# Priests molesting boys
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 28, 2015, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826 "2015-09-28T11:45:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/21 "2015-09-29T01:05:05Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> The problem is, those boys need to be taught to keep quiet.
I’m flashing on an old episode of South Park but I’m too lazy today to Google the exact one.
> [@kunilou](#):
>
> Back in the early 2000’s I worked for a children’s advocacy organization. One of my jobs was to keep a database of incidents of abuse by clergy. I can assure you, it’s not just a Catholic problem. Mainline Protestants, fundamental Protestants, Jews, Muslims, storefront churches – hundreds of cases all over the U.S.
>
> You never heard of most of those cases because, for the most part, the other denominations don’t have as strong a hierarchy as the Catholics. A minister in a non-denominational church can go to any other church that will hire him. A choir director at a Baptist church can get hired at a Lutheran church, etc. When those clerics were caught, the individaul churches they worked for did pretty much the same as the Catholic hierarchy – settle with the victim, make sure the offender gets out of town, and hope the news didn’t get around.
I’ll second and add some bias from the press against the Church of Rome (or whatever the technical term is). I knew a priest who was accused; mostly in the press. The actual situation was that he came from a wealthy family and had access to a lodge at a nearby resort area. Another priest borrowed the lodge and did indeed molest children. No one following the story, reporters and the like, could believe “Father P” was so stupid and blind to not know what was going on. I could believe it; Father P really was that much of an idiot. But his future as any form of parish priest was over and his vocation destroyed. I am sure there are examples from other denominations but to me it looks like cases like that are more common in the RCs because of the tighter and more strict “chain of command”.
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### Author:  [@McDoogins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDoogins)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/22 "2015-09-29T01:39:49Z")
> [@kunilou](#):
>
> Back in the early 2000’s I worked for a children’s advocacy organization. One of my jobs was to keep a database of incidents of abuse by clergy. I can assure you, it’s not just a Catholic problem. Mainline Protestants, fundamental Protestants, Jews, Muslims, storefront churches – hundreds of cases all over the U.S.
>
> You never heard of most of those cases because, for the most part, the other denominations don’t have as strong a hierarchy as the Catholics. A minister in a non-denominational church can go to any other church that will hire him. A choir director at a Baptist church can get hired at a Lutheran church, etc. When those clerics were caught, the individaul churches they worked for did pretty much the same as the Catholic hierarchy – settle with the victim, make sure the offender gets out of town, and hope the news didn’t get around.
I’ve recently had this thought, about other denominations doing it to. Unfortunately the Catholic church takes the brunt of the heat for some reason. Not saying they don’t do it, they just tend to get caught the most.
I’ve given up on trying to convince people that “hate Catholics” for that reason that other denominations and religions do it.
> [@kopek](#):
>
> I’m flashing on an old episode of South Park but I’m too lazy today to Google the exact one.
It’s Red Hot Catholic Love, the one where people shove food up their butt and crap out their mouth. 😃
The bit with the Queen Spider is artistic genius.
---
### Author:  [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/23 "2015-09-29T01:45:32Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> The problem is, those boys need to be taught to keep quiet.
WTF ! I hope to HELL you’re not serious ! Are you a priest ???
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/24 "2015-09-29T03:14:03Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Yes, it’s not like there was some time and place recently where molesting children was considered “the normal thing to do at the time”. These priests were committed what was seen as a serious crime by the standards of both today and the time when they were committing it.
Not really. It was seen as a serious crime so long as it wasn’t commited by someone in a position of authority. A beggar? Believable. The major? Oh, stop crapping lies! If it was done by a relative, teacher, doctor, husband… anybody claiming assault would have been told either to stop lying, stop exaggerating, stop saying things that might make the family look bad or in the case of husbands “well, it’s his right”.
And sometimes, the “shuffling the offender to a different location” worked. In the case of the new teacher who “overstepped boundaries” with me (and as of last check, I’ve never been a boy) and five of my classmates, it worked because 1) the different location chosen was one whose children were known to have steel spines and 2) the parents of the majority of those children did, too. Students who had that same teacher in the following 20 years angrily defend him any time the subject of that assault comes up. To them, he’s the sweetest old man.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/25 "2015-09-29T05:07:26Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#):
>
> I think the Catholic church has done a pretty good job in cleaning this mess up and you arent hearing many new cases. Most of the problems stopped back in the 80’s. Alot of money went to victims and many priests went to jail.
Not true.
Here in Minneapolis, 2 bishops (including the Archbishop) have resigned for covering up these crimes, and doing the classic shuffle-them-around response. And these were incidents that happened in 2012-2015.
Enough of them have come to light, with the abused children filing lawsuits, that the archdioceses has already filed for bankruptcy (apparantely they think they are likely to lose these lawsuits), and is busy trying to conceal church assets.
