PopeInTheWoods

There are really two separate concerns for the church hierarchy if they obtain information about a priest commiting ANY illegal acts. The first involves reporting the criminal activity to the appropriate civil authorities. THERE SHOULD BE NO OPTION BUT TO DO SO!!! Church officials who do not divulge such info should be charged as accessories after the fact, and as accomplices if the priest commits further crimes. The second concern is purely a church matter, namely whether or not the criminal will be allowed to remain a priest. This matter is of no concern to the government! A priest can remain a priest in prison and afterwards, so long as his assignments afterwards don't put him in a position that poses a threat to the public (e.g. sex offender working in youth programs).

It seems to me that the church is blatantly ignoring state-church separation (as mentioned above) by putting its own rules on the same or higher level than the civil laws of the land.

Andy

daemon

The frightening thing is that this is an entirely accurate description of the views of the Church: they believe that the Roman Catholic Church's laws, practices and opinions supercede, in all ways, the laws of men. The separation of Church and State is heretical to the Church.

Just remember, the only reason the Inquisition doesn't scourge the world today is not because it was wrong, but rather because it is bad PR.

Jamie_L

They're not ignoring church-state separation, they're breaking the law. But "the church" is a nebulous entity to prosecute. Local prosecutors should be going after individual priests in the heirarchy who don't report these things. Don't bother getting the church to change. Put the fear of LAW into the individual priests. Then maybe these things will be reported.

It's time for zero-tolerance LEGAL enforcement on these cases.

Jamie

Toto

Their idea of church state separation is exactly that - the state cannot enforce its laws against the church.

It is only the civil judgments against the church that made them sit up and take notice. Three cheers for trial lawyers!

Toto

And the best (or worst) sound bite to come out of this:

(from
<a href="http://www.ffrf.org/news/cardinal.html" target="_blank">FFRF</a>:

So - a drunk priest seducing your 16 year old daughter is somehow excusable? And they want to wiggle out of that? (I see a new dance craze - the Vatican Wiggle.)

Oresta

From Buffman's pro-life link on the the church's defense of its special UN status as a non-govrnment organization:
...but the church would have it both ways: (1)as a NGO in the UN with its unwarrented, detrimental influence on international health issues of contraception and safe sex AIDS protection, and (2)as a soverign nation state that has full jurisdiction over its felons.

Wecome Back, Buffman!

brighid

Hey, but aren’t they above the law? Most laws make an exception for churches and they don’t legally have to say anything in those states that don’t legally require the Church or a priest to report sexual abuse, child abuse or any other crime. Our current legislation ALLOWS Church organizations to discriminate against ALL sorts of people because of their FAITH,

The crime is that we ALLOW the Church to be exempt from things any non-religious organization would be found guilty of criminal or civil crimes. I find it to be worse that an organization that claims to have to exclusive track to righteousness and truth doesn’t hold a morally superior position on criminal activities and even though it is not legally liable for the obvious crimes of it’s highest ranking members (who are allegedly closest to their God) it should, without a doubt do the RIGHT thing. – It’s SICK that they don’t and its even more sickening that they go to such extremes to make it seem okay and it clearly shows that Churches aren’t interested in morality, but power and control.

The Pope has the duty to come out strongly against pedophilia and the RCC has the same duty and this weak – “only if it’s notorious shall we defrock the priest”– is total and complete bullshit. It shows a complete disregard for the safety of its follower’s children and a priority and protecting the organization. Children are expendable and it’s not enough if one poor child is molested, but many must be before we take action. I see nothing different in this stance from their actions and positions of the past. This lack of action is morally reprehensible and speaks of the moral apathy of the Church. It does not care about the children, just as long as you get them to the Church at a young enough age to indoctrinate them so they will be life long financial supporters of the faith, nothing more and nothing less.

Everyone should be outraged that for decades Bishops, Cardinals and Priests have knowingly protected men who are serial rapists. The Church goes on and on about the sins of homosexuality, yet they defend, hide and condone the actions of homosexual men and pedophiles. I find nothing wrong with adults of the same sex consensually engaging in sex, but to harm a child is not acceptable in ANY light. They are hypocrites, and they are the worst type of hypocrite because they claim absolutely truth and authority as given them by their God, their one True God no less. This whole scandal simply reinforces why I left Catholicism and religion all together. How can people who are allegedly guided by the Holy Spirit and somehow superior to the non-believer because of their Jesus be CAPABLE of harming children – unless of course their God is a demon.


Brighid