Why do Catholics not want pedophiles to face the law?

Question

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

Answer 1

take a guess. watch http://www.apocalypsecartoons.com/ . the Father Tucker section will explain everything.

Answer 2

Every so often, when the news is a bit slow, they dig up this old crap.

Most cases of child abuse arise in the family. Catholic priests don't normally have families. Most professions have been infiltrated by paedophiles. Doctors and teachers have a far worse record than Catholic priests.

The Catholic Church throughout the world (remember that about a third of the world's population are Catholic) co-operates fully with the law if there is any suggestion that anyone working for the Church is a paedophile.

I have been a child protection officer for the Catholic Church for many years. During that time, in Southern England we have had one priest suspected and convicted of abusing children, one paedophile who claimed to be a Catholic Bishop (he wasn't even a Catholic) and we've sacked one priest who was acquitted of exposing himself but was totally bonkers. During that time, there have been over a thousand convictions of people who were not Catholic priests.

OK. if you're a Bishop or a headmaster or a chief surgeon and there's an allegation of abuse against one of your mates, you have problems believing it. In the past the church, and other professions have been slow to take the problem seriously. That's why the Catholic Church now employs cynical old bastards like me who threaten anyone who steps out of line with the two bricks treatment - as well as reporting them to the authorities.

That doesn't stop the News of the World or even dear old auntie BBC from rehashing old news if they think we're getting bored with Saddam and George W.

Answer 3

I think you are misinterpreting the article. A priest from my parish was accused of child abuse last year and the parish would not discuss it until after the court case had been completed. BTW he pleaded guilty and is now in prison. After this the parish priest explained the situation at Mass the next week and apologised to the community.

Of course the guilty should be punished, through the courts if appropriate. But on the last day everyone of us will have to stand in judgement before God and explain our actions in this life.

So perhaps you will stop demonising an entire religion based on the actions of some sick people.

Answer 4

First of all, virtually no priests have been accused of actual pedophilia, which is molestation of prepubescent children. The fewer than 1% of priests who have been accused of any sexual wrongdoing are virtually all homosexuals who have made advances toward adolescent boys - just like non-clerical homosexuals often do.

The liberal secular media always refer to such priests as "pedophiles" because (1) it evokes a stronger emotional response, contributing to their clear agenda of discrediting the Catholic Church which, as the uncompromising defender of the fullness of Christian truth, is the principle obstacle to their liberal, hedonistic agenda; and (2) it avoids mentioning homosexuality, the support of which is a crucial part of their agenda, in a negative light.

As for charges being brought against such priests, I as a faithful Catholic I hope they receive the same treatment any other perpetrator of similar crimes receives under the law. And most Catholics feel the same way. The actions of these few priests hurt far more than the boys they were involved with. They hurt all of us, and there is no reason why the law should show them any mercy.

Answer 5

Catholics (and all Christians) want abusers to face justice. Unfortunately, as in any organization, there a people who love their position and power more than they love God or the truth or other human beings, and these people set up defences for themselves that become entangled with the good work they have been called to do and corrupt it.
Jesus has some words for abusers: (Luke 17 ASV)

1 And he said unto his disciples, It is impossible but that occasions of stumbling should come; but woe unto him, through whom they come!

2 It were well for him if a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.

Answer 6

The BBC News is known for its anti-Catholic bias, Catholics are the ones who want to see justice done more than anyone else, and the article itself is dead wrong.

Whenever there is so much as a suggestion or hint of abuse, that person, deacon, priest, or janitor MUST IMMEDIATELY BE SUSPENDED.

Of course, are you aware that EVERY VOLUNTEER AND EMPLOYEE OF THE CHURCH, INCLUDING THE CHIOR, MUST HAVE A POLICE CHECK? Of course you aren't.

Coperation must be given to all law enforcment agencies.

The victims families are entiltled to be protected from media hounds like the one you posted, according to the law in some places. that means the bishop IS ORDED BY THE JUDGE to keep quiet. But hey, lets lynch each and every suspect before they go to trial, and the hell with the victims, isn't that what your article is saying?

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/charter/chtr03.htm

another media smear job gone wrong:
http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/update/bn080703.htm

“Ever since the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church became front-page news in 2002, mandatory reporting laws have been broached by many state lawmakers: such laws require all professionals who have knowledge of sexual relations between an adult and a minor to report such cases to the authorities. And at every turn, the opposition has come from Planned Parenthood. Why? Because it is well known that its providers learn of cases of child rape on a regular basis, and it would hurt their lucrative business if they had to first report such instances to the police. In other words, it is not the Catholic Church that is standing in the way of legal reform—it is Planned Parenthood.
http://www.catholicleague.org/06press_releases/quarter%204/061019_child_rapists.htm

Any sane person is strongly opposed to the horrors of child abuse. Now the anti-Catholic bigotry is so strong and so beyond reality and so repeated, it is beginning to backfire. There is no institution on this planet that has tried harder to remove child abuse from itself. Protestant Bible colleges and seminaries have no screening mechansim for perverts that the Catholic Church does.
But no one has noticed the abscence of abuse statistics over the past couple of years. And school teachers are 100X more likely to abuse kids than priests, but who cares about school teachers. Or the kids. It just doesnt sell newspapers.

Answer 7

no church or faith eber wants to admit that it's followers or people high up the ranks would be part of anything like this. The catholic church is best known for this kind of thing.. but anyone remember the Siek (hope thats how you spell it) play in Birmingham (written by a Seik woman) that caused outrage amongst the local Siek community? Just an example in another faith

Answer 8

So troubling that this coverup has been so institutionalized and for so long.

To think that as early as 1962 the problem (and who can claim to not at least have suspected it) has been known and widespread enough and then for the church to come up with a formalized way of covering it up....just confirms my thoughts about organized religion all over again.

Answer 9

It's called saving face. Any group that puts its reputation above the safety of children is acting immorally.

If that article is true and the Catholic Church recommended imposing an oath of secrecy on all child victims, priests dealing with individual allegations of improprieties, and any witnesses, under the penalty of excommunication, that is absolutely unconscionable.

Answer 10

Because they stand to lose a whole lot of all that donated money when they have to start paying claims once they are indeed found guilty. See, once a court finds them guilty beyond a doubt, they are open to civil suits which results in the church losing one of its prized possessions - extreme wealth. Which is funny in itself, seeing as Jesus taught that a rich man will enter heaven no sooner than a camel passing through the eye of a needle.....

And, I am somehow not surprised that Nazi Ratzenberg was the one enforcing it before he was elected pope...

Answer 11

It is the bad publicity that they will get. Most Newspapers and
magazines love this kind of story and will give ample coverage.
The Catholic Church have their own laws. rules and they think
that they can handle the problem themselves. However they
are not above the common law and it is a shame and very
embarrassing for them go face public ridicule.