Pope apologises for sexual abuse in Catholicism

I would also agree Russ if this problem wasn't so well known now and has got to the stage where it cannot be hidden although the church tried that route for long enough. Words are words and what people want to see here is some actual action nothing he said has so far convinced me thats goiong to happen and without that the apology is a bit worthless. This to me smacks of a desperate pope trying to end a situation that needs more then some words for it to be truly resolved and for anyone to have faith that the church will not have this scale of problem again and when it does have such priests they are dealt with far far better then they have in the past.

[Mr Angry]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

I would also agree Russ if this problem wasn't so well known now and has got to the stage where it cannot be hidden although the church tried that route for long enough. Words are words and what people want to see here is some actual action nothing he said has so far convinced me thats goiong to happen and without that the apology is a bit worthless. This to me smacks of a desperate pope trying to end a situation that needs more then some words for it to be truly resolved and for anyone to have faith that the church will not have this scale of problem again and when it does have such priests they are dealt with far far better then they have in the past.

I think you need to take stock of the fact that this pope love him or not has proactively been addressing the issue of child sex abuse in the catholic church since he came to popeness and he has actually made rules and stuff that it is more harder for paedophiles to get in to the church ect if he wants to apologize and I was a priest and things that made me more hard with kids that were asking for it i think that he could do more to help themmuns and me to be happy with god ect and i would be ok with it apology for something. \Tuesday.

[Welshchris]

What gets me is the fact the pope is appologising for these people. Yes he is the head of the Catholic Church but shouldnt the apologies come from the people who actually comitted these offenses?

[Dai]

When offenders are excommunicated and handed over to the law I'll believe there is some sincerity. Until then it's no more than a damage-limitation attempt.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Welshchris

What gets me is the fact the pope is appologising for these people. Yes he is the head of the Catholic Church but shouldnt the apologies come from the people who actually comitted these offenses?

In theory I'd agree but what many don't seem to realise is Catholicism has a well-structured hierchy system. Any major announcements (such as this) go through their leader.

No i do not need to take stock of anything and sorry but making it harder for paedophiles to become priests doesn't change the damage and hurt and pain that has been caused by the ones that got in and got away with it for so long often with the help of the catholic church. Words are words and if they are not backed by actions then they are pretty meaningless when senior officials or clergy are publicly held to account for the covering up of this issue for so many years then i might take this apology more seriously. So far i have seen a lot of money thrown about a lot of words said about the issue only when they had no choice and a few sacrificial lambs thrown to authorities nothing of any real substance.

My sympathy in all of this is with the victims not the church and they desrve a hell of a lot more then they have had.

[Mr Angry]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

No i do not need to take stock of anything and sorry but making it harder for paedophiles to become priests doesn't change the damage and hurt and pain that has been caused by the ones that got in and got away with it for so long often with the help of the catholic church. Words are words and if they are not backed by actions then they are pretty meaningless when senior officials or clergy are publicly held to account for the covering up of this issue for so many years then i might take this apology more seriously. So far i have seen a lot of money thrown about a lot of words said about the issue only when they had no choice and a few sacrificial lambs thrown to authorities nothing of any real substance.

My sympathy in all of this is with the victims not the church and they desrve a hell of a lot more then they have had.

Yes, you're quite right, it won't change the past (obviously). However "prevention - better than cure" would also apply in this situation. For your information Rizzyking this is not the end of the affair but rather the start of action on the part of the catholic church (specific to Ireland I hasten to add) so you might yet get the blood you are baying for. Here's hoping.

Originally Posted by Mr Angry

Yes, you're quite right, it won't change the past (obviously). However "prevention - better than cure" would also apply in this situation. For your information Rizzyking this is not the end of the affair but rather the start of action on the part of the catholic church (specific to Ireland I hasten to add) so you might yet get the blood you are baying for. Here's hoping.

If the RC church really wants to mend fences with its flock, it needs to hand over the the police all evidence of wrong-doing by its priest in regard to child rape, and other physical abuses. It would also go some way to restoring peoples "faith" if those bishops, who bounced know child rapists from place to place also faced criminal prosecution for conspiracy, and/or perverting the course of justice....

Of-course, that's highly unlikely. You only have to look at Sean Brady, to see the sort of moral actions one can expect from the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland (not to mention the rest of the world).

