Does the Roman Catholic Church still shield priests who abused children?

Question

Raymo other churches sack clergy who abuse children The RC church protects them.

Answer 1

No.

Answer 2

I come from a catholic country and yes the church did shield them because they thought they would be able to deal with it themselves using the church canon laws. Law of the land stepped in and told them differently as they thought they were above such laws. Although I am sure they do still protect them to some degree. I am a catholic and believe in my religion but not in some priests. You must remember there is good and bad everywhere. The Catholic church is no longer a religion based around god but a business based around making money. They are a very wealth and powerful establishment and yes the will shield there priest if they can get away with it.

Answer 3

The Vatican protects them, in part, by failing to cooperate with the courts. In a fair number of cases it has refused to accept the jurisdiction of the US courts [for example].

There is a document called "Crimen Sollicationis" - Latin for "the crime of solicitation" - issued in 1962 by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), an office attached to the Vatican. Described as a "blueprint for deception and concealment" by lawyers investigating the worldwide sex-abuse scandals, Crimen Sollicationis contains strict instructions for dealing with what the Vatican calls the "worst crimes" - such as allegations of paedophilia and bestiality. Rather than report these offences to the civil authorities, the CDF instructs bishops to investigate them "in the most secretive way" or face the "penalty of excommunication".

In 2001, the CDF followed this document up with a second directive, which ordered bishops to send their reports directly to Rome, where they would be kept safely under lock and key along with other so-called Pontifical Secrets.

There are currently 750 cases pending against priests in the courts in California alone. Moreover, despite the US Bishops National Review Board's own estimates that there are some 5,000 abusive priests in the US, to date only 150 have been successfully prosecuted - which largely reflects the lack of cooperation from the church.

Imagine what the reality must be in somewhere like South America.

Answer 4

I'll tell you a story about a church in my country. It has agreed to stop protecting the child-molesting priests, but simultaneously transferred its major assets to the charitable arm of the church.

Now, when the abused kids win damages against the church, the church explains that it has no money to make the payment --- and the money can't be collected from the charitable arm because the charitable arm hasn't been found guilty of the crime.

Isn't religion wonderful?

Answer 5

Why single out the Roman Catholic Church - surely it is not an exclusive problem to that Church? One hears of abuses in the Church of England and other churches. Or was your question deliberately pointed at the RC Church??

Answer 6

It's an appalling fact that it happens and as I understand it, the Roman Catholic Church cannot de-frock priests - 'once a priest, always a priest.' If this is true, then that's equally appalling when such an act as occurred.

Answer 7

The Roman Catholic church is guilty of institutional paedophilia.
And, yet people still believe in the infallibility of the Pope and the leadership from him down.

Religious people are so battered with double talk that they must have left their real minds behind at the church.

They should learn to love God and get His love in return.

Answer 8

They can't afford to go on with the old business as usual.

Now, though, in the name of "protecting children," they have everyone who volunteers in their kids' catholic schools/religious ed go through this long screening process (which also costs about $40 - $60). As if the problem were just as likely to be caused by the homeroom mom as the high-and-mighty priest.

Answer 9

No. They never really did. Actually, most of those guys were either kick out of Priesthood or excommunicated altogether. FYI, (statistical fact): You are more likely to be raped/molested by your father than by a Catholic Priest...seriously. Besides, many so-called Catholics (really just discraces, though) become Priests for the sole purpose to molest children. It is evil, wrong, and immoral. Not to mention just plain sad and pathetic. 99% of Priests NEVER did that kind of crap. I was an ALTER BOY for years and NO PRIEST EVER even looked at me like that. It's a load of bull that the U.S. Media throws at us for a pretty penny.

Answer 10

You can expect anything from The Roman Catholics as their Pope has an authority to even change the words of God, All-wise. It makes it all possible for them to have it the way they like.

Answer 11

As long as they still have the rule of celibacy and not allowing priests to get married, then yes, they are still shielding priests who abuse children because they are allowing conditions to exist that lead to it.