Damned Catoholics!!

[KichigaiNeko]

Not so "quiet" eh Daniel??

This WILL be a "witch hunt" and NO institution will be safe..... Ahhh I can hear the shredding machines from here.

[Aractus]

Are these the priests you were talking about Daniel?

It looks like in this case it was not done "quietly, and without controversy".

Correct. Did you watch the video in that link? If not you should.

There was some controversy within the Church. My understanding is that Farran was under a lot of pressure not to defrock them (read what the mayor said), which is what he alludes to in his statement. The police had already closed the case and moved on (to the horror of the families), they're only reopening the cases because the Church has decided to act on it. Notice how the mayor thought the actions were "disgraceful". If you ask me what's disgraceful are people like the mayor who wanted the Church to simply "do nothing" and wait for criminal prosecutions (which were not ever going to happen). The evidence the church has in the matter is clear cut.

I could be reading this wrong but it sounds like the bishop was reacting to the calls of the Royal Commission and this is why they were defrocked. Looks like the Catholics are not the only ones who like spin.

Believe me, this had nothing to do with it. No evidence was ever withheld from the police. The police had dropped their investigations into the priests. So the families went to the Church for action instead. The bishop was under enormous pressure from supporters of the priests not to act, he was certainly under no legal obligation to defrock them, ultimately he did what was right. As a direct result the police have indicated they will reopen their investigations.

[KichigaiNeko]

Quite frankly I would welcome an abolition of the 'church' in all it's 3,600 forms.

[Aractus]

Globally it is about time it was!

Petty power plays made by petty people is what religion is famous for and by extension politics

While I'm glad that you qualified your statement with "by extension politics", I should point out that it is precisely politics that can lead directly to the problem, nothing to do with religion. Was it the Catholic Church that gave the world Child Pornography? No, that was Denmark, and it had absolutely nothing to do, whatsoever, with religion. If it wasn't for Denmark, we never would have known what Child Porn is, all we would know about today is "child abuse images". In fact, what remains legal today in Denmark, Sweden, and even France is totally illegal in Australia, the USA and Great Britain. We have inherited the problems that Denmark gave us.

Child abuse isn't unique to religion in the slightest. Stop blaming religion for the world's moral problems.

---

Quite frankly I would welcome an abolition of the 'church' in all it's 3,600 forms.

Do you also want to abolish the world's sovereign States in all their 196 forms?

[Kousbroek]

Do you also want to abolish the world's sovereign States in all their 196 forms?

If that would end fighting over some shitty piece of land or end the shooting of poor ( illegal ) immigrants at your border or end the disgusting notion that we call patriotism, etc etc .. yes i'm all up for it....

[John V]

I have one cat and I think that's enough. Some people have way more than I would want, but if they care for them properly (i.e. food, vet care, daily clean of litter boxes) and have them spayed/neutered I don't think it's any one else's business really.

[Angrboda]

So, what you're telling me is, people who believe they're on a mission from God think they're above the law? I'm shocked.

[Minimalist]

The problem with the RCC is politics

The problem with the RCC ( or any church, really) is arrogance. They actually believe their bullshit puts them above the law.

[Aractus]

The problem with the RCC ( or any church, really) is arrogance. They actually believe their bullshit puts them above the law.

What I meant was the problem specifically regarding child abuse. The RCC has an abundance of other issues too. Australia has rather strict child protection laws, legally speaking Catholic priests who hear confession are required to pass on child abuse information they hear.

But then again, the United Nations Convention Against Torture is explicitly clear as to signatory's obligation to convict, so when can I expect George W Bush, Dick Cheney, Barak Obama, Leon Panetta and the dozens of CIA people who have been to Guantanamo Bay to be put into gaols? Oh wait that's right, the USA is above the law .

[KichigaiNeko]