# Pitting Father Benedict Groeschel **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 6, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897 "2012-09-06T19:36:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kp\_72110](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e68b1a/32.png) [@kp\_72110](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kp_72110)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/1 "2012-09-06T19:36:08Z")
Yep, those damn kids seducing coaches and priests are definitely to blame… "A prominent New York-based friar has sympathy for some pedophiles – including defrocked priests and former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky – saying they are sometimes “seduced” by their underage victims. Father Benedict Groeschel’s jarring comments come amid ongoing fallout from child sex abuse scandals that have rocked Penn State and, over the past decade, the Catholic Church. In some of these cases, children “looking for a father figure” are responsible for the relationship with someone in a position of power – like a coach or clergy member, Groeschel told the National Catholic Register." From: [http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-08-30/news/33504746\_1\_jerry-sandusky-state-football-defensive-coordinator-abuse-claims](http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-08-30/news/33504746_1_jerry-sandusky-state-football-defensive-coordinator-abuse-claims) How could anyone resist those sexy little bastards? ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/2 "2012-09-06T19:39:43Z")
He has since released an [apology](http://newyork.newsday.com/news/nation/rev-benedict-groeschel-apologizes-for-saying-priests-are-often-seduced-by-children-1.3941804) for his remarks, and basically admitted that he is going senile. “I did not intend to blame the victim. A priest (or anyone else) who abuses a minor is always wrong and is always responsible,” Groeschel said in his post on the website. “My mind and my way of expressing myself are not as clear as they used to be. I have spent my life trying to help others the best that I could. I deeply regret any harm I have caused to anyone.” ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/3 "2012-09-06T19:40:39Z")
I don’t remember my father sodomizing me in the showers, does that mean he didn’t love me?☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/4 "2012-09-06T19:44:32Z")
yes ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/5 "2012-09-06T19:46:34Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I don’t remember my father sodomizing me in the showers, does that mean he didn’t love me?☹ That’s cuz’ he was too busy with me. I seduced him before you were interesting enough for sodomy. Strange as it sounds, I was looking for a father figure. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/6 "2012-09-06T19:48:31Z")
Here’s a previous thread. > **[In Soviet Russia, children molest YOU! \[Edited title: Jesuit Priest blames...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=663983)** > > From the “And You Thought Republicans Were Out of Touch” file: Priest apologizes after sex abuse comments draw ire. For what it’s worth, I know how this guy feels – I can’t go anywhere near a playground these days without dozens of children... ---
**Author:** ![kp\_72110](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e68b1a/32.png) [@kp\_72110](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kp_72110)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/7 "2012-09-06T19:50:52Z")
“Suppose you have a man having a nervous breakdown, and a youngster comes after him. A lot of the cases, the youngster - 14, 16, 18 - is the seducer," said Groeschel, a founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Pressed on the point, Father Groeschel says “It’s not so hard to see - a kid looking for a father and didn’t have his own - and they won’t be planning to get into heavy-duty sex, but almost romantic, embracing, kissing.” Yeah, makes perfect sense to me. Maybe it’s the children that should be punished for causing these problems because everyone knows adults can’t be held responsible for such debauchery. WTF? I was surprised to not already find a thread on this but if I did miss it then please delete this one. ---
**Author:** ![kp\_72110](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e68b1a/32.png) [@kp\_72110](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kp_72110)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/8 "2012-09-06T19:52:07Z")
Thanks Drunky. Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/9 "2012-09-06T19:58:28Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I don’t remember my father sodomizing me in the showers, does that mean he didn’t love me?☹ I think that was a plot one episode of _It’s Always Sunny In Philidelphia_ ---
**Author:** ![kp\_72110](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e68b1a/32.png) [@kp\_72110](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kp_72110)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/10 "2012-09-06T20:19:13Z")
I am curious, Drunky. What color do your balls turn when you have to wait a long time for a child to molest you? ---
**Author:** ![Strassia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@Strassia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strassia)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/11 "2012-09-06T21:00:29Z")
> [@I\_Know\_Nothing](#): > > I think that was a plot one episode of _It’s Always Sunny In Philidelphia_ Southpark actually. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/12 "2012-09-06T21:13:16Z")
It could easily be both. ---
**Author:** ![Strassia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@Strassia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strassia)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/13 "2012-09-06T22:35:25Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > It could easily be both. I haven’s seen that much of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but it was part of the third season finale of Southpark: [ [QUOTE=Wikipedia] Meanwhile, Mr. Garrison has confronted his father about the issues of sexual molestation, however, the issue was not that his dad had molested him, but rather that he felt neglected because his father had not touched him. When Mr. Mackey finds out about this, he fears Mr. Garrison is so distraught about the issue that he could actually die if Mr. Garrison Sr. does not molest him. Afterwards, Mr. Garrison is assaulted in the middle of the night by a mysterious stranger, and he sets off for the concert happy to have sorted things out with his father. After he leaves, Kenny G exits a closet and refuses $100 from Mr. Garrison’s father, implying that Kenny G. is actually the one who molested Mr. Garrison. [/QUOTE] ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Recorder_Concert) ---
**Author:** ![DxZero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DxZero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DxZero)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/14 "2012-09-07T00:25:15Z")
There was an episode of Always Sunny where the McPoyle brothers accused their old gym teacher (Saved by the Bell’s Mr. Belding) of molesting them. Everyone thinks Charlie was molested too and Mac is jealous that he wasn’t molested too, thinking he was a cuter kid than Charlie. This leads to him showing up at the teacher’s house wearing his old gym clothes and trying to seduce him. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/15 "2012-09-07T01:26:57Z")
> [@Strassia](#): > > I haven’s seen that much of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but it was part of the third season finale of Southpark: Oh, I’m familiar with the _South Park_ episode, it’s just that the premise is well within the scope of _Sunny_ as well. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-father-benedict-groeschel/633897/16 "2012-09-07T02:32:43Z")
And here I was thinking it was a _Happiness_ reference.