. They all belong in JAIL.

The offending priests belong in jail, the entire church belongs in the wastebasket for allowing this to continue for so many years, the victims should get restitution and people with the spite-filled attitude such as yours should hope you never will be in such a situation.

Wha? Who's the scammers and defrauders? You some Catholic lover who actually believes such sickness should be forgiven? Maybe you belong in jail too.

I agree that most of these people are frauds, but it is still needs to be investigated. The church has a long history of this, and they are never transparent and open about it.

WilliamofRites and Jar Man-Your Your opinions are welcomed, but there is no need to start bashing Catholics.

raymond,

You simply must, repeat must, get out from under that rock you've been living under!

I just love it when some in the Catholic faith criticize gay marriage.. and turn a blind eye to when abuses like these take place. They sit back and say gay marriage will hurt family values. It seems to me, these people have NO values and they should pay for their crimes.

Is there a standard complaint form I can buy?

Raymond, do you really think that these now grown men want to relieve and talk about the abuse they received when they were young? I highly doubt it. It means it is out in the open and humiliating if they have not dealt with what has happened to them.

If you were in their shoes, I'm sure you would feel differently.

No wonder religion is down in numbers attending. What terrible crimes - against children, and even against deaf children. And the church worries about $$.

Any one who supports the Catholic church in any way are complicit in these atrocities. We all know it's happened and continues to happen while the pope on down turned a blind eye and in some cases moved the priests to new areas with no warning to anyone so that they could continue to molest. Raymond, someone should pay attention to what you are doing. Anyone who would even pretend this is some kind of conspiracy is most likely guilty of the same crimes.

This country was built on the prodestants trying to separate from the Catholics!!! That being said NOT all catholics are evi,l But sadly many are and sick twisted and confused....... I love God and I am a Christ follower but Catholics are not! They have added books to the bible and twist the very words of Christ and worship Mary (which would be considered idol worship, breaking comandment #1). So trying to "save babies and go against gay marriage is propsturous when they don't even follow Christ! I feel that catholics give a abad name to pro-lifers and strong family values, they don't even LOVE the sinner, they just condem them! We are suposse to Love the sinner hate the sin. LOVE comes first! So instead of condeming all religion based on the Catholics actions. Please try to judge on an individual basis. Blessings to all!

My butt hurts...

It would appear that not everyone loves raymond.

Have these allegations been proved?

It would be interesting to know how many of the victims consider themselves gay. If these abuses did take place, the worldwide Catholic church from Rome to Reno should be held accountable. Joe Paterno and the president of Penn State got fired over turning a blind eye to this type of stuff.

On the other hand, if these abuses are not proved and people are just jumping on the bandwagon because of money OR an agenda against the church (ie, homosexual acceptance, abortion, etc.) , then heaven help them. However, the church being willing to pay the accusers sure does make it appear guilty as charged.

But the Catholic church's theology has been wrong from it's inception. It is not hard to imagine how this corruption could be revealed in an age where people do not fear God, much less the church.

Articles like this one make me wonder about people who view religion as "harmless". I guess when they see articles like this one, they just ignore it and censor themselves against it. No wonder this nation is in the crapper.

Raymond-1126037,

You're asserting that all 550 of these accusations are fabricated?

If your post was solely to ignite passion and argument, congratulations: you've succeeded.

If even one of these complaints are valid, it's a disgusting and inexcusable tragedy. I also believe that if this many people are coming forward, something was seriously amiss (and that's an understatement).

Because if (recent) history is any guide, when it comes to pedophilia within the Church, smoke usually means fire.

And this is an awful lot of smoke.

Raymond:

I just love how you get people on these blogs all fired up.

Tatonkyou *** That's because you've been switching your thumbs too much lately !!! --- Live long and prosper !!!

I grew up in a Catholic neighborhood and some of them were very nice people.

Their church should allow marriage... That would attract a more wholesome population of priests.

It comes down to one thing in my mind. Abuse of power. Be it a church or state or someone who controls someone else from an economic perspective. We as adults have a duty to stand up against the offenders and shed light on the realities of these "revered" institutions as well as shed light on their true policies and actions towards those who abuse within their structure. Aside from that the government of the people by the people and for the people should step in, extricate the offenders from those systems,jail them, sift through the truth and give heavy restitution to those truely abused....particularly the innocent children who were to fearful to stand up and speak out.

When will people start to think on their own instead of letting some creep tell them what they should believe in or think? How about we get rid of religion all together, treat good people good and get rid of the bad people.

Just when you think it is safe to bend over and light a candle!! BAM!!

Linda M.

I disagree with you, and I am Catholic. This is what I find so disgusting of my religion I was born in. No we have not been the "Holder of Truth"! Never been. Anymore, I am torn about going to church because of all the hypocrisy. If the church is growing, why the heck are they now advertising in TV for Catholics to come home?! That just tells me not only are there a lot of us smorgasboard Catholics, but a lot are leaving. It boggles the mind when we are suppose to follow the footsteps of Jesus, yet, the Church sides with the right wing Repug party because of the one issue. Abortion. It is gagging to pander "thou shall not kill", but hey, we'll just abuse! And let's not forget, that there are less and less priests - the church are getting priests from 3rd world countries! What does this tell you? Maybe there is some solid truth in people who don't buy into organize religions, because they all are questionable and political tools. I'll always be a believer in God, and will practice what Jesus preach in the bible, but I don't buy into the Catholic church anymore.

stop hating on the catholics. its not our fault the preists did what they did they abused their own power also STOP TALKING ABOUT OUR RELIGION LIKE ITS SOME KIND OF CULT BECAUSE YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT. THIS BEHAVIOR HAS NEVER BEEN ACCEPTABLE AND NEVER WILL BE!

Touchette MSNBC,

Yesterday, a California school teacher was lambasted with good reason, today a Catholic diocese, also with good reason. Way to go MSNBC, refocus your spot light on something most people love to hate, while trying to dim the light on a fellow liberal scum bag. You guy's (MSNBC) are so predictable.