So it did NOT end in the 1980’s!
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### Author:  [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/26 "2015-09-29T05:17:39Z")
The news today said Pope Francis says, “The bishops responsible should be arrested”, referring to the recent transfer of 10 molesting kids to South American communities.
Please note the lack of words in that statement from Frankie. He may as well have said, “Someone should do something to stop this, but not me. Just because I’m in charge doesn’t mean it has to be me.” :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/27 "2015-09-29T05:59:43Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Yes, it’s not like there was some time and place recently where molesting children was considered “the normal thing to do at the time”. These priests were committed what was seen as a serious crime by the standards of both today and the time when they were committing it.
>
> So while “one screwup and you’re out” is too harsh, I think “one serious crime like rape or murder and you’re out” is a reasonable policy.
And also -
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> What you call “one screwup” is what I call “fucking a little boy up the ass”. Just so we are clear.
No. you are confused or not reading properly.
He was referring to the bishops covering it up in the quote I took. Bishop being naïve to believe, say, a priest who said " I messed up really big time, I was weak, but I’m really sorry and it won’t happen again." Then sweeping it under the rug, which was par for the course when they were growing up and still was when they did the cover-up… then 20 years later, shit hits the fan, church says “thank you for 50 years of service, but that one priest you forgave and transferred. You’re fired, go find your own way in the secular world with no money, no family, no support.”
Do you find that fair?
(The “I’m sorry” bit - one thing some sociopath predators are really good at is faking penitence when caught).
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### Author:  [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/28 "2015-09-29T06:10:19Z")
> [@Nava](#):
>
> Not really. It was seen as a serious crime so long as it wasn’t commited by someone in a position of authority. A beggar? Believable. The major? Oh, stop crapping lies! If it was done by a relative, teacher, doctor, husband… anybody claiming assault would have been told either to stop lying, stop exaggerating, stop saying things that might make the family look bad or in the case of husbands “well, it’s his right”.
>
> And sometimes, the “shuffling the offender to a different location” worked. In the case of the new teacher who “overstepped boundaries” with me (and as of last check, I’ve never been a boy) and five of my classmates, it worked because 1) the different location chosen was one whose children were known to have steel spines and 2) the parents of the majority of those children did, too. Students who had that same teacher in the following 20 years angrily defend him any time the subject of that assault comes up. To them, he’s the sweetest old man.
You’ll hear plenty of stories, some not that old, of people in positions of authority who committed child molestation, rape, some unspeakable crime. Same thing happens if a family member is accused of the act. Even the victim’s parents would likely accuse the victim of making stuff up - as much out of fear of forcing the issue and taking on the establishment, general denial that bad things are happening, disbelief that these things happen, etc. Nobody wants to scream the priest is a child molester when the clergy, the bishop and his buddies the city council and chief of police, members of congress, etc. can threaten the family with slander charges, creating a disturbance, making a false report, and anything else necessary to shut them up (up to and including “we can take away your other children since you are obviously unfit if you persist in these claims, and this trouble-maker will end up in the reform school run by the Jesuits…”)
the amazing thing is that the truth eventually came out.
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### Author:  [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/29 "2015-09-29T06:31:15Z")
> [@md2000](#):
>
> … then 20 years later, shit hits the fan, church says “thank you for 50 years of service, but that one priest you forgave and transferred. You’re fired, go find your own way in the secular world with no money, no family, no support.”
>
> Do you find that fair?
I find that 20 years too late. Should’ve been fired and charged with obstruction.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/30 "2015-09-29T11:55:57Z")
> [@purplehearingaid](#):
>
> WTF ! I hope to HELL you’re not serious ! Are you a priest ???
I’m paraphrasing something a comedian (Dave Attell?) has said. I’m an atheist who leans a little more toward the hard-atheist end of the spectrum each day.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/31 "2015-09-29T11:58:43Z")
> [@md2000](#):
>
> Do you find that fair?
Fair? I really don’t care if a priest \*who fucked a little boy up the ass \*is treated fairly. I’m a horrible person in that regard.
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/32 "2015-09-29T12:40:44Z")
> [@md2000](#):
>
> the amazing thing is that the truth eventually came out.
We’ve all heard altar-boy jokes for our entire lives. The amazing thing to \*me \*is that we took so long to take them seriously. An organization’s perceived need for its members to protect each other taking precedence over the actual needs of outsiders? That does not amaze me at all.
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### Author:  [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/33 "2015-09-29T12:49:50Z")
> [@md2000](#):
>
> …But then what? Part of the career is that the church takes care of you in your old age… If they take the attitude “one screw-up and your out, even if it was the normal thing to do at the time” how likely are they to keep any but the most incredibly devout priests? “Thanks for a lifetime of service, but that one screwup means now you go find your own old folks home and figure out how to pay for it with no assets.”
