I have never been able to figure out why people are shocked that I work for the Catholic Church. I'm a communications director. I edit a newspaper, I deal with media relations, public relations, internal communications. If I said I did those tasks for a CPA firm no one would exhibit much emotion.
But, when I say I work for my Catholic diocese and bishop, people look quizzically at me. They ask me when women were able to take these jobs. They ask me what it is like to work for sex offenders. They say I work for the crazy anti-abortion people.
I'll set the record straight. Women have worked for the church for many years. I started in 1985 and it was already well-established place of employment for both genders.
I don't work for sex offenders. I work with wonderful, commitment clergy who do not tolerate abuse in any form. I have had to deal with the crisis that came to a festering head a few years back. It was a painful experience for everyone with a connection to the Catholic church -- whether as a member or an employee.
Lastly, we are not crazy anti-abortion people. We are pro-life people. We defend life from conception to natural death. We have never been accused of bombing an abortion clinic. We do, however, stand up for what we believe in.
We live our faith. We are active participants. We do not waffle. We do, however, serve pancake breakfasts.
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Kerry Lauerman
Joan Walsh
Salon.com
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I so look forward to the end of organized religion, particularly the R.C. Church, which is the main culprit behind women's second class citizenship in western civilization, not to mention a deliberate means of entrenching and maintaining male authority.
When Pope John Paul and now Pope Benedict continued their policy of "no female priests", I said "Hallelujah!! This means the death of the RC Church all the sooner!!!" And my husband, by the way, is a non-practicing Irish Catholic whose grandfather from County Mayo told him the truth about the RC Church! Of course, being propositioned by priests as a teen (he went to Catholic Schools grade 1-12 and graduated from a Catholic college) meant that my husband saw the hypocrisy of the RC Church firsthand.
So, although you seem proud to work for one of the most morally corrupt and appallingly hypocritical institutions ever to exist on this planet, if not the champion of all time in those categories....well, all I can say is.....well, better not say it....
First, I don't belong to any church, but I cannot let your smug response and lies go unchecked.
Did you just pin the poverty of 16 million poor children upon the Catholic Church? I can understand that you are a moron, but what you said is a malicious lie. No organization has done more for the poor all over the world than the Catholic church.
Do you belong to the church of "Prosperity?" When you and your friends are comparing dresses, worshiping a blonde, bue-eyed American Jesus, and vomiting demons in paperbags, the Catholic Church is giving away food and medicine to poor people all over the world.
Dy definition, moron, all Christians are pro-life, not just the Catholics. It is wrong, but it is Christian all the same. The Catholic Church has its faults but they pale compared to the atrosities committed everyday by the "American Protestant Church" against the poor and against humanity. If you need to spew shit, first you must attack that fake American Christianity that is responsible for fundamentalism, anti-rationalism, and most of all, the malicious ignorance so obvious in your response.
Rose Hammes,
Your post is so clean and polite and therefore I apologize on behalf of all my friends on OS for such a vulgar comment by Box.
Rated.
Your particular diocese may not tolerate child sexual abuse but it has been proven definitively that the Catholic church as a whole has been doing just that for decades - and in the name of Christ! If that isn't the biggest blasphemy in the history of Christianity than I don't know what is! What, I'm curious, do you think Jesus would have to say about this state of affairs?
But - you know what gets me even more mad? Despite all of the after-the-fact apologies, I haven't heard a peep of explanation from the Vatican about WHY so many priests are child molesters - and I've heard nothing to indicate that the Catholic church has made changes to their process or even is curious as to WHY they are a pedophile factory.
And so I ask you, WHY, in the process of producing priests, does the Catholic church turn out so many pedophiles? Is there any attempt being made to understand WHY this is occurring? And what is being done to change this?
By the way, I'm a Christian of sorts and before this pedophile scandal had nothing against the Catholic church. And I acknowledge the many good things that the Catholic church does, but it's hard not to acknowledge that the church is rotting from the inside out when so many of their leaders are pedophiles and child abusers - and those who aren't are enablers.
WHY?
Rose Hames-- The Catholic Church is a bane on poor societies and a tool of empire--they are the number one poverty pimps of all time. I too am praying for their demise. Their spawn are in every developing country preying on the poor and molesting the defenseless young children. I have a post on my website about one particular predator out of the many who is facing justice for his sins. Haiti: Accused Child Predator Perlitz Faces Arraignment in CT
I am SERIOUSLY curious if the Catholic church knows WHY this problem occurred. And are they even curious? Or are they just figuring that it's in the past?
I thought perhaps since you're in PR for them you might have heard something about this.
And personally, - aren't you curious WHY? If such a problem had occurred in my church or business or family, I'd sure be curious.
And seriously, I mean no offense. It's just that every time i read about this topic I am completely befuddled by why the "why" of this hasn't been talked about.
You said what's being done going forward so that it doesn't continue, but isn't there anyone in the Catholic church who is curious as to WHY God's one true church on Earth cultivated a culture of child molestation? And why so many priests who came up through the process and ranks of the church liked sexually abusing young boys?
Because seriously, if the church don't understand WHY it happened or even CARE to understand WHY, then it's clear to me that they are still in denial and that the underlying problem is still there - but it's just being masked by the various safegaurds you mentioned.
so, why did it happen?
here's my .02 on how this occurred:
A certain percentage of men are gay, and in the Catholic church they run into a major spiritual/psychological conflict at about age 12-15 when they realize on one level that they're attracted to boys, but also realize that according to official church doctrine that makes them abominations in God's eyes.
Other boys aren't gay, but after being raped by priests are traumatized, hurt and confused, sexually.
These boys, in order to avoid their inner conflict pursue the priesthood because hey, priests are celebate and there, God will surely help them not to have these painful feelings.
In seminary they find themselves surrounded by a lot of other gay boys and sexually confused abuse victims - so much so that an actual gay subculture exists and is tolerated.
When they become priests they find that God has not magically taken away their sexual urges. They still are attracted to boys (keep in mind that their sexuality was never allowed to develop and they suffered sort of a sexual arrested development in their early teen years).
Lo and behold they gradually find themselves in a position of authority over young alter boys who they naturally have sexual feelings for. They try to resist but slowly - perhaps even unconsciously - begin grooming those boys for sexual molestation. And then at some point the temptation becomes too much and the opportunity presents itself and the floodgates are opened. They start with milder forms of molestation and work up to sodomy/rape.
The good Catholics in their congregation turn a blind eye to rumors because they've been taught not to question God's appointed leaders. Eventually when enough complaints roll in the priest is transferred to another church to prey on boys there.
rinse. repeat. the cycle continues.
I agree that the problem of rape in the military is also reprehensible, but one difference is that soldiers are not claiming to be representatives of God and the victims are not children. That doesn't make it more acceptable, but I think just conceptually the idea of a religious leader taking advantage of children seems more shocking.
Also, nowhere did I say MOST or ALL priests are doing this. But what I did say was that these weren't isolated incidents. This apparently is a problem with the way the Catholic church creates priests because the problem is widespread and systemic - having gone on for DECADES and in dioceses all over the world.
AND there is convincing evidence that church leaders turned a blind eye to it - basically not seeming to care that children were being molested.
I wish I could find a way to downplay the severity of it in my mind like you have, but .... well, I can't bring myself to be an apologist for that kind of behavior and frankly I don't see how you can.