Pennsylvannia Pedo Priest HORROR

[KevinM1]

It's a sick situation. The RCC still has enough sway over the population that this shit persists, and the laity won't complain.

This is the part I can't grasp. The problem isn't just localized to a particular parish. It's embedded in the church's structure. I mean, it's pretty obvious given the lengths the church has gone through to shuffle priests around and otherwise obstruct justice. The rank and file should be demanding blood, not trying to convince themselves that not only is the problem small, but that their silence doesn't equal tacit approval of children being molested by powerful, hypocritical men.

This isn't me speaking as an atheist wanting to strike at organized religion. This is me speaking as a citizen of the US and wondering why justice isn't being carried out, and why there isn't a larger outcry. Because crimes - of the heinous, vicious, deplorable variety - have been committed. Surely that deserves some response by the every day folks who've hitched themselves to the RCC's wagon.

[Rev. Rye]

To be absolutely fair to someone who may or may not deserve it, my research suggests that marriage to a 14-year-old girl was actually legal in Illinois at that time. 

All male persons over the age of 17 years, and females over the age of 14 years, may contract and be joined in marriage : Provided, in all cases where either party is a minor, the consent of parents or guardians be first had, as is hereinafter required.

https://play.google.com/books/reader?pri....RA1-PA437

So, legally, he was in the clear, except for the whole polygamy thing. However, what of the age of consent laws in place at the time? Well, I was only able to go back to 1880, but even then, in Illinois, at least, it was TEN. The highest any state had at the time was twelve, and Delaware even had it at SEVEN, and apparently, they originally had it at ten and someone in the state legislature decided to lower it.

Why, yes, that is sickening. But the fact is, at that time, the fact that dozens of women were involved was the only actionable thing about it. He had several brides who were under 18, but I don't think age was a particular attraction for him. Several of his wives were older than him. If Wikipedia's list is to be trusted, one may have been older than his PARENTS.

[Fireball]

It's a sick situation. The RCC still has enough sway over the population that this shit persists, and the laity won't complain.

This is the part I can't grasp.  The problem isn't just localized to a particular parish.  It's embedded in the church's structure.  I mean, it's pretty obvious given the lengths the church has gone through to shuffle priests around and otherwise obstruct justice.  The rank and file should be demanding blood, not trying to convince themselves that not only is the problem small, but that their silence doesn't equal tacit approval of children being molested by powerful, hypocritical men.

This isn't me speaking as an atheist wanting to strike at organized religion.  This is me speaking as a citizen of the US and wondering why justice isn't being carried out, and why there isn't a larger outcry.  Because crimes - of the heinous, vicious, deplorable variety - have been committed.  Surely that deserves some response by the every day folks who've hitched themselves to the RCC's wagon.

I get it, believe me. I didn't raise a ruckus when I was still a Catholic, and I'm not raising a ruckus, now. I think that religion has some kind of hold where most people are just afraid to get the outrage out there. I, at the time, expected the RCC to handle it. We know how that is working out. I'm willing to bet that law enforcement people find themselves in a tough position when the churches they grew up in end up being under scrutiny. I salute those people who are able to go back and ask Father Umptysquat the hard questions. Just look at how the RCC bitched about the Italian police taking documents from a Cardinal who was laundering money for the Mafia, the RCC claiming to be a sovereign state, and all. I think that the concept of trained sheeple is applicable here. We get so accustomed to that authority that we still don't question it properly. It's pervasive in our culture. I worked one place where the supervisor was extremely abusive. I had no idea that I had an avenue for addressing the problem, and just accepted that that was the way it was. I think that religious indoctrination drives part of that acceptance.

[Pat Mustard]

I was at a month's mind mass for a work colleague who died recently, and the whole tenor from the priest's homily was "what's happened with Pennsylvania was horrific. The enemies of the church shouldn't be allowed defame us so".

And that is why the roman catholic church needs to be wound up, and have all it's assets stripped. That is the attitude of the church when it (quite regularly) does great evil, "we are above the law and anybody who says otherwise is the enemy".

[LadyForCamus]

"I really want to fire this child molester...but if I do I won't be able to cover the shifts"  

-said the daycare center no one would ever send their kids too..and the catholic church, and some random protestant.

😂

[brewer]

I heard that the hotline has received over 150 calls. 

Nope, not pervasive at all.

[vorlon13]

More Catholic apologists weighing in that other religions have similar problems.

Well . . .

IMO, the coverup by the Catholics is orders of magnitude in excess of what any other faith with that problem might hope to accomplish.


Centuries of perfecting their sweep it under the rug and keep those collection plates full regimen has made them world class at this.


How the hell do they keep secrets like that for generations with so VERY MANY people involved ???

[Succubus]

They still don't get it...

Bishops request Vatican investigation as abuse crisis grows.

Using formal church terminology for high-level Vatican investigations, DiNardo said he would travel to Rome and ask the Vatican to conduct an "apostolic visitation" to address the McCarrick case, working in concert with a group of predominantly lay experts.

For 'high-level Vatican investigation' read, we will hold yet another meeting.

"apostolic visitation". 

No. A visit from plod is what you bastards need.

[brewer]

[Catholic_Lady]

Since I've been off the forums and off facebook for the past week, I just found out about this yesterday. Our priest addressed it this morning at mass as well.

I just wanted to say that I am horrified. The priests involved in any abuse and the bishops who enabled them are evil monsters. The ones who are still alive should all be stripped of their priestly powers and denied any form of retirement pay. If their names are associated with any buildings, scholarships, etc., they should be immediately changed. If some of them are still able to be tried, let them stand trial–and provide for their own defense from their own funds, and if found guilty, locked away for life. I don't believe in the death penalty, but if I did, I would say it should be reserved solely for people who abuse innocent children.