Go ahead and hate your neighbor.

Go ahead and cheat a friend. Kill, harm and rape but do it in the name of heaven.

You'll be justified in the end.

Stopthehaters....I think you are confusing the words acceptable and accepted. You can scream all you want that the bahaviour has never been acceptable, but the fact is, it's accepted within the confines of the Catholic Church. The fact that the Church continues to spend money defending their own instead of completely admonishing them will forever convince most intelligent people that they are totally accepting this behaviour. I'm afraid you've no leg to stand on

cult

   /kʌlt/ Show Spelled[kuhlt] Show IPA

noun
1.
a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.

2.
an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.

3.
the object of such devotion.

4.
a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.

5.
Sociology . a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols

USA of God Not Catholics--this is directed to your comment:

To the person who said that Catholics have added books to the Bible--that is untrue. Catholics were the first followers of Jesus, the disciples went around preaching Catholicism, and Protestantism came after due to people protesting the behaviors and some of the ideas of the church. Yes, there will always be some people who do wrong, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater! If we all looked at the world with as dim of an outlook as you, we would be worse off.

Catholics do not worship Mary, but we do believe that she was more than just a way for God to come to Earth. Think about it this way; why would God have chosen her if she wasn't special or spotless? It would be like you drinking something out of a dirty cup. God wanted someone who was a good example and special to carry his son for 9 months, give birth to him, and teach him to be a good adult.

I do agree with you that Catholics due tend to hate the sinner or are so willing and free to hate the sinners that they see. I notice myself sometimes point out the flaws of others when I have those same faults or that I don't try to help them find forgiveness and healing. I don't think that just Catholics do this and that it is really unfair of you to typecast a whole group of people based on the actions of a few. Actually, aren't you doing the same thing; you are hating the sinner, saying their all bad, and condemning the innocent? Remember, when you point a finger, there are 4 more pointing back at you. So, before you condemn all Catholics, judge them on an individual basis too and try to learn more about their religion, their history, and their beliefs (especially on your own and not from your pastors.)

If you really want to know, King James changed the original wording of the Bible to be more poetic and the Mormons have different books in their Bibles. I really think that it is our day and age that affects people's religions today. We as a people are more into satisfying our needs whenever whether it is sexually, nutritionally, or with some other type of vice. We don't wait for anything anymore or we are always trying to find ways to get what we want. We are a different type of people anymore; this includes in family values, brain/chemical make-up, and more. Bad things happens some times and we have no control or explanation why it happens. I do think that something more should be done rather than a payout or removing the priest from the parish. The offenders should lose their jobs and face jail time for these atrocities and maybe the church should go through a different and more thorough process to make sure they have the right kind of "shepard" to shepard their flocks. Maybe, just then, people would trust the church and come back home.

I am Catholic and proud, because I know the history of my faith; it wasn't all bad and God does exist in the Bible and Jesus Christ which we are based in. Just as the history of my faith is not all bad, neither are its people. I know I will most likely have people who disagree with me or are coming into this discussion with preconceived notions of Catholicism, hatred of religion, or with attitude, but I would just ask you to take my comment as it is and notice that I am not being mean and vindictive and post an adult comment to it in a nice, constructive, and socratic way of discussing this issue. Thank you!

Let me start by stating that I am Catholic. Even so, I think the cover-up that has gone one for so long is way beyond reprehensible. Take all those responsible, including those who aid in the cover-up and put them in jail forever. Pierce the corporate veil and take the lawsuit clear to the Vatican! Why should the pope run around in satin slippers when these victims go un-compensated. And yes, I suppose there are some who cry foul when they are not a victim but if the church hadn't tolerated this evil behavior for so long then there wouldn't be any opportunity for these impostors to plead a case.

There should be no bankruptcy allowed. Look into the bishop's personal financial records for that archdiocese. Most of the archdiocese assets are probably in his name.

The church must be frigid. Maybe Jesus is really a tease. Whatever; these men seem to all be sexually starved. Marrying the church absent conjugal rights with that church is really taking a toll on the Padre's, and their congregations.

It's not the religion. There is nothing wrong with worshiping God. There is nothing wrong with those who choose to be Catholic. It's the people in authority within the church that are the problem. They are ALL fallible. Including the Pope. He needs to address the issues that create this situation. Priests not allowed to marry will set the stage for this type of abuse because pedophiles will be attracted to the priesthood because they can hide there.

Wow... "Against Union Thievery"... you actually said that the Pope needs to address the situation...???? Surely you jest...!!!

The Pope is himself a pedophile... predator...! Any person who condones the acts of pedophiles posing as clergy in Catholic churches as he has by ignoring the problems when he could very well use his position to make a stand against the problem... He doesn't and won't because he is one of them...! He has even put his hand in one situation and exposed this by conspiring to cover up one case... and who knows how many more ...!!!

These nut cases who walk around in their little "Vatican City" wearing their crazy little costumes are simply insane old men who fail to grasp the severity of what is going on outside the walls of their elaborate stone age "clubhouse"...!

What sane group of people would turn a blind eye to the crap going on in the churches... stand beside the pedophiles/predators like they have... stand up for them and "protect" them like they do... without shaking the foundations of all of the so-called .."GODS" houses and end the problem... or at the least offer some sane solutions and implement them...? But they haven't...!

Instead... they just put a spin on it all... offer up some insane psycho babble talk ... quote some scripture from their bible... wave a smoke bomb around in the air... and make it look like they are interested in the problem... then when the air cools and the smoke clears around it all... they go back to business as usual until the next pedophile is exposed and they do the same exact thing...!

They don't care because there are too many pedophiles and predators in the churches everywhere... and to do anything about it would mean that they would have to expose just how corrupt and widespread the problem is and they surely do not want that... people already hate this crap and are leaving the churches because they are tired of the crazy bastards destroying their kids...!

But while they sit and do nothing... they are promoting the problem plain and simple... and this makes them equal in participation... their hands are just as dirty whether they molested a child or didn't...!

