tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post3928164690446360650..comments2023-08-21T03:51:17.425-06:00Comments on Enlightened Catholicism: Will The BS Ever End?colkochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03432916690101599393noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post-26619420894535831452011-02-19T08:46:21.435-07:002011-02-19T08:46:21.435-07:00Shannon you bring up an interesting point about nu...Shannon you bring up an interesting point about null and void ordinations. Until the whole mythology of the magical priesthood comes crashing down, I don't think the idea of 'annulling' priestly orders is going to fly.<br /><br />The secular criminal system deals with all kinds of sexual predators all the time. I fail to see why clerical predators should be left in the hands of bishops. That is unless they build a national prison/monastery dedicated to the ministry and confinement of criminal sexual deviants--a solution that was floated way back in the 50's and rejected.<br /><br />Way back in the 50's? Holy cow, that was before the wild depraved 60's and Vatican II. Imagine that.colkochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03432916690101599393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post-7083468966499361502011-02-18T20:06:59.227-07:002011-02-18T20:06:59.227-07:00I'm wondering if a priest accused and convicte...I'm wondering if a priest accused and convicted of child abuse could be considered to not have received the sacrament of Holy Orders. Could his ordination be annulled?<br /><br />A huge hole in the system, both church- and civil-wise, is the lack of supervision or accountability for a priest dismissed from ministry. If the statute of limitations has run out and he's told to make a life for himself elsewhere, there's nothing to stop him from going someplace new and repeating what has been done.Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02270396127498411004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post-8911667237535058252011-02-17T19:26:20.795-07:002011-02-17T19:26:20.795-07:00Sue B, this line of yours presents the reality of ...Sue B, this line of yours presents the reality of things quite well:<br /><br />I have been screened and know that the girls are the first priority, not protecting the bishop first then the priests, then the money and finally, maybe my child. Sue Bcolkochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03432916690101599393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post-14095220078154088332011-02-17T18:24:53.664-07:002011-02-17T18:24:53.664-07:00Hey "Caring Catholic", when you mention ...Hey "Caring Catholic", when you mention a single incident "with an older teen, often involving alcohol" who do you think bought the alcohol? The 16 -17 year old? Or the 35 YEAR OLD MAN. We are not talking about a 18-19 year old college student having a 16-17 year old girlfriend (or boyfriend.) We are talking about fully grown, professional MEN (often kept as mental teenagers by the bishops, true) taking sexual advantage or force of young people. And have you read a Catholic Diocese facilities release form in the last few years? In essence it says in legal language that an employee of the diocese could molest your child IN FRONT OF THE BISHOP and the diocese would not be held accountable. This is why my child will never go to CYO camp. "No safer place for a child than the church?" Not by a long shot. My child is involved in Girl Scouts. Parents who are screened and trained volunteers are the ones who run things. I have been screened and know that the girls are the first priority, not protecting the bishop first then the priests, then the money and finally, maybe my child. Sue BAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post-5483826406079181402011-02-17T16:08:52.394-07:002011-02-17T16:08:52.394-07:00You're certainly correct about Allen. Usually,...You're certainly correct about Allen. Usually, though, NCR will allow someone in the survivor support community to refute him in the area of child sex abuse. My problem is that NCR doesn't run any counterpoint to Allen's Islamaphobia (disguised as "religious freedom") columns.Brtty Clermontnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post-2332558633972581242011-02-17T15:48:38.717-07:002011-02-17T15:48:38.717-07:00It is about time the church stops the mea culpas. ...It is about time the church stops the mea culpas. It's about time the hierarchy take a second and third look at the injustice in zero tolerance. It's about time we realize that 99% of the priests/bishops were not pedophiles, though no one can nor should absolve any engagement with older teens. It's about time the news media went after coaches, camp coun. teachers IF they really are interested in the welfare of children but their first agenda is to "kill" the church. It's about time the people in the pew said enough is enough when it comes to the many false accusations of good and honorable priests. It's about