21 priests suspended in Philadelphia alone

[removeduser_487563287433]

The Catholic Church has been unwillingly forced to suspend twenty-one (21!) priests named in a damning grand jury report last month, identifying them as suspected child abusers. The Church is protecting their identities and conducting a "review", no doubt another whitewash.

The two year grand jury investigation has already resulted in four charges, against two priests, a former priest and a Catholic schoolteacher - all accused of raping boys. As what happened in Ireland, high-ranking Catholic officials were found moving "problem" priests to other parishes, protecting them from the consequences of their actions and not informing their new parishioners of the sex abuse complaints against them. The fact that this has happened the exact same way two separate sides of the Atlantic shows the global level of the corruption of the Catholic Church and the apathy they hold to the victims of priests.

These twenty-one (21!) priests join three others suspended a few weeks ago. Five other priests have not been suspended only because one was on leave, two are "incapacitated" (hopefully permanently) and two are members of an unidentified, different religious order.

Let's hope this pathetic suspension leads to real exercise of secular authority. At the time of writing it's unclear if charges are to be brought against the priests in question.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011...elphia-priests

[Pontifex Maximus]

Suspension means nothing. They're just waiting until the hype dies down then they will shuffle and reshuffle.

[(s)AINT]

Suspension means nothing. They're just waiting until the hype dies down then they will shuffle and reshuffle.

This.


Another 21 bites the dust!

[Gordon Freynman]

Suspension means nothing. They're just waiting until the hype dies down then they will shuffle and reshuffle.

This. A mere suspension is a dropkick in the face to the victims.

[Dr. Oza]

Does the bear take a in the woods?

[Mega Tortas de Bodemloze]

Re: 21 priests suspended in Philadelphia alone

Disgusting...Reprehensible.

Mandated Celibacy {for the most part} in this role is flawed and misplaced. Just look at what it congers....

[Squiggle]

Disgusting...Reprehensible.

Mandated Celibacy {for the most part} in this role is flawed and misplaced. Just look at what it congers....

Theres no statistical difference between pedophillia in the Catholic church and any other Church. They might be moving them around to avoid false accusations, the Catholic church might just believe in innocent until proven guilty! Apparently an outdated concept amongst you lot.

[Jom]

Theres no statistical difference between pedophillia in the Catholic church and any other Church. They might be moving them around to avoid false accusations, the Catholic church might just believe in innocent until proven guilty! Apparently an outdated concept amongst you lot.

Could you show us these statistics, please?

[Vir Triumphalis]

To end all problems caused by priests, why don't we execute all of them? The world's a better place

[kesa82]

Could you show us these statistics, please?

No, I would like to see your sources that show it is worse there than anywhere else.

[PointOfViewGun]

This is not the business of the church. Lock em up for life and let them find God behind bars. Maybe they'll go too much on dropping the soap. Then find those that helped them to cover these incidents. Show them that the church is not beyond the laws of this country. Do you have the guts to that America?

[Vir Triumphalis]

If suspending 21 priests is not enough, why don't we dismantle the entire RCC?That way, the world would be much better.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Disgusting...Reprehensible.

Mandated Celibacy {for the most part} in this role is flawed and misplaced. Just look at what it congers....

I disagree. The priesthood attracts pedophiles now. They sign up knowing they will be protected, have easy access to children, and will be able to prey upon them for years. Of course this process is facilitated by the lack of interest in the clergy that plagues the modern church in the first place. They'll let in pretty much anyone who can finish the schooling.

In the Archdiocese in Atlanta alone we've had at least two confirmed child rapist priests running around in the past five years and countless others have been hauled out due to rampant alcoholism and drug abuse, including the pastor of my old church.

If suspending 21 priests is not enough, why don't we dismantle the entire RCC?That way, the world would be much better.

The church is a multi billion dollar corporation, it will take more than a few few dozen bad employees to shut it down.

edit- An interesting google search reveals that Orthodox sects are not free from this sort of abuse either. Their clergy also engage in activities such as these but it is more prevalent outside the US. There was a scandal in Canada (where an HIV positive priest was having sex with clergy members) during the 2000s and various little Balkan scandals in the 80s and 90s. I don't see a huge correlation here between allowing priests to marry and less sex crimes. Habits of centuries die hard.

[kesa82]

Let's hope this pathetic suspension leads to real exercise of secular authority.

If suspending 21 priests is not enough, why don't we dismantle the entire RCC?That way, the world would be much better.

Where I live , communicating threats is a felony. And the definition of a threat is pretty loose. So come here and say that my brave moral champions.

[(s)AINT]

The CC is beyond "reformation" or "improvement". It is like what Christopher Hitchens said about the CIA - "You have to tear the whole thing down and start over". But in this case not start over - but educate ourselves from it.

[Phier]

All stemming from the Church becoming accepting of supposed 'non-practicing' homosexuals in the late 60's.

Ironic how being more liberal and accepting, and some would argue 'more Christian' turned around to bite them in the ass. (so to speak)

[removeduser_487563287433]

All stemming from the Church becoming accepting of supposed 'non-practicing' homosexuals in the late 60's.

Ironic how being more liberal and accepting, and some would argue 'more Christian' turned around to bite them in the ass. (so to speak)

If they were homosexuals, that is to say having sex with consenting adults, there would be no problem. What they are is rapist paedophiles, which is a problem. Why do you defend rapist paedophiles, Phier?

[Stavroforos]

If they were homosexuals, that is to say having sex with consenting adults, there would be no problem. What they are is rapist paedophiles, which is a problem. Why do you defend rapist paedophiles, Phier?

I see nothing in his post even implying that he's defending them. If anything, he's condemning them.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Pedophilia =\= homosexuality.

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

Pedophilia =\= homosexuality.

Unfortunately, Phier is right. The Catholic priesthood has a far larger percentage of homosexuals than average society, and there have been many sex scandals in the past decades.