There's this thought that church and state should be separate... hmmm... when you have church emulating state with their cover ups and church government accepting and coddling criminals who molest and rape... what really is the difference between church and state in this respect... they are actually one in the same...!!!

Old School: HAHAHA!! Surely you jest! If you think that's an accurate representation of Catholic history, you are highly mistaken and need to go do a lot of reading on history, find out what the catholic church has been up to for centuries and I don't think you would be so quick to jump to its defense or claim that catholics were the first followers of Jesus either. What a joke. And you are wrong about the worship of Mary, when you pray to someone in such a manner, you put them on the same level as a god. Good luck to anyone seeking help from her, I believe it is in the Bible that Jesus said the only way to the Father was through Him, and no one else. Not only do you need to read up on your Catholic history, you need to read your Bible!

Anyway, I think it is clear to see that there is a strong connection between the priests and their vows of celibacy and the sex abuse that goes on within the church. Men were not designed to be celibate for life and it can clearly bring out something so troubling and inexcusable in them that obviously, something needs to be done about it. The problem doesn't stop there, nuns (who also take a vow of celibacy) have been having babies in secret for hundreds of years and hide the tiny corpses underneath their churches (many of which have since been found). Does anyone see a pattern here? Murder and sexual abuse, violent crimes, all behind those taking vows of celibacy. That spells out M A J O R P R O B L E M!

Stang acknowledged some people file claims even though they weren't abused but said that was "extremely rare."

"Most people are not willing to come out and publicly say they were masturbated by someone," Stang said.

This douchebag lawyer is inferring that fondling or intimate touching doesn't constitute "abuse".

This whole situation has been made more horrifying by the lack of criminal prosecutions based on a statute of limitations for child abuse. Now, an organization which makes it's own laws and pays no taxes files for bankruptcy PROTECTION with the US government.

This problem has benn well known and well documented in the catholic church since 1948 (Servants of the Paraclete).

Sarah, I think you make a truly awesome point about taking away the tax exempt status from the Catholic Church! Really! Let's write our congressmen and senators and get that started right away. Of course, I'm sure you realize that this would mean taking the tax exempt status away from EVERY tax exempt religious organization (unless you are also in favor of abolishing the Constitution altogether - you know, that pesky old First Amendment). Ever heard of the term "unintended consequences"? Think about it.

Sarah....save some of that venom for the rest of the world. If you dare, just type these words into google: "how many children die every day"

Gee Sarah, think about it this way. If some, or all, religious institutions were outlawed, then those molesters that would have been clergymen simply take jobs at a private children's camp. Or as a day care provider. Or whatever. My point is, who cares what the molester's occupation is? If he likes children, he will find a way to exploit them with any available method.

How about sacrificing children on the alter of convenience, excuse me, womens rights? 40 + million since Roe v Wade. It is a curse upon our land.

Dear Stoopid... child molestors exist and are prevelant. That they exist and are prevelant is relative to the failure of religion and the theory that god even exists at all. Clearly, any god worth any $#&! would use his devine power to at LEAST help the weakest of his 'children'... that said, the Catholic church and it's extremely outdated mode of 'thinking' has all but set up themselves as a safe haven FOR these monsters. It consistantly hides and covers up these crimes, denies them and does little to prevent them. IF this were ANY other organization in the world...it would be shut down. HOwever, the brain washed make their excuses and follow laws created by a Church looking to rule with extreme power...it is WHY the USA was created and WHY we have freedom of religion...because people needed to escape that church. However, in doing so, they made up their own stupid fanciful religions to support their own rules and power...thus making up all christian society of people whose only research into what they believe is what they are told by those looking to control them...period. Without thought and common sense...you have faith. God be with you... I've given up on him.

I totally agree, stoopid. The Catholic church doesn't have the patent on child molestation...just recently,i.e. Penn State.

The church is not doing it's job ( whatever folks define spiritual guidance to be), policing it's clergy (relocating a pedaphile is NOT a good substitute for firing and reporting him), and adds gas to the fire by impeding civil investigations (really? REALLY?).

The penalty for anyone in a position of "trust"...(police, clergy, doctors, etc) should be much, much harsher than the letter of the law, and no organization, religious or civic, should be tolerated for investigative interference, especially when it involves those who cannot defend themselves.

The Bibles warns of "false prophets"....unfortunately, they come in all sizes, faiths, and cultures....

religion of pedophiles and perverts , most of priests are pedophiles

@SAM: Where's your PROOF.(Hate much lately?)

will-2193211,

Really? Sacrifice of convience? Do you have a uterus? Until you do, please restrain your comments about abortion being convient. It is necessary to let people choose between themselves and their god, or absence of one. Not you and YOUR god. I suppose you would call a woman who was pregnant with a child as a result of rape a murderer for refusing to do one of the most intimate things a woman can do with her body and nurture a child in HER womb that came from such trama. And if you are one of those who only believes in it for "certain" circumstances you are an even bigger hypocrit.

Sam <<< >>> "...most of priests are pedophiles" >>>>>>>>>>>> Please get in touch with SNAP, probably the most prominent accuser of priest abusers. Ask SNAP if MOST priests are abusers. They will tell you that most priests are NOT abusers. The percentages they quote may, indeed, be higher than the percentages quoted by some others. But it WILL NOT approach >>>MOST<<<

The Catholic Church has over a billion people, Sara. The handfull of priests who committed these atrocities do not represent the Church and it is not fair of you to judge the Church by what these men did. From what I've learned about these cases, they are mostly homosexual teenaged boys and homosexual priests -- not hard core pedophiles damaging innocent little pre-pubescent children. It a problem of homosexual statutory rape -- the boys were consenting, but too young to be legal.

Given the much higher percentage of pedophilia in non-religious schools and organizations, the Catholic Church is by far and away not the most egregious purpatrator. It is shocking because it's a religious institution that preaches vociferously against sexual sin and the Bible outlines the worst possible eternal punishment for these crimes.