If you actually read the New Testament, a lot of Jesus’s message was about screw-ups and how people ought to be given a second chance. This even applied to sexual sins - see John 8. Given that, it’s not actually that surprising that someone would _want_ to give a molester a second chance because they believe that it’s what Jesus would have done.
> [@md2000](#):
>
> …Jesus allegedly said to take all you money and worldly possessions, sell them and give them to the poor. “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”…
No, that was Karl Marx.
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/34 "2015-09-29T14:00:58Z")
[Supply Side Jesus](http://www.beliefnet.com/News/2003/09/The-Gospel-Of-Supply-Side-Jesus.aspx) disagrees.
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### Author:  [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/35 "2015-09-29T14:06:50Z")
> [@stosh](#):
>
> Did they think that God did not know what they were doing ?
> Did they just think that they had sinned and would be forgiven ?
I think everyone knows or at least suspects that there isn’t any such thing as an afterlife, or divine judgment, or god. Some people are very good at squashing this feeling down and burying it in layers of religious study and prayer and overcompensation. I’m guessing the pedo priests have convinced themselves (at least superficially) that god will forgive them, while simultaneously in their heart also doubting that a god knows or cares about their crimes. They’re probably more torn up about their own feelings of guilt and shame than they are actually worried about comeuppance.
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### Author:  [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/36 "2015-09-29T14:08:36Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Fair? I really don’t care if a priest \*who fucked a little boy up the ass \*is treated fairly. I’m a horrible person in that regard.
If I may hitch on to your post, I also don’t care if a Bishop who let a priest (or priests) fuck little boys in the ass is out of a job when he is an old man. The fact that he got away with enabling child rape for decades doesn’t make him less deserving of punishment.
It’s not like when they finally caught Whitey Bulger we decided to let him go because he’s old.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/37 "2015-09-29T14:30:38Z")
> [@md2000](#):
>
> He was referring to the bishops covering it up in the quote I took. Bishop being naïve to believe, say, a priest who said " I messed up really big time, I was weak, but I’m really sorry and it won’t happen again." Then sweeping it under the rug, which was par for the course when they were growing up and still was when they did the cover-up… then 20 years later, shit hits the fan, church says “thank you for 50 years of service, but that one priest you forgave and transferred. You’re fired, go find your own way in the secular world with no money, no family, no support.”
>
> Do you find that fair?
They’re fucking _bishops_. They manage huge numbers of personnel, large amounts of money, and substantial diocesan holdings. Not to mention that they’re the heirs of the Apostles, according to the church.
There are not supposed to be issues that are above their pay grades, and if they swept things under the rug and allowed them to happen again they should feel lucky if all they suffer is job loss.
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/38 "2015-09-29T15:40:23Z")
> [@md2000](#):
>
> And also -
>
> No. you are confused or not reading properly.
>
> He was referring to the bishops covering it up in the quote I took. Bishop being naïve to believe, say, a priest who said " I messed up really big time, I was weak, but I’m really sorry and it won’t happen again." Then sweeping it under the rug, which was par for the course when they were growing up and still was when they did the cover-up… then 20 years later, shit hits the fan, church says “thank you for 50 years of service, but that one priest you forgave and transferred. You’re fired, go find your own way in the secular world with no money, no family, no support.”
>
> Do you find that fair?
>
> (The “I’m sorry” bit - one thing some sociopath predators are really good at is faking penitence when caught).
The scandal wasn’t that a bishop would transfer a priest exactly once, and everything was fine after that. The scandal was that bishops would transfer priests again, and again, and again, getting them “treatment” each time, and neglecting to warn the pastor of the new parish of that particular priest’s history. How many times do you have to transfer a child molester who keeps molesting, before deciding, “Hey, this isn’t fucking working?”
[This is why](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Geoghan) Bernie Law belongs in a jail cell, or at least should be panhandling on subway stations, instead of living a cozy retirement in Rome.
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/39 "2015-09-29T17:43:08Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#):
>
> The scandal was that bishops would transfer priests again, and again, and again, getting them “treatment” each time, and neglecting to warn the pastor of the new parish of that particular priest’s history.
That, and doing nothing to actually help the victims, only induce them to keep quiet.
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### Author:  [@stosh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stosh)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-molesting-boys/732826/40 "2015-09-29T20:13:27Z")
Priests are people and there are some bad ones and mostly good ones ( I hope ). They are just like cops,or firemen or lawyers ( well, maybe not lawyers or politicians ).
They were caught at one bad thing, so, why would we assume that that’s all they did. Maybe they did and maybe they did not. One thing is for sure, the church did all they could to keep it low-key. The first thing they did was circle the wagons and call out the lawyers.
I think the victims deserve a lot of credit for having the guts to speak up.
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