That’s right – pray to fix the problem. Works for everything else, right?
Let’s just hope they’re actually doing some investigations, too (or better yet, they could hand all their documentation on the matter over to competant law enforcement officials and let them investigate).

Daily and continuous prayers to cleanse the church? You’ve got to be kidding! How about putting the offenders in the clink, compensating the victims, and really interviewing the candidates for the priesthood. BTW, I don’t think all the moslesting priests were gay. The RCC might interview and check on heterosexual dudes too, since there are plenty of them in the priesthood too. Don’t blame all the molestations on homosexuals.

Yes, I think both heterosexuals and homosexuals have been guilty of molestations. Perhaps the problem is the “sexual” part in an occupation where sexual activity is forbidden (well, I don’t know what the policy is on masturbation). Maybe the solution is meds to depress testosterone. Or I understand there’s an operation. Then we’d really see how dedicated the would-be priests are. Perhaps his majesty Pope Ben will go first.

“Daily and continuous prayers to cleanse the church? You’ve got to be kidding! How about putting the offenders in the clink, compensating the victims, and really interviewing the candidates for the priesthood.”
To be fair, they already do that. As for Nnmns’ suggestion, I think the main problem would be that physical or chemical castration would eliminate any temptation, which makes success a lot less spiritually significant. (I speak in terms of normal sex—child molestors, well, snip-snip I say. Hmm, perhaps they can let the kids’ parents do the operation…) People who become priests, after all, are supposed to people who aren’t that interested in sex anyway.
God bless.

There’s an answer to effect a change; allow R.C. Clergy to marry and date like God intended humans to do. Wanting to be a priest, minister, nun does not turn your hormones off. People should also be instructed in the congregations to not flirt and entice the clergy. This happens frequently in Protestant Churches, the results usually end up with the minister being defrocked, and the women get away with it. I don’t think the members in a Catholic church could be any different than a Protestant church in this problem, or any other religions churches.

I am hard on Ben, because I have great expectations of him as leader of a significant community. This is one of those times I think he is heading in the right direction. At least he is going more and more public with his acknowledgement of the problem. I hope his next step is to offer more tangible care for the victims, more direct attention to the abusers, and the realization that not all of them are homosexual. Prayer works, but not in the magical way. Sometimes a victim may hear anothr person’s prayer and realize they are not as alone as they feel. So they talk to someone about their situation. Soon there are whole groups of people talking, working on helping people, and making sure the problems do not continue.
Ben gets a tip of the Jester’s cap today – though I doubt he will appreciate it.

The thing about the anti-celibacy argument is, this wasn’t a scandal about priests secretly having sex with grown women (or men for that matter); it was about priests having sex with children. I’m not entirely sure if such an easy correlation between pedophilia and celibacy can be made, because if it was just the case that the offending priests couldn’t take celibacy, it seems like they would have just gone out and found women (or men) to have sex with. Maybe priests being allowed to marry would have helped a little, but I don’t think the issues are that closely related. The main factor of the Church that contributed to the scandal, I think, was just its organizational structure, that allowed a fairly small number of pedophile priests to do a lot of damage.
God bless.

Yeah, letting priests would solve the problem. We all know that married people never have affairs or abuse children. Oh, wait…
Yes, daily prayers are important. Prayers for the victims, prayers for the salvation of the perps as well. At least some offenders are already going to jail, being defrocked, etc. Victims are being compensated, even outside lawsuits, and offered therapy. Volunteers working with children are being fingerprinted and background checked.
For those that asked: masturbation and sterilization are grave sins for all (Catholics). Yes, many need prayers there too. Jesus came to save the sinner.

“For those that asked: masturbation and sterilization are grave sins for all (Catholics).”
Ok, the only solution is saltpeter in all their food.
Seriously, they have a problem, probably mirrored somewhat in every institution where certain people are given respect based on position and great care is not taken to prevent some from taking advantage of that. I hope they can ameliorate it and, if they do, publish their method.

Saltpeter may be a short term strategy, but imagine what it will do to their blood pressure!

“masturbation and sterilization are grave sins for all(Catholics).” W
One of many, many reasons why I’d make a lousy Catholic. Haven’t figured out why self pleasure is wrong…for anyone. As to sterilization, that is a choice of birth control for men and women, and very effective I might add. Expect it worries the RCC “powers -that- be” because that limits the procreation of more Catholics.

If Catholics wish to believe that masturbation is a sin….so be it. There loss.
I beleive prayers for the abusive clergy….as well as the victims…is a wonderful idea.
However, putting better controls and safeguards in place to protect children from abusive clergy is equally important. Getting real pyschological therapy for abusive clergy is also important. Hiding them is obviously not the answer.
I am a strong believer in prayer. I am also a strong believer in taking effective action when there is a problem.
Peace!

“Haven’t figured out why self pleasure is wrong…for anyone. As to sterilization, that is a choice of birth control for men and women, and very effective I might add. ”
Because both deny and prevent the life-giving power of love that was given to us by God. They cheapen something designed to be shared between husband and wife. On the secular side, abstaining from these can also increase the intensity of love during the marital act.

quoting nnms, “Daily and continuous prayers to cleanse the church? You’ve got to be kidding! How about putting the offenders in the clink, compensating the victims, and really interviewing the candidates for the priesthood.”
joey said, “To be fair, they already do that.”
They most assuedly do NOT, joey. It is POLICY to cover events like this up, and to NOT report them. Look up Crimens solicitationes.

“People who become priests, after all, are supposed to people who aren’t that interested in sex anyway.”
Wrong. They are supposed to take a vow not to have sex, but nothin’ sez they aren’t supposed to have an interest in sex. They are supposed to be obeying a “call”. Not everyone has that call. Celibacy is one of many spiritual gifts, and each of us had different spiritual gifts.
Such absurdity.

recovering exP:
“Daily and continuous prayer to cleanse the church.” You’ve got to be kidding! How about putting the offenders in the clink etc. ” was my quote, pagansister, not from nnmns. Not a big deal, just wanted to let you know.
I agree with you that the tendency is to still cover up the actions of the priests, but I think it is getting harder to do so…at least we can hope so. The key is NEVER to let a kid alone with a priest….it can be done.

The celibacy rule, IMO is absurd and totally unnatural. How in the world have the other ministers, non-Catholic priests, rabbi’s, Imums, etc. ever served their religious community AND been allowed to lead a life including sex? RCC hasn’t come into the real world on a lot of other things, including the celibacy rule.
There would still be priests that would take advantage of their authority and mistreat children, so I’m not saying that giving permission for marriage or just plain sex, would solve the problem of pedophile priests.