why are so many catholic priests sexual predators?

Question

alot of news reports in the last 5+ years seem to show Catholic priests being perverts, rapists and pedophiles. Catholics priests of all people.

Makes me glad im with a Pentecostal church (sorry for my ignorance)

I've even read that Catholic priest articles saying things like self fulfilled stimulation is ok!
Just imagine all the non-reported things that they may get up to!

Answer 1

It is a shame that there have been victims of sexual abuse in the Church.However, there is no link between celibacy and pedophillia. If a person is a pervert, it will not matter if they are married or not.The typical and most common pedophile is the middle aged white married man.Yes, there have been some priests who have been pedophiles, but have there not been in any pedohphiles in other religions and deonominations in which clergy can get married? Let's not forget the highest profession with pedophiles is teachers/ Does this mean that there should be no more teachers in school?The media only focuses on the instances of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church because the media is extremely biased against Catholicism and because they are scared (due to political correctness) to discuss the problems of sexual abuse in Islam, Judaism,etc.Id you insult Islam in the news you are prejudice,but if you insult Catholics, you are consdiered enlightened.

The Catholic Church is basing their teachings on the Bible and ways of Christ. Jesus Christ himself was a celibate man,according to the Bible.Priests act in the Catholic Church to take the place of Christ. This is why priests can not be women and can not marry. Catholics consider the priesthood to be a vocation, just as marriage is a vocation. Therefore, if you can not be allowed to marry two people at the same time, you should not be able to be a priest and get married.It is not fair to the church/parish or the family, if a priest were to marry. A person can not give themselves totally to one thing if they are commited to something else. Just like a man with two wives can not give each wife 100% of his time and devotion.

In fact, Jesus asked this of his apostles. Simon Peter was married and Jesus asked him to leave all things, including his wife, to follow him and start his Church. A pretty clear biblical teaching on celibacy and the priesthood.

There are perverts everywhere, don;t let a few tarnish the image of one group that does so much good.

Answer 2

Statistically, 80% of sexual predators are men. If the population is roughly 50:50 male:female but the population of Catholic priests is 100:0 male:female, then a higher incidence of sex offenders should be expected to emerge.

Note that Catholic priests are not the only religious figures to be indicted recently on suspicion of molestation. Consider:
* Rev. Curtis Bass, International Pentecostal Church, Aldine TX
* Garrett A. Dykes, Calvary Baptist Church, Wetumpka AL
* Louis Lamonica, Hosanna Church, Ponchatoula LA
* Dr. Robert Gray, Trinity Baptist Church, Jacksonville FL
* Rev. Peter Manton, Kew Baptist Church, Melbourne AU
* Rev. Sherman Allen, Shiloh Institutional Church of God, Fort Worth TX
* Rev. Charles Milton, Greater Macedonia Baptist Church, Texas City TX
*Charles Fenwick, Jr., The Lighthouse Temple, Eugene OR

I could go on and on, but it's not necessary. Note that media attention is always stronger on the Catholic Church than any other Christian denomination (at least in the US) partly because the Catholic Church is large, recognizeable, and has sufficient oversight to be able to recognize and deal with such a scourge.

The priest sex abuse scandal is utterly horrific, and one that all Catholics are calling for a resolution to and efforts to prevent any such thing from happening again.

As far as your reading that "Catholic priest articles", whatever those might be, and your assertion that there are "non-reported things," I would condemn your statement in the strongest possible sense. To imagine something is not to make it true, and even if there is tacit approval for private masturbation, this is a long way from condoning the physical or sexual abuse of parishoners. Such statements have a way of becoming distorted in the minds of those who simply do not like the Catholic Church, and these lead to ludicrous fiction written by the likes of Dave Hunt and Jack Chick.

Answer 3

Just because the media only makes a big deal about the abuse committed by criminals who pretend to be Catholic priests (they aren't really, because if they were, they'd be upholding their vow of celibacy instead of searching for victims to abuse) -- that doesn't mean it doesn't happen elsewhere.

I used to belong to one of the largest pentecostal denominations in the U.S., and just in my small town, one of the churches of that denomination went through THREE youth pastors in three years because they kept bedding down teenagers. And the whole thing got covered up -- the youth pastors were transferred to other towns after PROMISING they would never go after another teen, blah blah blah, you know the story.

People who want to have sex with minors take roles in society that give them unfettered access to minors with complete trust of the parents. I know the media doesn't launch a huge blitz every time a Lutheran, Pentecostal, Assemblies of God, Methodist, Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist, or whatever minister has sex with a minor, but it happens. And not just at church, but in scout troops, schools, youth organizations of all kinds.

Wake up. Especially if you are a parent, because your kids are not safe just because your minister isn't a Catholic priest.

Answer 4

I don't know if "so many" Catholic priests are sexual predators
but any occupation/profession that gives authority and power to a person (like the medical profession, police, teaching) is also going to attract predators.

Answer 5

It is a "religion" that is sexual diviant. It asks it leaders to be asexual.