First the Pope of the Catholic Church makes mischieves about other churches, now the Archbishopcy in LA pay's

Question

pay's million's of dollars to those victims who were abused as children by priests. Do you still have faith in the Catholic Church? I am Protestant Lutheran. However, do you feel safe arround your priests? Do you entrust your young children to them during Sunday school teaching or any other activities?

I wonder how Catholics react to all of this?

Answer 1

The two events are unrelated. The pope has opinions, but a very poor sense of diplomacy. The archdiocese of Los Angeles (and others) has made a good faith effort to undo the damage allowed by its admitted negligence. Aside from the adequacy or significance of the settlement, every diocese in the U.S.A. has put new standards in place to prevent future incidents, from seminary training and psychological testing to criminal background checks for any clergy, staff or volunteers who minister to vulnerable people. The administrators sincerely want to prevent future abuse. (And even the insincere ones would want to avoid scandal and lawsuits.)

Rank and file parishioners are angry, as much at the administrators who naively allowed the abuse to continue as at the abusers themselves. They are very hostile to paying reparations for events over which they had no control or awareness. Dioceses generally pay their settlements by selling diocesan property and scaling back programs rather than asking parishes for assistance.

And every potential molester is now aware of the increased surveilance. In my diocese, every allegation causes an immediate suspension and an investigation until such time as the "suspect" is cleared. And if they're not, they're prosecuted. I've seen it happen. It is very different now. It has to be. The abiding sense of innocence and trust is largely gone.

Answer 2

First, What the Pope has said about other churches is nothing new. The RC Church has been saying these things about us (I'm a Confessional Lutheran) since before they excommunicated Luther. We shouldn't expect anything but what was said/written.

Second, There are two Churches, one visible, one invisible. The visible Church is made up of what we see: All Denominations, Buildings, believers, and non believers. The visible Church is made up of PEOPLE; i.e. SINNERS. "All have sinned and fallen short of the law". We inherited original sin at the fall in Eden, and we shall carry it until the day we die, and go to Heaven.

I do not want to downplay what they have done, the sins were committed by men and women, not by the Church. Those who covered it up under the auspices of the Church are also to blame, but again the Church did not commit the sin. The man made organization did.

The Second Church is the in-visible Church. The true Church. It is Ruled by Christ, and is made up of all believers, but only believers, living and dead. This Church will be added to as people come to faith, those now living, and those yet to be born. These believers will be from all denominations, and from the the time of creation until the last day.

The Bible tells us that "all have sinned and fallen short of the law" "any one who transgresses one point of the law is guilty of the whole law". Christ himself said "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" The bible also says that we can see a speck in someone Else's eye, and miss the three in our own.

Not only Catholics, but us Lutherans and the rest of Christianity should feel grief and shame that anyone in a position of trust could do anything like this.

May God forgive them and bring them to repentance. May God also forgive US and lead us to repentance, to the glory of his Holy Name.

Amen

Mark

Answer 3

Yes, I still have faith in the Catholic Church.

+ The New Document +

Here is the full text of the new document that states nothing new: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070629_responsa-quaestiones_en.html

Most Christian denominations believe that each of them is the fullest version of the Church of Christ.

While the Catholic Church also believes that she is "the highest exemplar" of the mystery that is the Church of Christ, she does not claim that non-Catholic Churches are not truly Christian. The Catholic Church teaches:

Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements.

Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church.

All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 819: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p3.htm#819

+ Pedophile Priests +

In every population of human beings are going to a few sick or evil people who commit horrible crimes, even in the Church.

These few terrible people do not negate the faith, hope and love of over one billion Catholics.

Remember that the Church is not the Church hierarchy or the priests. The Church is God and His relationship with over one billion living Catholics on Earth and God only knows how many in heaven, all of whom make up the Body of Christ.

Also remember that scandals in large organizations like nations, even up to and including the highest leaders, like President Nixon and the Watergate scandal, do not make the nation as a whole wrong, immoral, or worthless. And the Catholic Church is so much holier and more important than any nation.

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 4

>>Do you still have faith in the Catholic Church?<<

Yes. The Catholic Church is the Church founded by Christ.

>>I am Protestant Lutheran.<<

So you're in a community founded by a mentally ill anti-Semite who inspired Hitler, and you're pointing fingers at Catholics?
http://www.nobeliefs.com/luther.htm
http://ffrf.org/fttoday/2003/april/index.php?ft=sapolsky

>>However, do you feel safe arround your priests?<<

Of course. Only a very small percentage of priests have been accused of sexual abuse.

>>Do you entrust your young children to them during Sunday school teaching or any other activities?<<

I don't have young children, but if I did, I know, statistically, they would be safer with a priest than with a family member or a neighbor.

Answer 5

Why can protestants say catholics are not christians but when the pope says the catholic church is the first true church of God everyone is offended? Catholics have feelings too hun.

As for the LA thing, that also goes on in other religions as well. its still evil no matter what.

Answer 6

ofcourse I still have faith in Roman Catholicism. An analogy would be that Judas betrayed Christ also, yet that doesn't mean that I will stop listening to The rest of the Apostles. In the same way, just because a few priests betray Christ doesn't mean that I will commit spiritual suicide and leave the Roman Catholic Church. Don't let the media twist your understanding of Priests, in fact less than 1-2% of Priests are child-molesters! WE should pray for the priests for satan is out to get them! God bless.

Answer 7

Do you realize that the incidence of pedophilia among priests is the lowest of all ecclesiastical groups, you're own group included. I am a Catholic priest and I have never known one who has practiced any kind of sexual indescretion with a child or an adult. Statistics show that one is safer around a Catholic priest than around a school teacher and certainly safer than around any other clergy.

He who is without sin cast the first stone.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 8

Personally, I've read enough stories about priests, preachers, reverends, deacons, bishops, pastors and other clergy taking advantage of kids and settling out of court to limit my view on this subject to simply Catholics. There's bad people in high places among ALL of the religions, not just the Catholic variety.

In other words, stop attacking Catholics this way, the same can be said about YOUR denomination.

Answer 9

I wonder why the Protestant Lutherans think with an 'it doesn't happen here' attitude...