There are plenty of priests who have ended up in jail. The cover-ups have ended. Additionally, not all priests are perverts - and just because someone accuses a priest doesn't mean that priest is guilty.

 

Also, Rockmom is one of the most respected posters on this board (as well as a few other posters who have revealed themselves as Catholics). Your comment about her/them/us being a joke is not appreciated.

Well I think when a high ranking cardinal comes out just last week and says that he doesnt beleive child abuser preists belong in jail that it should be treated as a mental illness it is a huge joke and the cover up and excuses are still firmly in place

Well I think when a high ranking cardinal comes out just last week and says that he doesnt beleive child abuser preists belong in jail that it should be treated as a mental illness it is a huge joke and the cover up and excuses are still firmly in place

 

Lots of people with medical degrees believe it's a mental illness that should be treated too. I guess they're in on the cover-up too.

I would tend to agree with you regarding the too-infirm issue, but it's not my call to make, and I can't answer specifically for the Cardinal Mahoney case or the Bishop Finn in Kansas City. The Catholic Church simply cannot bring legal charges against anyone, though. It is not something they are able to do. However, Mahoney was permanently removed from any and all duties within the Catholic Church. As for Bishop Finn, I cannot personally say what recourse should be taken for his failure to report the priest, but that's not my call. Legally, again, that is the legal authorities' responsibility to make. As for his duties within the Church go, Finn's position as an individual with a permanent vocation to the Church is slightly different from someone who is simply an employee of a company, but logic tells me that the Church should be reviewing his case to see whether or not he needs to be removed from his office.

Finn got his hand slapped by the court (no jail time -- 2 years' probation) and I suspect the Vatican will do nothing in terms of disciplining him. Much of the blame, of course, should fall on the prosecutors, who no doubt are hesitant to haul men in clerical collars to court for a variety of reasons, mostly political. (Too bad they didn't prosecute Finn with as much fervor as Martha Stewart.) To answer UKMustangFan's question, I don't know if Finn could have been charged with a felony. He should have been. After re-reading the NY Times story today, it clearly was obvious that all parties, including the judge, wanted this case off the books as fast as possible. In the meantime, I shall await the legal action -- or probably lack thereof -- vs. Cardinal Mahoney.

If Roe v Wade is ever overturned I'd be for punishing the mother in the event she was caught with a coathanger as gruesome as it may be, or a physician performing them illegally. Should the penalty be the same? I doubt it. However, like every crime on the book, the punishment should fit it. I imagine that there would be heated debate over the appropriate punishment if it were made illegal at some point.

 

In the name of consistency you could ONLY have the same punishment IF your reasoning is that it's the same as murder.

When do you start to value a child as a human being?

 

Good question. Not sure. Never had to actually make that determination.

For the record, I am sure there are still child molesters that are being protected by the Church.

In the name of consistency you could ONLY have the same punishment IF your reasoning is that it's the same as murder.

 

Agreed.

Finn got his hand slapped by the court (no jail time -- 2 years' probation) and I suspect the Vatican will do nothing in terms of disciplining him. Much of the blame, of course, should fall on the prosecutors, who no doubt are hesitant to haul men in clerical collars to court for a variety of reasons, mostly political. (Too bad they didn't prosecute Finn with as much fervor as Martha Stewart.) To answer UKMustangFan's question, I don't know if Finn could have been charged with a felony. He should have been. After re-reading the NY Times story today, it clearly was obvious that all parties, including the judge, wanted this case off the books as fast as possible. In the meantime, I shall await the legal action -- or probably lack thereof -- vs. Cardinal Mahoney.

 

A lot of assumptions made right there. Also, can I ask whether or not you're 100% versed in the laws of the Kansas City jurisdiction, and whether or not the punishment fell in line with those laws and local precedent?

A lot of assumptions made right there. Also, can I ask whether or not you're 100% versed in the laws of the Kansas City jurisdiction, and whether or not the punishment fell in line with those laws and local precedent?

The fact that so few bishops et al. have been prosecuted for covering up or failing to report the youth rapes speaks for itself. As does the millions the church has doled out to buy silence. So many have sinned and so few have been brought to justice. It 's my opinion (assumption) that only the very tip of this horrendous worldwide scandal has been exposed; 95 percent of this iceberg remains under water. Just my opinion.

When I see this thread I think of that wristband with WWJD? If people say they are Catholic they are Catholic! Most westerners, especially Americans don't see eye to eye with the Church, it doesn't mean they are not Catholics. I love how this bumper sticker judges people.

I suspect the Vatican will do nothing in terms of disciplining him.

 

He was removed from his position. Not sure what else the Vatican could do. The Vatican does not have right to inprison anyone.

Whatever religion one professes to be, I CHOOSE to believe Christ did not intend any of us to be "cast out among the heathens" because of our imperfections including our doubts and questions.

The fact that so few bishops et al. have been prosecuted for covering up or failing to report the youth rapes speaks for itself. As does the millions the church has doled out to buy silence. So many have sinned and so few have been brought to justice. It's my opinion (assumption) that only the very tip of this horrendous worldwide scandal has been exposed; 95 percent of this iceberg remains under water. Just my opinion.

 

The fact is, much of the "cover up" portion of this scandal took place 25 years ago or more. The vast majority of those bishops are dead and gone, and obviously cannot be prosecuted. Since that time, policies in the Catholic diocese of the world, and particularly in the US, have changed vastly. Priests are removed from their duties simply following an accusation - whether or not that accusation is legitimate. Then the accusation is researched and the priest is either permanently removed from his duties and/or defrocked, or he is allowed back into his position as a priest if the accusations are proved false. And there ARE false accusations...many of them. I can think of one instance in particular with a priest that I know personally who was accused of abuse and removed from his duties, only to find out a year later that the accusation was based on a claim by an individual whose psychiatrist "uncovered his repressed memories of being abused" while under hypnosis. The psychiatrist later admitted to completely planting the false memory in his patient's head. Fortunately, the priest's good name was cleared and he was brought back to his ministry.

 

As for doling out millions to "buy silence", if I'm not mistaken, the US Conference Of Catholic Bishops came out in 2002 stating that there would be no gag orders requested by the Catholic Church in abuse cases, and that all previous gag orders would be negotiated to be lifted.

Pervert Preists can abuse our kids and we cover it up.But God forbid a women choose whats best for her own body lol YOU PEOPLE ARE A JOKE!!!!!! When they start throwing those perverts in jail thats when you get respect bunch a pale white pasty child abusuers

 

Easy bluebird, less is more.

In the name of consistency you could ONLY have the same punishment IF your reasoning is that it's the same as murder.

Absolutely not true. Murder is classified in our judicial system. Murder 1, Murder 2, no reason to think the punishment couldn't bear some sort of category on it's own as well.