The Bible warned that in the end times, judgment would begin in the house of the Lord, but woe be to others, for if judgment befalls those in the house of the Lord, what is in store for OTHERS?! With 50 MILLION BABIES legally torn limb from limb in their mother's womb, America has much to answer for. I believe the last few years of economic downturn are just the beginning of the judgment that awaits this nation if we do not halt the horror of abortion, restore the virtue of holy matrimony, end the scourge of pornagraphy, acknowledge the reality and need for God in our form of government, and re-infuse our cultural with decency and Christian morality, America has a bleak if not disasterous future.

thats the rligion of the controvercy and hypocrisy, no homosexuality, and lot of gay priests and gay students , perfect gay porn movie...lol a big lie, a brain wash thats all

Qween - less than 1% of abortions are done because of rape.

The rest are birth control after the fact and done for convenience sake. Does YOUR god condone killing innocent children?

Romans 1 : 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.

Time to move on, means you and others just want this forgotten and swept under the rug. Only the outward appearance of changes have been put in place. nothing fundamentally has really changed. The Vatican still seeks to ignore what happened, and no one dares to question the number one protector and cover up agent in the Vatican at the time. Benedict before he became Pope. Religions cause more wars and division than any other organizations worldwide.

You think changes have been put into place ??

PREPOSTEROUS NONSENSE !!

You are living in a deep fog and seriously need to WAKE UP !!

I was born Catholic; went to Catholic schools and interacted with numerous nuns and priests. Not once in my 54 years have I ever even remotely come close to anything resembling pedophilia. Anyone with at least a high school diploma can see that most of the posters on here are using pedophilia as an excuse to totally bash the Church. I wholeheartedly agree that pedophile priests and deceiving superiors should rot in hell for eternity, but from what I can see there are drastic changes in place within the Church that are too numerous to mention here. The majority of posters on here aren't using correct grammar and definitely don't know enough about the Catholic Church and its situation to make an educated comment. The modern Church has never had to deal with something like this and is scrambling to correct and deal with a horrendous situation. Some of the offending priests are deceased, thus rendering investigations nearly impossible. Who knows how many false claims have been filed. Pedophilia is a problem of humanity and not exclusively the Catholic Church. How can some of you even comment about Catholics when you are members of religions that pay clergy exhorbitant salaries. Some clergy are riding around in luxury automobiles paid for by church members who can barely feed themselves and their families.

Bass ackwards,

Agreed. Labeling all priests as pedophiles is irresponsible. However, the cover ups attempted by the superiors in your church reaches a staggering number. This is why people are angry. This organization has been (in past times) a safe haven for pedophiles because they have historically protected them from consequences. It has attracted them by allowing their deviant behavior to go unpunished.

Sorry bass ackwards, your love of your church does not take away from the atrocities of its sordid past. Your church has left a legacy of pain and suffering across this world. This is only one facet of their deceptive practices against humanity.

If your judgement day comes, you will see what I mean. Your church's leaders will be many amongst the damned. But by all means, be a good Catholic and ignore it until it goes away.

Bravo to You for that Statement !!

They're just trying to deflect attention away from the mess they've made of their own house.

Which is kinda ironic that they're opposed to Gay marriage.. yet they're molesting altar boys mainly... >.> I am catholic. I'm not ashamed of my religion, but I'm ashamed of the people we have preaching about what is good, yet committing this wrongful act.

And isn't funny that no one wants to admit that this pedophilia (and it is horrendous, I agree- I am not denying the Church's culpability in it) is in itself a type of homosexual deprivity. For any type of sex with someone of the same sex is homosexual.Why are the comments attacking the Church ( and rightfully so ), not also directed at the priests and their homosexual attacks on the young boys. I do not agree that this does not fall under homosexuality, that pedophilia is a different situation. And while I will most likely be crucified in this media for making this politically incorrrect observation, much like the early victims' accusations, I am throwing this out there in the forum for discussion. Let us see what kind of responses this will gather, and how many will be a sensible discussion on a very difficult and dreadful topic, as oppose to kneejerk and profanity laced hateful responses to my observation.

Frank,

You should be ashamed of your religion.

They can't afford their debts? Didn't I just see a picture of the Pope on a GOLD THRONE?!?!?

And you're saying that these pedophile priests AREN'T gay??

tj. You said it. There are far better things any church could be doing then worrying about two people pledging to love each other forever and being recognized by our government for it. I would think that churches would be ecstatic to support gay marriage, there would be that many less single gays out in the world to "corrupt" our youth...

Last sentence is sarcasm, so no pantie twisting please.

tj: and your point is?...

RDG6,

Are you claiming that all gay people are pedophiles? Pedophiles choose their victims a lot of time based on vulnerability, not gender. Yes, I am saying they are not Gay, they are sexual predators. Your assertion that they are gay is irresponsible and foolish. It just breeds more hate and misinformation about homosexuality.

Bob Abt, by your reasoning: If A has sex with B, and B has sex with C then A is the same as B??? This logic taken to it's conclusion then, would support that if you were A, and your wife were B, and if your wife had sex with a guy named Bill (C) then you'd be just like your wife, having sex with Bill. Oh my goodness Bob, you just reasoned out to us that you're a homosexual. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I hope you don't hate yourself.

There's a huge difference between a pedophile, and anyone's sexual preference. In fact, nearly all pedophiles are straight.

Darthrodo- you are trying to use an inaccurate type of Venn diagram to illustrate your point, which invaidates your argument. There are no threesomes in my questions. Whenever any ONE person has any sexual relation with any ONE person of the same sex, it is homosexual. I did not bring any third person into the equation like you did, and I am not implying that all or most homosexuals are pedophiles. I am just saying that the male pedophiles who are preying on young boys are engaging in a type of homosexual activity. There was NO third person relationship mentioned anywhere in my post. You are trying to distort my statement, maybe to throw off any true discussion on the topic. A typical debating decoy.

Unfortunately, as a head of state, the Pope cannot be prosecuted. Doubly unfortunate, since Ratzinger was the one that gave the orders to shift these perverts from one parish to another.

I have wondered if that's why he was elected Pope -- College of Cardinals are still 'protecting the Church from scandal' by keeping him out of reach of the authorities.

