In Response To Systematic Child Abuse Scandal, Vatican Attacks… The Media
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The very definition of not getting it.
The editorial in a Vatican newspaper came on a day abuse victims protested near St Peter’s Square to demand the pope open files on pedophile clerics and defrock ‘predator priests,’ and a cardinal spoke of a ‘conspiracy’ against the church.
‘The prevalent tendency in the media is to ignore the facts and stretch interpretations with the aim of spreading the picture of the Catholic Church as the only one responsible for sexual abuse, something which does not correspond to reality,’ the Vatican newspaper said.
35 Responses to “In Response To Systematic Child Abuse Scandal, Vatican Attacks… The Media”
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Shorter Vatican: God doesn’t like accountability
Can we just shut it down now?
I dont’ get teh obsession with the catholic church. yes, they’re nuts. All religious people are nuts. They are no different. Catholics molest people. Muslims blow people up. Jews rip people off.
wooha.
yay religion.
Has any other SINGLE globe-spanning church or other org done this? No.
Jews rip people off.
Ladies and gentlemen: the Modern Republican Party, the Party of Nixon.
“Catholics molest people. Muslims blow people up. Jews rip people off.”
Burt, honey, you can’t believe everything you hear at a cross-burning.
I think I’m going to call you “Burt of a Nation” from now on.
All religion stinks. I don’t choose to focus only on one.
Oh yeah, protestants suck too. So do Hindus, Buddhists, and whatever else. There is no god. There is only the fear of death, which has lead man to create the idea of “god” to comfort himself from the frightening reality that one day, he won’t exist.
Holla.
Deep Burt. Like “cheap Jew” deep.
So do you people like religion or what?
Burt, Burt–here, let me help you get your foot out of your mouth. Wait a minute–now puuuuullllllll.
Sigh. The Catholic church hierarchy allowed their priests to systematically RAPE Catholic parishioners children
and did nothing because they wanted to shield themselves and the Church.
This is not a handful of terrorist flying a plane.
This is not one man ripping people off.
Also, this not Catholic parishioners raping children.
This is a huge motherfucking religious corporation allowing the rape of children by men who trust had been leveled at. And you say–”so what” while blithely casting racist dispersions about the rape of children.
You are either completely clueless or punking us.
Anyway—how’s that foot Burt?
Speaking for me only, I do not care for organized religion. And I really really really detest motherfucking ignorant ass-wipe douche-bags who write things like “Jews rip people off.”
But at least we now have the answer to the age old question as to who is smarter: Burt or Ernie?
WTF do they even mean by the CC is not “the only one responsible for sexual abuse”? What, it’s the fault of those 11-year-old altar boys for swinging their hot little asses around those vulnerable priests?
Uh. The Royal Navy?
Bitter Scribe,
it’s another form of ‘look over there!’ As if there is another enormous organization that has a track record of routinely covering up the sexual crimes of its employees, and threatening their victims* if they approach the police or media.
*I.e., ‘if you report Father Feltme to the police for molesting your son, we will excommunicate you’.
I’m not a fan of organized religion in general, but the Catholic Church is a powerful, wealthy institution that has systematically engaged in child-rape and then actively worked to cover up the abusers.
It’s not about hating religion, it’s about hating human depravity.
I notice that over in Oliver’s list of tags there is no “child abuse” tag. Every one of these “Catholic Church fucks children” post is tagged “Religion”. Is that what the posts are about?
I have yet to see one commenter recommend that accused molesters be removed from their parishes. Instead, all the comments are directed at “the Church”, or “the Vatican.” Is it any wonder that I feel you are driven by anti-Catholic bias?
And, incidentally, does anybody here know the difference between molesting, fondling and rape? Or is sensationalism the only way to make a successful attack?
There’s Frank again, essentially pro-child rape because he refuses to say a harsh word vs the church, instead screaming of bias (why I would be biased vs the Catholic church and not say Baptists or Presbyterians only God knows).
Yes, Oliver , in all of my comments I not only condone child-rape, I want MORE of it!
Just read my comments where I say over and over again that the Church is right, and nothing should be done to the accused priests, and the kids should be raped …
See it?
See where I said that?
No?
Me, neither.
Now, show me where it says you are concerned about the children.
Show me where you view child abuse as a problem.
Show me where you suggest that the priests should be removed from the parishes, so they are not near children.
See it?
Me, neither.
And with the following six words, I will apparently explode Frank’s head by defying his perception of me, or be called a liar because his opinion, as always, trumps all facts.
Ahem.
I Think Child Abuse Is Bad.
