent abuse of power by the priests, who sadly, are merely very flawed humans.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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[undeterred]

10. Many in the American Catholic Church know that the priesthood

is a 'tarnished' vocation which no young person aspires to any more. The priests ruined their own vocation and the hierarchy made it worse by covering it up. Blaming the victims just adds furthur insult.

The Sisterhood is not tarnished but there have been hardly any young women entering it during the last thirty years.

If the American Catholic Church wants to survive it is going to have to change dramatically in the next 20 years as all its leaders die off and no one is willing to replace them. The dramatic change certainly isn't going to come from this pope, so it will have to come from Catholics who question the old ways.

[HockeyMom]

11. Their problems started back in the 60s

I was in Catholic HS school back then. They were having a major problem with vocations even back then; both for the priesthood and the nunnery. Young people just plain didn't' want to enter either the priesthood or the sisterhood. Celibacy was a major issue. Also, religion just plain didn't play a major role in their lives anymore. Parents, who may have in years gone by (when they had large families) been happy to see a son or daughter commit to the Church, now with a much smaller size family, were not so happy about having a son or a daughter in the Church. Think of it much like how the parents of today feel about the military for their children. If you don't agree with the "war", you won't want to "fight" in it.

So, basically the church took all that they could get. They let a lot of things slide. Again, like our current military situation. They promised the recruits the world and then turned a blind eye to what they were getting, just to get requisite number of "bodies".

[Southsideirish]

12. Its very hard for me to watch the "my" Church brought so low. The only

Catholics I hear today are these way too passionate, pro-life evangelical converts who scare the hell out of me.

I've met wonderful priests and nuns over the years but they have all died off and now there are only this strange amalgam of "bean counters" (my current pastor) and wild eyed anti-abortion types.

I don't feel there is a place for "old timers" like myself anymore.

The Church hierarchy hasn't begun to address the horror and disdain that the pedophile scandal has wrought.

I'm so glad that my dear, devoted "old school" Catholic parents aren't around to see this strange Church of today.

[DanCa]

14. My mom belonged to the church you described

I tried to get confirmed to that faith.....it didn't work out. *Hugs* I miss latin mass. On the plus side the Episcopal church has been very kind. Different in some ways but very kind.

[Southsideirish]

15. Thanks! There is something very wrong with the Church today. I never,

ever thought it would tumble down to the gutter that it has today. My husband saw the flaws long before I did and became a Buddhist.

When I went to his "becoming a Buddhist" ceremony, I was amazed to see it was made up almost entirely of Irish Catholics converting to Buddhism.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

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[The Magistrate]

17. Locking

This is imflammatory and inappropriate.