Total disagreement here on whether or not

a Head of State can be prosecuted.

Saddam Hussein was certainly prosecuted.

Manuel Noriega was prosecuted.

The list goes on and on.

Just look it up !

And while we are bringing the Catholic church up on charges let's do the same for the Westboro group. I would think that taking children to protest soldier's funerals would be endangerment since there is the chance of violent reactions. I know if they ever show up at any soldier's funerals in my area they are going to learn a whole new meaning for the words "beat down". I do believe in God and peace, but I also believe that sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to clean up a mess.

I know!!!! Let's make gay marriage legal in ALL fifty states, publicly fund all killing of all unborn children(abortion), or ANYTHING ELSE we want to LEGALIZE! If you make something LEGAL it's also MORRALY RIGHT,correct?! Sounds pretty SELF-SERVING to me! Wake up, people! I'm far from perfect, but COMMON SENSE tells me when things aren't RIGHT!

Truthman What the heck are you talking about making it legal. What you like little children or something you want to legalize what these perverts do you sick b!@#$@^. Maybe we should make you a priest then you can be protected and do what you like to do best.

Sounds to me that Truthman MIGHT be a bit Sarcastic ???

Well the people running the church are at fault of course but religion is also at fault due to the fact that it can be manipulated to benefit those that desire power, wealth, and "special favors".

If these perps didn't have the church behind them they would have been strung up when people found out about their abuse.

It is religion that's the problem. 2000 year old, completely unreasonable, and hypocrital at best. Religion is the cause of more death, war, destruction, and hate than anything else man made on this planet

"but religion is also at fault due to the fact that it can be manipulated to benefit those that desire power, wealth, and "special favors"."

i hate to break it to you,...but it isnt just religion, i assure you this behavior is pervasive throughout society regardless of religion....politics, which is what you are describing exists in every possible social situation....and sexual abuse is also pervasive and is not specifically confined to religious organizations....i would even argue that some of the most horrific cases were not perpitrated by particularly religious individuals....and further, pedophiles who are organized tend to be athiests. (meaning those that are activtsts for pedophilia reject religious values altogether), for many of the same reasons many gays are athiests....organized pedophiles believe that religion is the primary road block that keeps thier behavior illegal.

Abuse in religion, you don't read a lot do you? Every religionhas it's abusers. When you have this kind of power (the power of God) over people it is very easy to use and manipulate them and frighten them into doing anything you want and need. Why do you think so many people give their money for God the these CULTS God does not need money.

Your Heart and Mind will lead you to God his house is there for all, it is not a building, a building is a place were you can meet a friend that may only help you find that path but the path is and always has been within you. It is your HEART and MIND you know it you feel it!!!! Here is the way to know God, when you feel Good you feel God When you do Good You do Gods work it's not religion it's living. Call it what you want.

Care to cite where you got those "facts"? In fact, while you're looking for a link to support your statement, Google "percentage of atheists in prison". The answer is 1% or less. About 1/6 of the US population falls under the secular label, so why the discrepancy? Most atheists I know, myself included do not condone the sexual abuse of anyone and find all of this abhorrent. Most of us are also actually more versed in the books you throw in our faces than the followers that purport to believe every word of it. We think that you should be able to marry the person that you love and that people should be able to make their own decisions about their private parts. We wish all of you religious zealots would keep your beliefs to yourself and stop trying to make everyone conform to your "values". If we atheists insisted on the same, churches would pay taxes like everyone else and Catholic Inc would have to sell their assets to pay for the wrongs they've allowed to take place. The fact is, that all of these guys would have received punishment if it weren't for everyone tiptoeing (sp?) around religion, afraid to call it what it really is... bat@!$%# crazy!

The next time you weirdos go to the freakshow you call the Catholic "church", I challenge you to suspend your selfish point of view and take a good look at what you are seeing at this house of "worship". Look at how people behave as if they are so much better than you. Look at how the people who work there look at you, especially when they think you are not. And, most important of all, look at how the Priest looks at the altar boys. That leering stare is a dead giveaway. If you can separate yourself from all the brainwash it will flat FREAK YOU OUT! It is almost as if they are all sinister characters in a Hollywood scream flick. I can only hope that people will start thinking with open minds and search for the true meanings of this wonderful Universe. Of course, that would be happily accompanied by seeing through politicians and government too...NAAAAH! Never happen....

Even an Atheists can walk with Good! You Bozo! Guess you are so caught with the word god you can't understand!

and further, pedophiles who are organized tend to be atheists.

What the @!$%# are you talking about? This story is about the @!$%#ing catholic church covering up pedophilia and you what to bring up atheists? Wow, I am glad I don't live in your delusional world. BTW, next time you want to slam atheists, make sure you at least spell it right.

So your saying that the church has a special class on how to molest young children, do they have one for the priest and one for the nuns, or do the nuns have one on just how to beat kids. See I didn't go to catholic school I only heard about the RULER!

Have you seen those Priests signs at Planned Parenthood protests?

"Priest for life We need the Fresh Meat"

Because their GAY!! Which I have absolutely no problem with. They are a bunch of hypocrites.

If the answer is so easy then why can't crissi4ever Tell us. Please Crissi4ever inlighten us with your divine wisdom. As for Jack planned parenthood you would think that if they wanted more kids they would want their flock to breed like rabbits.

Too bad they can't figure out how to MAKE Catholics have more babies. The Hispanics are helping out though; but that just pisses off the Repubs.

There will be no end to this until we get rid of religion once and for all. Time to end all these silly medieval superstitions once and for all and live as rational free-thinking men and women.

Mr. Potter,

Just look at the history of the French Revolution...they wanted to get rid of religion so they started killing bishops, priests, nuns and common folk. That was really freeing and enlightening, now wasn't it? Communism did the same to believers. Stalin put believers in work camps and had people executed. So what is so safe and humane with "free thinkers" because in the end history has shown that these are worst systems to live under and have claimed more lives. Unbelievers have done more harm to others than believers have...add up the body count in Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, China and North Korea, Secular France during and after the Revolution, the Mexican civil war, the Spanish civil war, etc. Unbelievers are very dangerous and intolerant!

