Vorkosigan

Well, god did say suffer the little children...

Vorkosigan

YodaTuna

umm why don't these people go to jail... as far as I know, I thought molesting little boys was against the law?

daemon

The Roman Catholic Church has an annoying habit of assuming they are above the law. Thus, if a pedophilic incident--or other illegal activity, I should imagine--were to occur that is essentially contained, such that only Catholic priests know of it, the incident is handled internally, and not reported to the authorities.

Morat

As Jon Stewart put it: "According the Catholic Church, it's okay to do it. You just can't like it"

GaryP

Since the Vatican has official diplomatic recognition with the US, could the church claim diplomatice immunity from prosecution?
Should priests be required to register as foreign agents within America?
Why don't they just say, "if a priest is accused we will tunn him over to the local prosecutor?"
No school or other public organization is allowed to decide which cases to report and which to handle internally.

Oresta

Clark also said the United States is ``probably the most immoral country certainly in the Western Hemisphere'' and blamed American society for being ``very protective'' of homosexuality.

Hahahaha. Look who is saying "very protective".

daemon

As far as I know, only diplomats get diplomatic immunity, and priests are considered citizens of their communities, not of the Vatican.

As far as the rest, you're right, it is illegal for them to do this. It has not stopped them from doing it, however.

Veil of Fire

This is hardly a NEW problem, either.

<a href="http://www.thoughtshop.com/pix/ts_flyer.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.thoughtshop.com/pix/ts_flyer.jpg</a>

GaryP

daeman--
I think you are correct about diplomatic immunity.
However, a few weeks ago NPR's Morning Edition broadcast a tape of a RCC Bishop who was telling other Bishops that if a priest's personnel file held problematic info it could be sent to some(?) office which would be able to legally decline to hand it over. This is because this office would be the equivalent to the Vatican's embassy and could therefore declare immunity.
I am sorry I can't provide more details but this idea of having formal relations with a specific church has to be, IMO, unconstitutional.

Buffman

(An overview)

<a href="http://www.usembassy.it/usembvat/Files/background.htm" target="_blank">http://www.usembassy.it/usembvat/Files/background.htm</a>

(The pro-con Church-State separation view )

<a href="http://www.americapress.org/reese/america/a-wilson.htm" target="_blank">http://www.americapress.org/reese/america/a-wilson.htm</a>

(A Catholic view)

<a href="http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives/032202/032202i.htm" target="_blank">http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives/032202/032202i.htm</a>

(A Gay view)

<a href="http://protest.net/view.cgi?view=2015" target="_blank">http://protest.net/view.cgi?view=2015</a>

(An Anti-Vatican view)

<a href="http://www.hli.org/content/dynamic/articles/000/000/001/255vbkqk.asp" target="_blank">http://www.hli.org/content/dynamic/articles/000/000/001/255vbkqk.asp</a>

(A Pro-Vatican and anti-abortion view by former representatives to the Holy See)

<a href="http://www.euthanasia.com/vatun.html" target="_blank">http://www.euthanasia.com/vatun.html</a>

(My conclusions):

As long as supernatural beliefs control the minds and actions of the masses, men will continue to use those beliefs and actions to advance their own vested interests and power...regardless of the consequences of those beliefs and actions on those who do not believe and act as they do. Religious dogma is the single most divisive and destructive creation from the mind of Man in the affairs of Humanity.