One solution which is rarely mentioned is to turn them in to the police for criminal prosecution.
One related point - DA’s seem reluctant to prosecute priests for their criminal behavior re little children.
I don’t think encouraging someone to wear their robe all day is particularly healthy.
Any priest who does such things should certainly be prosecuted–that is illegal, I don’t care if you’re a homeless man on the street or the Pope himself.
Ah, it’s really sad that this is becoming so huge. I saw a debate on PBS about it, and it only made it clear that the Catholic Church is going to handle it the only way they know how–badly. They won’t be forthcoming with information (allowing the media to balloon it into a larger problem than it actually is) and will continue to pay off people to keep quiet. It’s a complete shame. I mean, us Catholics really need some good PR once in a while, geez.
Oh, yeah, and lieu? It isn’t called a robe, and they actually don’t wear them all day anyway. Do you have anything useful to contribute?
:mad: Does anyone actually think the church is going to do anything to these idiots?!? The Catholic church has denied, hidden and even committed illegal activities for centuries; even still, sheeple continue to support them.
I suggest you refrain from making slurs about Catholics supporting our religion, even when we disagree with our clergy.
Guin -
if the term ‘sheeple’ is replaced with ‘people’, how would you respond?
The same-my point is, we Catholics may NOT support the actions of our clergy. HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean we’re going to give up on our faith in God.
Haven’t you ever read anything by Father Greeley?
My intent was not do condemn all Catholics, just the ones that look the other way when these things happen and continue to believe that the church can do no wrong. There are plenty of them out there.
Guin -
I read (OK, skimmed) one of your links - it dealt wth critiquing an economic model of evangelical activity in Latin America - probably not the one you’re thinking of.
Your first point is the one which confuses me (bunches).
You state that, while you ‘disagree’ with the clergy, your belief in God is unchanged. OK, fair enough.
BUT - at what (if any) point do you differentiate between God and the RCC (which IS ‘the clergy’, near as I can tell)?
For me, given the history of the RCC, there is NO WAY I will contenence teaching a child that the Pope is the ‘Vicar of Christ’, and that the Church was ‘Created by God, of Necessity…’ (don’t remember the rest, but it (pre-Vat II) pretty clearly stated that the ONLY way to Heaven was through Jesus, and the only way to Jesus was through the Church. I find this concept distasteful, at the very least.
My question is:
Is there any conceivable circumstance under which you would say ‘that’s too much. I’m gone’?
Similarly, there are folks who describe themselves as ‘recovering Catholics’. What do you think of the term, and those who so describe themselves?
Honestly? I think one of the problems is forced celibacy.
I’m not Catholic myself (I was Greek Orthodox), but I think Catholic Priests aren’t even allowed to get married, much less do anything else. It looks to me like this is part of the problem. Course it probably doesn’t help that many of the Priests may have been abused themselves.
Not that I’m saying that the Priests guilty of child molestation should go unpunished, but I think it’s important to look at what may be contributing factors…
No, no, no. I really don’t think that making a general rule that priests are now allowed to get married and have sex will prevent molestation of children. We are talking two totally different acts here: one is sex with a significant other (an act of love), the other is a hurtful act that is extremely illegal.
With that aside, the Catholic Church refers to itself as a ‘human institution.’ And yes, they do make mistakes and even admit to them (granted, it may be hundreds of years later, but, well, the church leadership are a little stodgy and behind the times, if you haven’t noticed). Selling plenary indulgences was wrong, the Spanish inquisition was wrong, jailing Galileo was wrong, etc. etc. I think the only way I’d ditch would be if they changed the theology, the belief system. They can mess (and mess up) the details of day-to-day management, but they haven’t changed the basic dogma, so here I stay.
so,
no matter how many dead bodies, raped children, etc,
‘once a Catholic, always a Catholic?’
That’s scary. That mentality leads to things like the Holocaust, Jim Jones, Cultural Revolution, Cathars, Huguenots…
I’m aware of that, but I’m also aware that things don’t happen in a vaccuum. There’s no one reason why these things happen.
“Selling plenary indulgences was wrong, the Spanish inquisition was wrong, jailing Galileo was wrong, etc. etc. I think the only way I’d ditch would be if they changed the theology, the belief system. They can mess (and mess up) the details of day-to-day management, but they haven’t changed the basic dogma, so here I stay.”
Very well, could it be possible that forced celibacy may be wrong as well?
I’m aware of that, but I’m also aware that things don’t happen in a vaccuum. There’s no one reason why these things happen.
“Selling plenary indulgences was wrong, the Spanish inquisition was wrong, jailing Galileo was wrong, etc. etc. I think the only way I’d ditch would be if they changed the theology, the belief system. They can mess (and mess up) the details of day-to-day management, but they haven’t changed the basic dogma, so here I stay.”
Very well, could it be possible that forced celibacy may be wrong as well? This in no way is trying to justify child molestation, btw nor do I think that eliminating celibacy=no more child molestation.
To be fair, I don’t think being Catholic means agreeing with every single thing other Catholics may have done.
And I thought the Culteral Revolution came from Maoists in China…if I’m wrong, do let me know…
AAAAARG Damnit! Nevermind. Misread. 
“To be fair, I don’t think being Catholic means agreeing with every single thing other Catholics may have done.”
This is what I meant. The latter part was a mistake because I assumed that Catholics had something to do with the Culteral Revolution. heheehe…
how about ‘being Catholic means agreeing with everything the Vicar of Christ’ has done, or told ‘Christians’ (read: Catholics) to do’?
What if they DO canonize Hitler? You still going to tithe?
Well, I’m not Catholic. Is that part of the Catholic Doctrine?
“What if they DO canonize Hitler? You still going to tithe?”
Well, I sure as shit wouldn’t agree with it. heh
I still haven’t heard a good explanation of why the RCC has a policy of NOT turning these priests over to civil authorities. Is there some policy I’m not familiar with that allows the church to deal with these people under canon law and skip the civil courts?
IMHO, they should be turned over to civil authorities and dealt with in the same manner as any other alleged law-breaker.