Even if we got rid of religion, there are still plenty of men out there that take advantage of little boys. It's not just clergy. How about we just get rid of all men......

Yeah, I meant that to be a ridiculous statement.

Wrong, StMichael-

More wars and bloodshed have occured in history dating far before the French Revolution due to religion than any other sovereign interest.

StMichael - everyone you mentioned was or is a believer ... in their own belief system/religion. I point out the sparkling history of Christianity, burning the Library at Alexandria, sacking Constantinople and killing so many people in "liberating" Jerusalem that they rejoiced (not complained or just noticed, but rejoiced!) that the streets were running ankle-deep in blood! Jesus would have puked had he still been able at the multitude of horrors that have been done and are still being done in his name. The entirety of the ruling hierarchy of every Christian sect needs to see if they can take fireproofing into the hereafter.

@lisa- women by no means are immune from hideous attacks on children, including their own. There have been many cases of female teachers having sexual relations with their students, not to mention mothers who haved killed their own children by drowning, and then claiming the children were kidnapped. This isn't even mentioning the 45 million babies who were aborted in the US alone since Roe v. Wade, most os them simply because the pregnancy was inconvenient, and not in the safety of the mothers' lives. Now, please tell me, why are women so superior? It seems to me that our whole human race, including some clergy of all denominations, has deteriorated.

Bob, I completely agree with you. This article wasn't about women.

The article was about the archdioses and clergy men abusing boys. I was sarcastically addressing men due to another poster saying we should just get rid of religion to stop this which of course wouldn't.

This is my problem with attacking female teachers who supposedly exploited there male students. MALES CANNOT be sexually exploited because you CANNOT rape the willing (unless it is object rape which most women don't have the strength to do to a man unless he is comatos)

@ Lord Keith- by your definition, the same can be said for female victims of male teachers who willingly, or consensually consent to sexual relations. However, because they are underaged, it is statuatory rape. And young males, if they are sexually stimulated by a male, and get an erection, then by your definition, they are being willing. Your argument doe not hold ware, in my view. Young males can be psychologically and emotionally duped by their teachers, just as well as young females.

@ Lisa, thank you. I must have misunderstood your post. In which case, I apologize and agree with you. I agree, the problem is not with religion, but with humans inability to live resonsibly and sinless.

St. Michael... Russian Communism was basically a state religion, the only difference being that Stalin was the God instead of some imaginary figurehead. Also, you erroneously included the Nazis with the atheists. Hitler was obsessed with religious artifacts and most of the SS were actually Catholics! Also, North Korea cannot be lumped in the group as atheist because they worship their leader like a god. They even have ridiculous stories about their leader doing the impossible, and performing miracles. The Spanish and Mexican Civil wars involved mostly Catholics, but had nothing to do with religion just as our American Revolution had nothing to do it...

Krystanjo,

How dare you bring common sense and fact into this conversation lol.

I know right? Or facts...

Catholic clergy, unfortunately, hace no monopoly on child abuse. It happens in every denomination, and walk of life - including parents, police officers, lawyers, doctors and so on. Our society today has lost its moral compass.

I agree that there have been horrible abuses within the Roman Catholic Church, and that the cover up has also been just as deplorable. However, as Bob mentions, this is not a problem unique to the Roman Catholic Church.

I'm just thankful that there have been people with the courage to stand up against the church and bring this to light as it must be addressed, it must be prevented in the future, and it must serve as an example for not only RC churches, but for all other faiths. . . yes that includes Jews, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus, etc. . .

I may be wrong, but I believe it is also only here in America where we were able to bring this to light. If the parishes go broke, so be it. The churches need to rebuild on a stronger foundation.

The people of the RC Church, though, have done too much good over the years to give the poor, to give to the community, and to give of themselves to condemn the whole lot.

I'm sure that if we looked at every single raging post, that we could find a "group" that you fall under, and could label you with some crime, with some evil. Isn't that what happened in the 30s in Germany and Europe?

Let's punish the guilty, let's expose the enablers and punish them, but let's not paint everyone, who is a RC with a broad brush of evil rhetoric as it sounds extremely judgemental, and probably against the tenets of the faiths of the people, who have thrown the stones.

You live in America (or somewhere else) . . . choose not to be a RC if you prefer. . . and thankfully you do have a forum to speak your mind here. . . but remember that you probably also know many RCs personally (and perhaps you don't that they are RC), and they deserve respect as human beings and maybe your rhetoric may hurt them.

Neal- very eloquently stated. Excellent post.

Exactly! And the fact no one wants to confront him so that any real sense of justice can unfold proves how complicit the Catholic leadership, who only seeks to avoid the facts that point to the guilt of the Vatican. In fact there can be little doubt that the Cardinal was not the only one who knew and sought to protect what was going on. I watched a few documentaries that showed how the Vatican was just too powerful and turned their noses up at law enforcement's attempts to investigate and prosecute.

They've always seen themselves as Above the Law.

Yawnnn.... Get your facts straight please before commenting on the history of Cardinal Ratzinger and the Church. You must like to believe everything you read. The eyes and ears see and hear what the mind WANTS to believe. You are a prime example. Good thing you are not part of the Church but sad for the rest of your journey.

I am still questioning Pope Benedict's involvement in the Nazi Youth Camp when he was young. NO ONE involved in anything like that, and I don't care what his age or level of cognizance was at that time, deserves to one day sit on a gold throne and have people bow to him. Of course, the Nazi's also did little perverted things to boys, didn't they??

NO ONE deserves to one day sit on a gold throne and have people bow to him.

fyp

@JimmyNelson- by your reasoning then, I guess that Saul (who converted and became St. Paul) had no right to be forgiven and therefore to become the greatest Evangelist in Christianity?

Paul was a hypocritical male chauvinist pig. No wonder he is thought of as "the greatest Evangelist in Christianity".

