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What went wrong in the Catholic Church? [View all]
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-dantonio-catholic-priest-molestations-20130210,0,188114.storyWhy have its leaders been unable to deal with the priest sex abuse scandal in an honest and convincing way?
By Michael D'Antonio
February 10, 2013
The files released last week by America's largest Catholic archdiocese revealed new and disturbing details about how church officials schemed to protect priests accused of molesting children. But was the scandal in Los Angeles really so much worse than in other places?
Sadly, no. The details emerging from the documents mirror what happened in archdioceses across the country, as church officials time and again put their own concerns above the needs of victims.
One of the earliest cases to draw nationwide attention involved Gilbert Gauthe, a priest who raped dozens of boys in rural Louisiana. By 1984, when Gauthe was indicted on 34 counts of sex crimes against children, church officials had been aware he was abusing children for at least a decade. But instead of reporting his crimes, they transferred him to another parish, where he continued to have sex with the children in his charge. He was stopped only after a boy he raped wound up in the hospital due to his injuries.
~big snip
Sex and power. These are two factors that Catholic leaders have failed to confront, even as the church falls down around them. Any recovery from the great scandal will require change in both areas. Thirty years on, even under the threat of criminal prosecution, they seem incapable of the kind of self-examination that would allow such change. Instead they fight against truth-telling and suffer further ignominy. No wonder this is a scandal without end
It just seems the Catholic Church feels that anyone bringing these faults to their eyes is attacking them.
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Gary Wills' very readable book "Papal Sin" is about this Doctrine of Infallibilty
SharonAnn
Feb 2013
#6
Papal infallibility wasn't even an officially stated doctrine till the late 1800's.
Squinch
Feb 2013
#76
Proves that "Insular groups of men" don't confront their wrongs. Outsiders, however, do.
SharonAnn
Feb 2013
#7
What a wonder it must be to live in a world where you get to make it up as you go along.
cleanhippie
Feb 2013
#43
I have read that article and found it a lot of bunk when I read it and still do
Angry Dragon
Feb 2013
#10
Priests abused children for a hundred years and the church covered up the crimes
Angry Dragon
Feb 2013
#25
What was idiotic about your comment is that it had just released a statement thanking the press.
rug
Feb 2013
#40
So you are saying that the Church had no idea that they were engaging in criminal activities??
Angry Dragon
Feb 2013
#44
His sentiment of thanks to the media would seem more genuine if the church followed with
cleanhippie
Feb 2013
#30
Whereas yours are merely confusing because of lack of clarity about terms used
intaglio
Feb 2013
#98
While we're on the subject you should study the difference between a sect and a religion.
rug
Feb 2013
#119
A sect is loosely a group of people with different religious beliefs and practises from others
intaglio
Feb 2013
#120
Do you think the statement has any intrinsic significance, or are you citing it to refute the OP?
Squinch
Feb 2013
#79
It was said this past week. It seems clearly a token from an organization that has been knowingly
Squinch
Feb 2013
#81
The US Catholic Conference of Bishops instituted a clear policy on reporting ten years ago,
Squinch
Feb 2013
#95
That's a close one but it's part of the ongoing discovery process in existing litigation.
rug
Feb 2013
#108
Yes. But if I found that you'd make up another new rule in order to make it acceptable to you.
Squinch
Feb 2013
#110
EXACTLY! The church NEEDS it's clergy to be seen as above the rest of us, and immune from
cleanhippie
Feb 2013
#18
Agree. Local congregations tend to have a lot more control over those within their church.
cbayer
Feb 2013
#61
It's not as if something has recently gone wrong. Those who know their history know
dimbear
Feb 2013
#71
The Catholic Church has a history of corruption dating back well over 1000 years.
Bradical79
Feb 2013
#103