It's about time, don't you think?
It's the worst-kept secret of the century!
Some diocese may be bankrupted by these charges???
The have actually paid off folks in the past, I have seen reported on CNN.
By all means...please...whatever it takes...
Step up to the plate ....and do something!

Speaking as an American Catholic ... it's about ****ing time! Also, Cardinal Law needs to be strung up by his thumbs. The Pope may not be in condition to do it himself, but I'm sure he can find volunteers from my archdiocese.

Yikes, are you suggesting a second inquisition CD? ha ha

Really though...this is a sad moment for the Catholic church in the United States. There are obviously some problems. However, are there not problems with the ministry in other churches in this country? It seems that the media is happily hopping aboard the feed wagon on this story, but very little is being said to put this problem into perspective. By and large most Catholic priests and bishops are good people who observe the rules of their faith quite admirably...but the media seems to ignore that fact in favor of this sensationalism.

Hmm...perhaps this is a controversial issue?

It is in the Controversial Issues forum already.

I understand what you mean, Jazz, however I think that it is the sensationalism that has brought around the change and I don't think that is a bad thing.

People knew this was going on for a long time and what happened? We got a Father Geoghan (sp?) and many others who not only admitted to the problem, not only did their supervisors know about the problem, but these sickos were jumped parish to parish so that they could sexually abuse other children.

The fact that this secret ran up the hierarchy gives me the chills. That would be like the administration of a school knowing that a molester is one of their teachers and when confronted with the problem, they pay off the child’s parents’ silence and then transfer the teacher to a different school. That would be the ultimate scandal.

This isn’t the run of the mill pedophiliac. These priests wore a collar around their neck. It is hard enough to get children to speak up about sexual abuse, but how about when the molester is a man of the cloth.

Too many times, these pedophiles weren’t being treated as the criminals they are. If it takes the media printing the story on every front page and broadcasting it every night to bring along change, I’m glad there is finally a chance for change.

Your point is very well taken Lanni. I just hope that members of other 'fundamentalist' religions that shall remain nameless don't try to take advantage of this situation to kick the Catholic religion while it's down. These molestation stories have sprouted up from time to time over the years, and they are truly awful (as is the idea that the knowledge has been kept secret). My concern is that there's a more insidious agenda behind the publicization of these terrible stories.

I hope we could say that the publicity is solely for the benefit of the children involved, both past, present and future, and that there isn't something more insidious brewing under the surface.

I agree completely and entirely with Lanni's assessment of what makes this so problematic. Thinking on this problem over the last few weeks, I have also arrived at the same fear Jazz has ... that in addition to being a criminal scandal, this may see a resurfacing of anti-Catholic sentiment in this country. Which, of course, would be terrible.

However, we've dealt with that before and we can deal with it again. What we cannot deal with, is our own leaders deciding that some insidious "code of silence" is more important than the welfare of the children whose bodies, minds and souls they are charged with protecting. The Church has faced foes from outside. What we must worry about is rot from within.

If anti-Catholic sentiment is what is shining this light on the underside of the Church, let it - it'll be the best thing anti-Catholics have ever done for us. Whether or not the publicity is well-intentioned, the problem is real. Obviously the Church is incapable of dealing with it in secret, so we must address it in the open.

And Cardinal Law is still a self-righteous bastard who ought at the least be defrocked. He is as guilty as Geoghan.

I really don't think the media is oversensationalizing this story--the facts speak for themselves, and the story must be told.

In fact, until the local newspaper in this area kept carrying on about one particular priest--who had allegations of molestation lodged against him--he was left in his parish by the Archdiocese. And that was only about 3 weeks ago--well after this scandal broke. The newspaper has been accused of Catholic bashing by a few irate Catholic readers, but they are only reporting stories and the results of their own investigations. They really seem to have no bias.

All sensible people realize that these accusations do not reflect on the majority of priests.

To some extent this problem does reflect on Church policy as a whole--issues relating to celibacy and to the entire area of sexuality. The Church may have to reconsider policies relating to sexuality, in general, and not just as they relate to or affect priests. The Church does not seem to recognize the importance and strength of sex as a primary drive--just as the need for food and water are primary drives. Sexuality has to be integrated into people's lives rather than denied.

It certainly seems appropriate that all these issues be considered at the Vatican level--so that uniform policies can be adapted.