Well said. I too no longer attend mass or give to the church. The beginning of the end of my trust of the church was due to the hypocracy and paternalistic hierarchy, all capped by what we now understand has been going on for centuries in terms of child molestation. Their absolute lack of ownership of this terrible problem, combined with callously doing NOTHING of merit to stop it, makes me sick to my stomach.

Between grade and high school, I attended no less that 3 different catholic schools in different states. Each time, there were priests that just vanished overnight. Taught a class Friday, then a "substitute priest" would announce Sunday that Father Whoever was "re-assigned". I knew of priests that liked to offer alterboys (back then only boys could serve mass) wine. The boys were told not to tell thier parents.

So many lies for so long. it's disgusting.

They don't want you fu$king with the next crop!

Please do not believe and further the misconception/lie that the Catholic organization is "the church". They are a misguided counterfeit.

I don't agree more! They will stand on a corner screaming murder but when it comes to our children's innocence they offer them up as a sacrifice.

Straight to the point...no fillers.

I can't help but think the motivation of the "right to life" group (in ANY denomination) is to get you born so they CAN screw you....literally and in every way that will make your life a living hell on earth.

I'm with you T momma. The Catholic Church is all the ordinary people who believe in the basic teachings of Jesus Christ from his first day of teaching, tracing their roots all the way back. Unfortunately, God gave man - including His priests - free will and doesn't interfere with that free will. What thinking Catholics have to do is determine what God teaches that is right and what man teaches or does that may not be right or moral. The Church is horrified by what these men have done. Many priests are not involved in any of this and are horrified and ashamed of what these men have done. These awful men and those that hid them who are just as bad, are a very small percentage of a very large Church. Condemn the men, not the entire populace of the Church.

Wake Up! the more children that are born the more children there are for their celibate priest to molest.

The problem is that the church isn't really horrified by what was done to these children. They're mortified that they got caught after doing everything they could to HIDE IT for the last 50+ years!!! They're really angry that they now have to pay for their sins!!!! Bastards!

Gram , you are on the right track but you have to understand that the older perverts in the church protect the younger perverts and create an ongoing sex ring, the church has known about this happening for hundreds of years but its a case of the good old boys protecting the up and coming pedophiles, yes its sad that this happens but what better place to hide a pervert than in a catholic church run by perverts But the church is not horrified by these perverts, they actually hide their crimes and keep putting them in positions where they will have access to new victims. this makes the church complicit in the actions of the pedophiles and all should be held accountable in the eyes of man and god.

start punishing the leadership by taking away their retirement pay and demoting anyone who has ever concealed a pedophile by reassigning them to another church without letting the new church membership know what they were getting.

Yea..they dont want you to harm (abort) a child ..they want you to give birth so they can molest them. I was molested more than once from the church..they think they are above the law.

i hate to break it to you all,...but priests are not the only people who are pro-life,..and second there is no direct connection between the pro-life movement and priests trying to get more victims, lol...heres why,...if you are on your way to an abortion clinic,..its improbable you are attending church regularly and so its highly unlikely your child will ever see the inside of one....much less get molested by a priest in one,..hes more at risk from the constant train of "boyfriends/ uncles" his mother has comming in and out of her one bedroom slum apartment...or the dirty old man she left him with to babysit, while she makes her way to the nearest bar for happy hour.

ok so I'm gay... it's true there are women like that, but most of them will keep their children to get more welfare benefits...

Women seeking an abortion are more likely to be women that are aware they are unable to care for a child either emotionally or financially. Sometimes it is a health issue. Sometimes birth control fails... I say better to abort a fetus than have an abused angry deprived child later (not always what happens, but I have a mother that kept having children she couldn't afford to care for either financially or emotionally and resented us for it - same dad BTW) ... when all of the pro lifers start volunteering to have the unwanted fetuses transplanted into their own uteruses, then maybe they'll actually have a talking point...

As we wash our contempt for the organized religious groups
through the filter of all that is wrong with the world, children have suffered.
Unfortunately we have found it so easy to hunt demons with a shotgun,
regardless of the goodwill and innocence that gets damaged in the spray. Rather
than seek out the root of the problem, (the man and his horrific actions), we
seek out everything he is associated with. This is how we react to everything wrong
in our society. It gives us a voice without actually solving anything. For
anyone to say that our world would be better without organized religion suggest
complete delusion. Thinking you are an abstract atom in the world without purpose
other than processing oxygen to carbon dioxide must make it easy to berate a
way of life that perpetuates the very best our species embodies. You take the
actions of any few individuals and spew your hate at the world. We must stand
and fight as people to tell the Catholic Church they must allow these men to be
accountable to the law and to those inflicted by this terror. And that the Church
as well is accountable for this evil. I work every day to be a good Christian.
Just as I work every day to be a good father and a good husband. I work hard to
be a good employee. I work to be a good leader. Do you see the pattern? It all
takes work. When someone in the Church defiles it, I don’t leave the Church; I
work to be a better Christian. I work to see the imposter is held accountable.
I cannot do this alone, but I do not give up. I cannot stop being a man because
1 out of every 15 will hurt a child. I do not stop being American because of
the overwhelming crime, perversion and delusion that is spewed by some American
leaders. I remain American. PROUDLY! And I work (and will fight) for what is
right. Although my voice is small, I am the moral compass for my children. To them,
I am ten feet tall. We pray together and we thank God for our Blessings. I pray
alone that they learn that living the word of God will always make their heart
shine so bright nothing can extinguish it. And when faced with circumstances
that create non-believers that abandon hope and walk away from God, they will
be the ones that get back up, dust off, thank God for ALL graces, and help
others in need.

Well said, Pappa1, well said.

Pappa1 for President or Pope!

Adults are too smart to believe in God

How is allowing priests and nuns, gay or otherwise, to "get their groove on" going to cure them of pedophilia?

Fott, I agree......you cannot cure pedophilia any more than you can "pray away the gay."

Ah, Better check with congresswoman Bachmann on that.