time the hierarchy, outside of the media, take a long, long look at zero tolerance in the light of today's psychology, medical science and reinstate hundreds of the priests who have shown over ten, twenty, thirty years that they were involved in a one time incident with older teens perhaps while under the influence of alcohol. It's about time that we realize that lawyers are interested in becoming supremely wealthy as, sadly, are some, and I emphasize some, of the so called victims. The real victims seek counselling more than money. The church has done more than any other institution in the world now to protect children. The safest place today for children is in the Roman Catholic Church. Revenge is mine says the Lord. Maybe we all should dwell on that scripture for a long, long, long time.<br /><br />A Caring CatholicAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post-28563277790447321792011-02-17T14:05:05.349-07:002011-02-17T14:05:05.349-07:00I understand the need to protect people from accus...I understand the need to protect people from accusations made out of pure maliciousness and with no basis in reality. I also understand what it is the hear one family relative accuse another family member of sexual abuse. It is a horribly confusing and spiritually draining situation.<br /><br />But surely the bishops must understand that it does no good to just start throwing malicious accusations in a free-for-all which it too many times is. And it is so sad to see the church using the same tactics as the civil criminal courts system when it comes to rape victims. Dear God, how many ways can they find to blame a victim? And a child at that?<br /><br />Of course in the adversarial system that the civil criminal courts have, it is to be expected. BUT somehow, I'd thought the church could be better than that. Some system where the truth is most important, where the authorities are more concerned about some healing process. Wouldn't it be nice if the church could honestly offer something of this nature to the civil criminal system?<br /><br />But apparently and heartbreakingly, it can't happen that way in this lifetime.<br />VeronicaT'Pelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14497973041430354008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post-66116345974348281732011-02-17T11:13:38.024-07:002011-02-17T11:13:38.024-07:00Yes, things are getting more and more unbelievable...Yes, things are getting more and more unbelievable - including John Allen.<br /><br />As for concerns about innocent priests getting "thrown under the bus", give me a break. We're still waiting for a zero tolerance policy to be adopted here in Canada... our archdiocese is instructing seminarians to not inform the police if any accusations arise - they're expected to "keep it in the family". <br /><br />Where's our version of the Dallas Charter?westcountrynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post-60043252548931732522011-02-17T09:41:39.267-07:002011-02-17T09:41:39.267-07:00I could not let pass that the word verification wa...I could not let pass that the word verification was "untie". We need to untie ourselves from the web of lies.<br />John Allen used to present an alternative point of view that was worth considering.<br />Now he acts like he reports from an alternate universe.coolmomnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post-49399674163440618852011-02-17T06:39:20.494-07:002011-02-17T06:39:20.494-07:00I agree. He has forsaken journalism to become the...I agree. He has forsaken journalism to become the genteel version of the Donahue guy from Catholic League, especially in his last 2 articles at NCR. I speculate that he needs to preserve his access to the Vatican for current and future writing projects.<br />Thanks for this blog. Have been reading for a couple of years now.John Bijarneyhttp://www.bijarney.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8383701632927065467.post-87541036068587582282011-02-17T05:38:33.074-07:002011-02-17T05:38:33.074-07:00To understand John Allen, consider the situation o...To understand John Allen, consider the situation of the typical movie critic: would you have much of a career if you gave negative reviews to 80%-90% of Hollywood movies? (which sounds about right to me). <br /><br />Par for the course keeps changing, but people like Allen and much of the media in general regard par to be some kind of principal unto itself. Well, I suspect Allen knows this but maintains career viability through intellectual gymnastics which increasingly require the flexibility of a yoga master.<br /><br />Don't think that the attitude, "Apres moi, le deluge." is restricted to French kings. Much of the professional class realize this and at times express their thoughts about it. We've seen this attitude among those on Wall Street. What's funny is that it's likely that both Allen and many of the people he covers both feel this way but don't feel at liberty to speak about it frankly.Orlandonoreply@blogger.com