I was watching the news the other night about the church. Some say the church needs to name, names of the Priests and Bishops that molested the children. Does anyone think they should and if the children(adults) can prove they were...should the church give them cash settlements?
I'm not sure about the cash settlements thing. As far as I can tell, the Catholic Church has never molested anyone, it's the individuals. I know a bunch of good Catholic people, and by punishing the Catholic Church for these individuals actions, these innocent good Catholics would also lose the better end of the bargain I think.
And for releasing the names of molesters and such...sure...
Many places already do this...it might even be a national law...I know that Arkansas has a state law where it's legal to release the names of child molesters, I don't see why, just because someone is a Catholic priest or clergyman, that they should be exempt from those laws.
__________________
πνεύμα γ*μισα
"Error never shows itself in its naked reality in order not to be discovered. On the contrary, it dresses elegantly, so that the unwary may be led to believe that it is more truthful than truth itself."
-Irenaeus of Lyon
If a convicted sex offender must register with any town he resides in why should a priest be any different. They should also be put on the list of registered sex offenders. How is that the church has been able to hide and protect these pll for so long ?
__________________
Take the "Training Wheels" off your bow. Go traditional !
Froman, The church covered up the molesting of these Children. Then shipped the preists off to other parishes with out any warnings. People like Cardinal Law need to be put in Prison.
Molesting a child is a crime if you cover up a felony you are also committing a crime.Law and others did this many times, right?
__________________
You're only one post away from a federal watch list.
Ubub, Question for you. Why shouldn't the RCC name the preists that they are aware of?
As far as cash seettlements go. Don't think they'll have much of achoice if the statute of limitations hasn't expired. I think they have been settling to try and keep a lid on all of this.
If this was some other type of orginazation?
__________________
You're only one post away from a federal watch list.
1. The child molestors should be put in prison for the safety of other children.
2. The Clergy that participated in covering up for the molestors in my book are accomplist to the crime and should be punished also.
3. If the church is guilty of aiding and abetting pedophiles by covering up for them they should be liable for punitive damages to be paid out to the victims and their families.
__________________
The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
Froman, The church covered up the molesting of these Children. Then shipped the preists off to other parishes with out any warnings.
Good point Charlie. Why should the church be allowed to back out of any responsibility always? They in essence were saying, "we support this kind of activity" by rearranging their clergy and trying to cover it up. That is wrong. These people need to be exposed for what it is, and action needs to be taken against the molesting preists as well as whoever tried to cover it up. They are just as guilty in my book.
__________________
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a civilization, it expects what never was and what never will be.
I think the Church should release details regarding abusive priests, and I think the state Attorneys General should prosecute the offenders to the fullest degree. I am against cash settlements, because money does nothing to correct the situation, only allow victims to buy nice things for themselves. I'm sure some would invest it or provide for their families, but it's not the answer to the question at hand.
These priests committed these heinous acts while acting under the auspices of the Catholic Church. In many instances, the Catholic Church looked the other way and chose not to police its own clergy. In other instances, they just moved them somewhere else. If parents can't trust their church leaders, then who can they trust? That trust has been violated and broken. The behavior of church leaders was despicable and disgusting. The individuals involved committed crimes and should be jailed. The church itself also should be held accountable. This is a mess that needs cleaning up. It should be a message to all clergy people in every denomination. Crime is crime.....in a church or elsewhere. I don't see anything in the Scriptures to indicate that God wants His church to be led by perverts.
What should the Catholic Church do?