[Mr Angry]

Originally Posted by Earl of Bronze

If the RC church really wants to mend fences with its flock, it needs to hand over the the police all evidence of wrong-doing by its priest in regard to child rape, and other physical abuses. It would also go some way to restoring peoples "faith" if those bishops, who bounced know child rapists from place to place also faced criminal prosecution for conspiracy, and/or perverting the course of justice....

Of-course, that's highly unlikely. You only have to look at Sean Brady, to see the sort of moral actions one can expect from the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland (not to mention the rest of the world).

Again: "...this is not the end of the affair but rather the start of action on the part of the catholic church (specific to Ireland I hasten to add) so you might yet get the blood you are baying for".

Mr Angry i hear what your saying but sadly this has all been done in the US where despite them promising it being the start nothing much else has happened apart from the money slinging and the apologies. Am i baying for blood your damn right i am i cannot think of anything worse then institutionalised paedophilea and it's excuse and covering up so yes i want someone's backside in court and prosecuted to the fullest degree and not just the low end priests that commited those terrible offences but as i said the senior figures that allowed it and in some cases helped it to continue.

Personally i don't see that as asking too much or it being beyond what is reasonable given the situation and while my sympathys of course go to all those in Ireland who have suffered lets remember this has been a global problem where ever the catholic church has gone and needs to get sorted once and for all for everyone in the world not just Ireland. A victim is a victim regardless of geography and this church through it's inaction at best and conspiracy at worst have made far more victims then there needed to be someone has to answer for that.

[Mr Angry]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Mr Angry i hear what your saying but sadly this has all been done in the US where despite them promising it being the start nothing much else has happened apart from the money slinging and the apologies. Am i baying for blood your damn right i am i cannot think of anything worse then institutionalised paedophilea and it's excuse and covering up so yes i want someone's backside in court and prosecuted to the fullest degree and not just the low end priests that commited those terrible offences but as i said the senior figures that allowed it and in some cases helped it to continue.

Personally i don't see that as asking too much or it being beyond what is reasonable given the situation and while my sympathys of course go to all those in Ireland who have suffered lets remember this has been a global problem where ever the catholic church has gone and needs to get sorted once and for all for everyone in the world not just Ireland. A victim is a victim regardless of geography and this church through it's inaction at best and conspiracy at worst have made far more victims then there needed to be someone has to answer for that.

I appreciate that but from your posts it appears that you haven't actually read the letter or have overlooked the core context of same. It is clear from the letter that the Pope intends justice to be done.

This admission of guilt / complicity - no matter how you look at it - is an enormous step forward and offers new hope not only for past victims but the very real prospect of better protection for what might have become future victims.

Nobody has suggested that this systemic abuse is unique to Ireland / US. The US was addressed first and victims "bought off" with fiscal compensation. Admitting and addressing the abuse had to start somewhere and continue. Ireland (to all intents and purposes one of the most crucial of catholic countries from a Vatican perspective) has been selected for a good reason. The reaction of Irish catholics will shape how this is "rolled out".

As for the "money slinging and apologies" (of which there is no mention in his letter to Irish catholics) if that is what has you baying for blood then I respectfully suggest that your anger is misplaced. If this were to happen to one of my kids neither my nor their silence would be bought with cash and a softly whispered "sorry". There are some things money can't, and shouldn't be allowed to, buy.

[Gary L]

"A senior Vatican priest speaking at a Good Friday service compared
the uproar over sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church — which
have included reports about Pope Benedict XVI’s oversight role in two
cases — to the persecution of the Jews, sharply raising the volume in
the Vatican’s counterattack. "

I have to admit, this gave me a very black humoured chuckle.... That any member of the curia could equate the child rape controversy to the murder of 6 + million jews is execrable in the extreme. Especially if one takes into consideration the RC churches inbuilt antisemitism since its formation.... Religion and morality, never the twain shall meet....

It is a stupid comparison and coming from someone high up should ring some more alarm bells but i doubt it will and if this is a commonly held feeling within the RC church well they have more problems then paedophile priests.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Earl of Bronze

Especially if one takes into consideration the RC churches inbuilt antisemitism since its formation.... Religion and morality, never the twain shall meet....

and yet who saved many more Jews than any one else during WWII.