I suspect that we are just rediscovering a phenomena that has existed as long as the church has had the power to cover it up. They looked at the whole Penn State incident and said: "Amateurs!". The cult and culture that they have cultivated over hundreds of years is what makes this possible. It's just becoming harder and harder to cover it up in a modern world.

The weird thing I see is that these always seem to be U.S. catholic churches? Am I wrong here or are we the only ones looking?

Brian-

The irony is Jesus said all will be revealed. And in a modern world such is harder to cover up. It does make sense that in the US as well such is harder to keep under wraps, and it's likely this sort of thing has happened likewise throughout the world. It's called the Apocalypse and identified as destruction. And were begining to see the reasons everywhere why it's so true.

Actually, recent reports by scientists and psychologists suggest that pedophilia is its own sexual identity. It's been around for thousands of years. It occurs in straight, gay, single, believer, nonbeliever and married persons. So pinning the behavior on religion, gays and celibate persons makes no sense, if one accepts these studies/opinions.

spiritguy-

The problem is in the two-faced BS that comes from those who claim to be squeaky clean and above such behavior, then sneak around as they try to cover up their guilt in denial of any wrongdoing.

Jar Man: Could you be referencing Newt Gingrich?

Your theory is not based in fact. The vast majority of pedophiles are married men. That a tiny percentage of pedophiles choose a celibate lifestyle but do not remain celibate is what caused this enormous tragedy.

The cover-up by their enablers is by far the greater crime.

God bless you RBTatt,for your most practical and doable solution to this problem instead of just throwing stones. So far all those who have left their comments here have done just that!!! One wonders how many of these commentators are entirely free from these sex related pecadillos. Isn't this exactly what happened when the Pharisees and the Jewish leaders demanding that the woman caught in adultery be stoned to death but one by one retreated when Jesus challenged them to "those among you who are without sin be the frist to throw the stone"?. It appears that our commentators are implying that the sins of sexual abuse of children and others is unique to Catholic Church and I say it is not. I have been a psychotherapist for over 35 years and I should know.

From the historical point of view one might want to consider the fact that in the frirst three centuries of its existence, the Catholic Church survived 10 most vicious and bloodiest persecutions in the hands of the most powerful Roman Emperors who wanted to wipe out Christians and the Church of Jesus Christ from the face of the Earth. However, as Jesus said to his disciples "...be sure of this - that I am with you always, even to the end of the world" (Mt.28:20), the Catholic Church strengthened by the blood of martyrs, survived then and will continue to survive till the end of times despite all.

So, thank you for your very useful suggestion and let's pray that the leaders of Catholic Church will think about it seriously as one of the possible solution to this problem.

never did understand why a priest has to be single, what purpose does it serve ? let those who want, marry and kick out any who are making advances to the children, dont let them hang around and give the church a bad name, in this case an even worse name... it is the leadership who is responsible for letting it come to this....

So we should just ignore the hundreds of legit cases because you think a tiny percentage of them MIGHT be fake. Yeah, that works.

Of course there will be a few of them that are going to be illegitimate.

But the numbers here are against your statement.

WAY against !

Especially when there are many that never even get reported.

If you want to avoid the scammers, air your dirty laundry as soon as you find it and avoid all the consequences of a failed cover-up.

Bingo! Just more proof that the Catholic Chrurch has long been accustomed to being above any other sovereign laws relating to taxation or anything else.

Bravo to that !

I would also like to know why bankruptcy is allowed. These factions of the catholics aren't poor. They owe property, hospitals and etc. and if they have they can call on the Vatican for help and we all know how rich they are. Example of the charges I just incurred for blood testes at a catholic owned hospital. Total cost $569, after the insurance discounts, the insurance paid the hospital $37.00 and I had to pay the rest. I did some checking and if went to an independent lab the cost would have been $169(Quest) now tell me who is making the lions share. Poor my butt. They don't pay taxes why should they be allowed to file for bankruptcy.

Here's a hint.. bankruptcy law and the tax code have nothing to do with each other.

I thought this was supposed to be a thoughtful and respectful discussion. Mr. McCain you have simply lumped in all Catholics together and have insulted each one. Generalizations can be prejudiced and improper. Apparently you don't want to understand others but would rather judge and condemn them.

Uh, StMichael-

It's called Judgment Day for a reason, you know. Like all religions, Catholics have long been guilty of the very same prejudiced and improper profiling of others as well. Any Catholics that remain faithful to the arrogant and avoiding Vatican deserve this and more.

Amazing what we can get used to no? If a person who knew nothing of the Catholics walked into church in the middle of mass they would feel like they just walked into a scene from a Spielberg movie and would probably want to turn around and run before anybody from this clearly bizarre cult saw them, no? Yet we take it for granted like the rain instead of questioning it for the bizarre show it is. Not that others haven't tried to 'improve' on the original and redefine bizarre.

Tim McCain: : : The John Jay report said no such thing!!! It might be valid to suggest that MAYBE it went more easy on The C. C than was warranted, but your pontificaton (sarcasm intended) that the church was let off the hook entirely by the John Jay report is nothing but male bovine fecal matter. If you don't believe me, google it!!! <> <> <> Have a nice day!!!

jw1017 having you been living in a phone booth? As a former catholic this is in fact true.

Well with the left hand on the bible it's like crossing your fingers...it doesn't really count.

Mike, that's just it, they may thump the Bible, but they certainly don't read or apply it. Blaming the Bible for what these creeps do is like blaming education for Jerry Sandusky.

@ Mike-960622 Well spoken

You comment about an 'institute' you don't even know and dislike. where would you ever hear about what the C.C. has done in action against abuse cases other than the news? They don't report on what is being done other than the cases.

Truth is there are plenty of clergymen upset and outraged by actions of individuals that betrayed all members trusts. There has been plenty of action to protect all members of the C.C. Faith.

Can you spot a child molester (who doesn't have a rap sheet, who hides who he is, or even not even know his own struggles) at a mile away? maybe then you can say we are at fault for not stopping a person at a location thousands miles away in an area I can't see.

You mus tbe a lawyer.