How can people believe in the authority of an institution that protects child-molesters (ie the Vatican)?

Answer 1

They deny and/or play it down or say everyone else has the same problem, as if that makes it OK. I really don't get how they can keep on funding pedophile defense and somehow think they are doing good

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/5389684.stm

Answer 2

The authority of the Catholic Church does not come from the actions of men. The authority of the Church is given to the Church by Christ (God), the source of all authority.


Here are things to consider for those that judge.

Put yourself in the shoes of the one that you are judging and answer what you would have done at that time.

If someone came to you to report abuse instead of going to the law would you ignore the fact that they did not want to go public.

How would you proceed against an accused priest without requiring the accuser to present evidence or face the accused and testify? Would you throw away the concept of innocent until proven guilty?

If you took action would you disregard the advice of the psychologist of the day as you somehow suggest the Bishops should have done? The prevention and treatment advice of the psychologist was followed and the priest were removed from the environment and given psychiatric treatment. Today we know that it is next to impossible to cure this type of person.

The church took effective action long before the media stories. The number of reported cases decrease dramatically from the 1970’s to the 1990’s

Answer 3

Well its not like Catholics chose to be Catholic because it "protects child molesters"!
There are sinful people in every crowd, because once a human is involved, perfection ceases.
The Catholic church believes in attempting to bring a fallen brother (ie. someone who habitually sins) back to the faith without using law enforcement if at all possible, because they want to exercise repentence, forgiveness and restoration.
Its the original idea of the church being separate from the state, wanting to handle their own problems.

Answer 4

Or for that matter the Republican PArty (Foley and the higher ups who were TOLD by Foley's people)

Or for that matter Islam (she was six when they married and nine when they consumated and Islamics don't dispute this)?

Or for that matter Mexico (where many a 40 or 50 year old man contracts to marry a girl at age 6 or 8 and then sometimes marries her at 14 with parental consent)?

Or for that matter Costa Rica, where a lot of American College Professors used to go for the 14 year old boy and girl prostitutes.

Answer 5

I wonder the same thing all the time. As a Christian I don't see how anyone who believes the Bible could be a Catholic. They not allow seemingly condone homosexuality (shhhh!) and pedophilia but also praying to saints (people who are dead). All of these are strictly forbidden in the Bible. I think it hurts the credibility of other Christian religions who do not practice or believe in those things.

Answer 6

3 Cheers for you!!!!!
I've wondered why Catholics continue to have any trust in their
"leaders" or whatever they call them.
I wouldn't want my child near a priest, bishop or even the POPE.
Who knows what he's hidden over the years. That includes all previous popes also.
Nowhere in the bible is the Pope ever mentioned.

Answer 7

the Catholic Church is Holy, Jesus abides in it. Its men that are evil and pope paul VI back in the seventies said that evil priests have let the smoke of satan into the church. I know more holy priests than bad priests....thank God.

Answer 8

it might not work well but I respect them for bending over backwards for anybody even moslims(set on their demise) they adhere strongly to respect and forgiveness to sinners as well as saints and the uninformed too they just don't give enough attention to justice ....

Answer 9

I really dont know. Maybe a Catholic needs to answer that. It seems to me they are brainwashed to not care.

Answer 10

it's pretty wild, maybe because the vatican has so much wealth and power.