All of it. Catholic does it, Protestant does it, Muslim does it, Atheist does it, Liberal does it, Conservative does it, White guy does it, Black guy does it, If someone in my own family did it, its all wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
Except clearly I’m lying, and hate children, and live only to hate on the catholics who get to rape all those kids while I have to sit and stew.
Jesus Fuckmothering Christ, Frank, do you actually believe that if, say, the manager of an Applebees molested 200+ deaf kids that I’d fucking defend him?
Do you believe that if it turned out his regional manager knew about it but kept it quiet and moved him to a different Applebees that I wouldn’t have a problem with it?
Do you think that, if it turned out that Applebees Corporate knew not just about this case but about hundreds, thousands of other cases involving Applebees managers nationwide, that anyone’d be defending them?
Accusing people who say anything about it at all of being “Anti-Applebee Bigots?”
Advocate putting these accused managers on paid leave while the investigation was ongoing, and minimize all, all, all the allegations by suggesting they might have been exaggerated?
Insist the media is inflating the story (which is necessary since, you know, its not like its widespread or goes all the way to the top or nothing) and pretending that it’s only Applebee managers who ever commit rape, when they’ve never said anything of the sort?
Claim people of obsessing on these stories, due to their bigotry, and ignoring other stories, in the comments on a blog who’s frontpage has dozens of other stories?
Or any other Company, or any other Religion, or any other Organization, you think they’d get the same kind of defense from people that you’re giving to the Church?
Of course the Cult of Catholics #1 priority is to protect their own. They don’t give a shit about all the victims abused by sicko pedo priests, they just care about their own image with the rest of the duped sheep.
No wonder the church is a crumbling institution. No wonder its just old people go to their churches anymore. If you had a young family would you even think about letting your kids near some molester with a collar?
This was widespread throughout their entire corrupt organization and they knew about it for decades but didn’t do one goddamn thing.
Sick people, and anyone who defends them is a scumbag too.
Stockholm Syndrome much?
See where I said that?
No, but that’s only because you refuse to answer when asked directly. Instead, you whine about how it’s unfair to claim that a church that protects child molesters is, well, protecting child molesters.
And for the record, I don’t believe the priests should just be forced to leave their parishes. They should be in prison, where they belong. Because, last time I checked, molesting children was still illegal.
Rex, unfortunately for you, your behavior in the past is such that there is absolutely nothing I wouldn’t believe you would do.
But that doesn’t change my view on this: If it did not involve the Catholic Church , it would never be mentioned here. How do I know that?
1. Oliver has never written anything about child abuse, without its being connected to the Catholic Church. Ever. Teachers do it. Camp counselors do it. Politicians do it. But has he ever written about it? Nope
2. No one has suggested the obvious solution to the immediate problem – removing the suspected priests from the parishes. (Sorry, Zython, we don’t put people in jail until they are charged with a crime and found guilty)
3. No one has expressed any sympathy for the children; no one has expressed any curiosity about what really happened to them; no one has inquired as to what the parents of these children did, when they found out; and no one has questioned how civil authorities responded when they found out. Everyone’s attention is focused on the Vatican and The Pope as if the priests are marionettes , and the Pope is a puppeteer.
4. Finally, no one has mentioned the “elephant in the parlor” : These cases increased exponentially, after homosexuals were allowed to enter the priesthood. Yes, I know , correlation is not causality, but someone had to say it.
Now, ignore 1, 2, and 3, and call me a homophobe. That will prove I’m right for sure.
OK, Frank, I know I’ll regret this, but I just gotta ask: When was it, exactly, that “homosexuals were allowed to enter the priesthood”?
I mean really, what’s the deal? Did some Pope issue an edict or proclamation or whatever it is? (What was it called…”Ecce Homos”?) And how had they been kept out before? Did they send incubi and succbi to seminary students to see which gender they went for, or was it more of a don’t-ask-don’t-tell thing?
No one has expressed any sympathy for the children
Yes, I quoted this because I’m such a cold-hearted bastard:
removing the suspected priests from the parishes
Until there is a legal accounting, there are no victims, just witnesses.
4. Finally, no one has mentioned the “elephant in the parlor” : These cases increased exponentially, after homosexuals were allowed to enter the priesthood. Yes, I know , correlation is not causality, but someone had to say it.
Child molestation doesn’t work that way. At all.
