THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN PERIL
It is very hard to keep your head as a battle in the Church rages over you. You try not to get involved, but abuse of children is such a terrible thing that you just cannot help yourself. You want to know just what bishop abused and covered for other priests, and surely as a good Catholic you should stay loyal and say nothing?
But such an attitude leads to a hatred of the Catholic Church and re-assuring victims that it is just a small minority of priests is not helpful. Australia has had more than its fair share of abuse. There was some idea that Cardinal Pell ran the Australian Church and so all the abuse was down to him - let us get the top man. But Cardinal Pell had no more power over the other dioceses than i have and he was one of the goodies. Rome decides the appointment of bishops and it was heartening to hear the Australian Prime Minister a couple of weeks ago asking Rome for the removal of a bishop The chances are he is still there. The difficulty is as the secular Pennsylvania Court reported after its enquiry into eight dioceses much of the problem goes back to Rome and Rone's appointments Having found that 300 priests in the eight dioceses were responsible for over a 1000 cases of child abuse they pointed the finger at Rome and have decided to start nan enquiry which will stretch to the Vatican.
But if Australia wants to rid the Catholic Church of four out of five abusers it really has to be honest and listen to what the Pennsylvania Court said, rather than jumping to woolly ideas like stopping celibacy and attacking priests in the confessional. The Court said that the majority of boys and young men' were attacked by homosexual predators. One in five were on girls caused by heterosexual predators. This was not the Catholic Church speaking so if you want to shout homophobic then do so but do not pretend you have the interests of abuse victims at heart. What is being said is not all homosexuals are predators But those who do find their way into the Catholic Church were there are victims galore.
So it has little to do with celibacy. 99.9 per cent of priests live good celibate lives but there will always be a few who fall, and in this age where perhaps the clergy are to challenged in holiness by a liberal Church perhaps even this if put right could be eradicated.
The seal of confession is another red herring. The fact is that there are no queues of abusers lining up outside the confessional. I am sure that every so often one will turn up He will turn up because he knows the priest will not inform the police of his activities. Now the idea that someone can turn up at confession confess to an abuse crime, then walk out pardoned is a myth. Any pardon will be conditional and one of the conditions for absolution is that he confesses his crime. to the proper authorities. The Catholic Church will not make a mockery of God. This is where those who are shouting for this are completely wrong. If a man goes to confess to a priest then it is surely because there is some remorse there. The priest can let him unburden himself and then give advice and direction to include giving himself up. So the seal of confession is a positive thing.
There are Catholics now rising up against the corruption of abuse. Cardinals opposing Cardinals. Priests opposing priest. Lay people criticising and demanding change. If we removed the anti-catholicism and worked together we could get somewhere.
But such an attitude leads to a hatred of the Catholic Church and re-assuring victims that it is just a small minority of priests is not helpful. Australia has had more than its fair share of abuse. There was some idea that Cardinal Pell ran the Australian Church and so all the abuse was down to him - let us get the top man. But Cardinal Pell had no more power over the other dioceses than i have and he was one of the goodies. Rome decides the appointment of bishops and it was heartening to hear the Australian Prime Minister a couple of weeks ago asking Rome for the removal of a bishop The chances are he is still there. The difficulty is as the secular Pennsylvania Court reported after its enquiry into eight dioceses much of the problem goes back to Rome and Rone's appointments Having found that 300 priests in the eight dioceses were responsible for over a 1000 cases of child abuse they pointed the finger at Rome and have decided to start nan enquiry which will stretch to the Vatican.
But if Australia wants to rid the Catholic Church of four out of five abusers it really has to be honest and listen to what the Pennsylvania Court said, rather than jumping to woolly ideas like stopping celibacy and attacking priests in the confessional. The Court said that the majority of boys and young men' were attacked by homosexual predators. One in five were on girls caused by heterosexual predators. This was not the Catholic Church speaking so if you want to shout homophobic then do so but do not pretend you have the interests of abuse victims at heart. What is being said is not all homosexuals are predators But those who do find their way into the Catholic Church were there are victims galore.
So it has little to do with celibacy. 99.9 per cent of priests live good celibate lives but there will always be a few who fall, and in this age where perhaps the clergy are to challenged in holiness by a liberal Church perhaps even this if put right could be eradicated.
The seal of confession is another red herring. The fact is that there are no queues of abusers lining up outside the confessional. I am sure that every so often one will turn up He will turn up because he knows the priest will not inform the police of his activities. Now the idea that someone can turn up at confession confess to an abuse crime, then walk out pardoned is a myth. Any pardon will be conditional and one of the conditions for absolution is that he confesses his crime. to the proper authorities. The Catholic Church will not make a mockery of God. This is where those who are shouting for this are completely wrong. If a man goes to confess to a priest then it is surely because there is some remorse there. The priest can let him unburden himself and then give advice and direction to include giving himself up. So the seal of confession is a positive thing.
There are Catholics now rising up against the corruption of abuse. Cardinals opposing Cardinals. Priests opposing priest. Lay people criticising and demanding change. If we removed the anti-catholicism and worked together we could get somewhere.
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