This article is from: http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/22/abuse.pope.lawsuit/index.html
On Thursday, an Illinois man sues the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI for covering up sexual abuse by a priest at a Catholic school in Wisconsin. The victim, who is now an adult says that he was molested by Catholic priests that according to the suit it states to have "'credible allegations of sexual misconduct'" against them.
"'The defendant, [the] Holy See, has known about the widespread problem of childhood sexual abuse committed by its clergy for centuries, but has covered up that abuse and thereby perpetuated the abuse,' the suit says."
"'There are a number of priests, brothers, and agents who defendant continued in ministry after defendant knew or suspected that those agents had molested children,' the suit says."
What do you guys think about this situation when people suspect the Vactican and Pope to cover up sexual abuse done by other priests?
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8 comments:
I'm not religious per se, but I think it is quite absurd for the Pope to cover up for priests, especially if they are not married. I am not entirely sure if having sex after marriage without intent to procreate is necessarily a bad thing, but at the same time, I'm not sure all of these priests are married either.
The Pope is an immoral hypocrite that ought to be jailed, along with every priest he protected. The fact that these people are not separated from society in order to protect our youth from molestation is baffling.
For all the Pope's talk of "repentance", I see very little "repenting" and a lot of retained freedom that comes with legally unsound Diplomatic Immunity.
I agree. I think that the Pope and all of the molesting priests are morally corrupt and it's so ironic that they are venerated by people. And it's not just a couple of "priests, brothers, and agents" who molest little kids, cases like these have been all over the news for what seems like forever. They should be jailed and stamped as sexual offenders for the rest of their lives just like everyone else, although I see why they aren't.
This is absurd that the Vatican would even try and cover up cases of child abuse. No one under any circumstances would have a free pass for child molestation. The fact that a priest committed this act make it all the worst.
Can I just point out that Priest's are NOT valid sources of moral authority? Can we stop pretending that they are?
If you want an authority on morality, go talk to a Philosophy Professor specializing in Ethics. I guarantee you'll get a better reasoned set of ethics than anything a priest hands you.
I do not know which disgusts me more- the fact that the priest sexually molested minors, or the fact that some people can be disrespectful to a Pope.
It is quite obvious that people commenting this are not Catholic nor understand the Pope's position. Maybe doing some outside research may help.
As the Pope and the leader of the Congregation, he sets the standards of private investigation. If he is notified of grave sins, it is not his responsibility to call the American/European police to arrest the priest. If anyone is Christian/Catholic, it is understood that sins are to be confessed, but there is no physical or government repercussion for the sins committed. What atheists find ethical is not what Catholics find ethical. That's where the conflict arises, as seen in this case.
One of the Archbishops, Archbishop Nichols, defended the almighty Pope stating that, "[The Pope] pushed forward for example a fast-track to defrock priests who have committed abuse,” he said. “He changed the statute of limitations in Church law. He changed the law so that sexual offences committed with anyone under the age of 18 would be a crime in Church law."
I trust the Pope will deal with the sexual molestations in ethical ways that Catholics find ethical. Now if that conflicts with your ethics, that is a whole another issue.
Yoda, I'd like to say a few things. First of all, I think your comparison of my disrespect for the Pope to a Priest molesting children is somewhat offensive. I do not believe I am in the league of child molesters for disrespecting a Pope.
Also, saying that the Pope deserves respect simply because he's the Pope is a fallacy. Does Pope Innocent III deserve respect, who allowed for the killing of those who translated the Bible into their native tongue and started the Fourth Crusade? Respect should not come with a title; there have been Popes aged sixteen. Does a sixteen year old called Pope deserve respect? Should he be immune to criticism? What about the Popes that permitted the first mass Jew killings during the Crusades? Do they deserve respect? Hitler did not initiate the first Holocaust; the Catholic Church did. The idea that we ought not disrespect the Pope, simply because he is a Pope, is fallacious. Respect is earned through actions, not through Cardinal Election.
Well, quite frankly, I don't think a "confession" is enough. There are a number of reasons for this. First, "confession" removes responsibility for our actions to those we harmed and hands it to a probably non-existant being. If you have killed someone, but you feel really bad about it and confess to a Priest, you ought not be absolved of a duty to the victim's family. Also, the reason jail exists is to separate criminals from society, so that society can continue to function reasonably well. This is why I think the Pope and the Priests he has protected should be jailed. The Pope has not only abolished these criminals' duties to their victims, but has allowed these molesters to be exposed to children again, which may have resulted in more victims. In this case being sorry isn't nearly good enough. Catholics have an Absolutist moral system, in which "X is right, all the time, no matter what". Other people, like myself, have a Consequential moral system, in which the consequences of one's actions determine the good of it. I have extensively critiqued the former, but I will not post that here now. I would simply like to point out that from a perspective in which consequences matter, the Pope has failed miserably in being a good person.
I'm glad to hear that the Pope has helped push forward a law to actually punish child molesters. But at the same time, I feel like this is an attempt at reparations for past immorality. It is, however, an admirable attempt. I am glad to see progress on this front.
The Pope has already dealt with the problem in a way that I think any consequential moralist would find more than lacking. He is now attempting to re-deal with the problem because he has been exposed. I do not think, however, that the Catholic parents of molested children would consider the Pope's hush up ethical, and perhaps it is those who have actually been affected, rather than the guilty, that should decide some of the ethics of this case.
Wow this is so absurd! This hypocrite pope definitely needs to be sent to jail. For someone to cover up child abuse even if they are a pope it doesn't matter. they need to be marked as a sex offender they are human to and should be jailed!
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