I’m replying to you because you write with insight about this scandal. I’m a Catholic convert from a very anti-catholic scottish-american childhood and see many facets of it. My cautious side wonders why so many parents and lay people gave unquestioning trust in these clergy being alone with their kids…for years evidently. What sort of pixie dust power do these mortals have over everybody? This creeps me out, because it will all happen again if this isn’t fixed. I have a friend who coaches soccer and complains endlessly about parents never picking up their kids, going home to f–k and drink and leaving the kids on his hands all Saturday! Parents have some collusion in this. Not to follow up on this angle makes one think old anti-clerical types are using it as another stick to beat the priesthood. This repulsive stuff is the fault and result of whole communities (and the lack of them) full of coldness, anonymity, superstition, idolitry about mere men and women in outfits; and all of us in our western cultures know this about ourselves. This is a chance to question a lot about our habits and culture…the Church puts priests in lives of great loneliness…they drink, they get porn free in the mail. That sort of life is sick and unwholesome. I wish this subject would broaden, for it would help a lot of people.
Frank DiSalle: Oliver has never written anything about child abuse, without its being connected to the Catholic Church. Ever. Teachers do it. Camp counselors do it. Politicians do it. But has he ever written about it? Nope
Yes, school teachers, camp counselors, gym teachers, day care workers etc etc have molested children. But can you point to just one example where it has been done no the scale of the Catholic Church?
Have School Boards routinely covered up the crimes and moved offending teachers around to other districts where they continue to offend? Has the Secretary of Education been implicated in knowing about the cover up going on? You’re jumping immediately to, as you routinely do, to something that is not equivalent.
But even more importantly, and more telling about you as a person, is that you continue to defend the Church’s practice. You don’t condemn what they’ve done. You don’t call for the arrest and prosecution of the people responsible.
Instead you complain that Oliver hasn’t reported on other scandals enough.
Us: “Look, Frank! Someone in Area X is killing 1,000 people. Isn’t that awful? Shouldn’t something be done to stop it?”
Frank: “You didn’t complain enough about one killing that took place in Area Y so clearly you’re a anti-Area X bigot.”
Us: “But, uh, Frank, isn’t killing anywhere wrong?”
Frank: “You’re a bigot.”
Frank DiSalle: …after homosexuals were allowed to enter the priesthood.
Say WHAT?
As far as I know, homosexuals were – at laast theoretically – allowed to be priests until fairly recently. The assumption was that a sexually continent gay man would avoid both sexual sins and the occasion thereof, just as a sexually continent straight man would be.
This changed within the last twenty years – I could bother to look it up, but Frank won’t listen anyway. The current state of affairs – again, to the best of my knowledge – is that a man who acknowledges having a homosexual orientation will not be permitted to take holy orders, regardless of any other factors.
Since the priests who were doing the molesting did not typically identify as homosexuals, one wonders at the practicality/efficacy of this.
And Frank, if you’re still reading – the reason why we evil liberals dogpile on the Catholic Church is because, unlike other organizations in which the sexual abuse of children has occurred, it has – institutionally – placed silence and ‘discretion’ over the safety of the victims. This is a historically documented fact.
Apparently, liberals dogpile on the Catholic Church because liberals favor slamming the Catholic Church, over the safety of the victims.
And what I have been saying is that none of you has recommended moving the priests, because that might solve the problem, and that would end what is, essentially, an attack on the Church.
I am not complaining that Oliver has not reported on other scandals enough – I am saying unequivocally that none of you has exhibited any interest in child abuse – at all, ever.
Matthew 18:6 was never meant to refer to child abuse specifically , considering that even you describe the children as innocent victims. What sin have they committed – none. So let’s move on from the bogus Biblical commentary, shall we ?
As for my opinion as a Catholic, I believe it was expressed well in the National Catholic Reporter recently :
They’d “concede” the Vatican “didn’t handle things well”?
Frank, I run a national chain of daycare franchises. Thousands of children are entrusted to our company every day. Turns out one of the the caregivers has been abusing the children entrusted to their care. Nothing is reported to the parents, and the children don’t get the counseling the most likely need. Nothing is reported to the police, and the offender is not punished. Instead, abusive caregiver is transferred to one of our other daycare locations in a different state.
And, as it turns out the caregiver continues to abuse children. Moving them to a different location didn’t stop them. In response to this we still don’t provide support for the abused children, we still don’t notify the police of the crime. Rather we deal with it by again just transferring the caregiver to yet another different daycare center where nobody was aware of their abuse. And once they are there we continue to let them
care forabuse children.You going to merely suggest we might have failed to act appropriately?
Would finding out we’d done this for multiple abusing caregivers in a dozen locations for decades maybe move your criticism all the way up to giving as a stern scolding?