own churches?

fool the other adults around them. That's how they succeed.

is how people knew and turned away from the problem.

Do you really think out of all the victims none of the parents talked about it with other parents? I don't buy that line of thinking for a minute.

You are forgetting this was in the pre-Oprah era. People weren't open about sexuality or abuse. The parents would have felt deeply ashamed and guilty and confused -- and likely to think they were the only ones and/or that it was their fault or their child's fault. It would have been very easy in that era to convince the parents not to tell anyone else.

But Michael McKeon's character and his lawyer friend had a bird conversation about how people knew and said nothing.

Parents knew and most likely said nothing but I bet there was gossip and where would that gossip originate? Most likely from a parent who was more angry than ashamed about what happened.

This story broke in 2001, well into the Ophrah era of sharing. Ophrah started her show in 1986--so between 1986 and 2001 all victims' parents were too ashamed to say anything to anyone, ever? I just don't buy it.

The Church isn't just some random authority like the Department of Motor Vehicles, in Catholicism they represent the force that created the Universe, that created all life, that gives the world purpose, and that mediates your fate for all eternity. Pedophiles target people who are poor, uneducated, and easily manipulated. Parents are told that theirs is an isolated incident, that airing it will hurt the Church, that powerful people like the Cardinal are personally asking them to keep it quiet for the benefit of this very important and ancient institution, that it will be taken care of (they are led to believe the priest will be removed from the presence of children, not shuttled to another parish where he can keep abusing), and finally bought off with actual money. Everyone is carefully prevented from learning the true scope of the problem. All of this was shown in the movie.

Child sexual abuse hasn't just been happening for the last few decades in this country - it's been happening for centuries all over the world. It's been happening in countries and regions where the Catholic Church has a lot of influence with the government.... Hell, there are countries where Catholicism may be the ONLY recognized religion.

I can imagine that, hundreds of years ago in France perhaps, a family learned that their child was being diddled by a priest. This family complained to friends or maybe even to one of the priests. I can imagine that the priest(s) turned on this family and encouraged other parishioners to shun and stop doing business with this lying, muck-raking family telling vicious tales. Or the parishioners were told that the child enticed the priest because the child was of the Devil.

And the family of the victim had their house burned down and were run out of town...

Or the victim's family shut their mouths, swallowed their anger tried to move on...

I mentioned long ago France, but I'm sure this same situation has occurred all over the world to millions of families over the centuries...

because there is NO excuse for this abuse.

But, it's something CLERGY of all Western faiths have done. It's not just Catholic priests.

As to not saying anything, that doesn't surprise me. When much of this was finally coming to light, we, as a society, had become more OPEN, and were less willing to shame the victims. That still happens all the time, the victim shaming, BUT, it is nowhere near as prevalent, nor are adults who should speak out, anywhere near as unwilling to say something in this kind of situation.

the faith of Sunday football -- i.e, the Penn State scandal -- and the faith of Hollywood.

It's done whenever people are given too much faith, too much power -- and access to children.

There's that documentary about the deaf boys who were abused and despite knowing it happened to another boy or two the just didn't think it could have been so many- or that it went on for so many years. It wasn't till they were grown up that they had the ability to fight back and be vocal about it. Because they finally realized the scope of it.

knew the priests, which is why they trusted them with their children.

I intended merely to caution the OP about leaving his kids with anyone he thinks he knows without being more sure than one normally is about a person in a position of authority that one sees only in ways that prevent real knowledge. Unforrtunately, those who are in a minister's or priest's congregation are lured by training and culture into assuming such persons are trustworthy even when in reality they don't know them well at all but mistake the person's role/position for his character.

what the priests were doing. Pedophiles are incredibly good at hiding what they do. Priests are no different from pedophiles from other walks of life, and most of them get away with molesting children for years. Most of the time when the child tries to tell someone what's going on, the child is ignored, told he's got it wrong, or some other form of full denial. Think of all the young girls who are molested by a brother, uncle, or father, and can't get anyone to listen to or protect them.

and a friend of mine was so upset when he heard about this he wanted to toss his daughter's wedding album because one of the abusers had performed the wedding ceremony.

These creeps knowhow to hide their evil---and intimidate their victims.

Seems a lot put a pass on those they know and this is how they get away with it
Then years later - what ? not him! Yes him

were heros

think about it - those creeps were listening to CONFESSIONS

what a FARCE

The worst thing I remember is when the actual story broke, and CNN were interviewing a group of Priests who
said their first goal to stop pedophiles in the priesthood is to get rid of all the homosexuals.

Still feel sick after hearing that, all those years ago.

UGH

To vile.

They're a criminal bunch from top to bottom

all Catholics, or all priests? Who are the criminals you're referring to, besides the individuals pedophiles and those who covered up for them?

I'm an ex-catholic - all levels of the church covered up their criminal acts against people's children.
We can discuss their crimes against indigenous people, their land stealing, what they did in orphanages across the globe and their crusades.

if a priest had ever done anything inappropriate with him.

Without looking up from his book and with no apparent sense of irony, he said "No, I never went on those weekend outings".

of child sexual abuse here in the US, with a relatively OPEN society, do you ever wonder how much worse things may be for children living in a largely Catholic country...

Child sexual abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church has not been happening for decades - this has been going on for centuries...

One was at my parent's church. While there he had a part time job at a car dealership, saying that he had some 'debts' he had to pay off. After he left that assignment, he entered a plea of no contest to charges of molestation at another parish and spend 4+ years in prison. Afterwards he married. About 10 years ago, allegations were made by someone from my parent's church, but nothing was pursued. I remember asking her if she thought he had molested anyone at her church. Her response was, no, because he was so "happy" there. Yea, I bet he was. On an even more personal note, this priest conducted my sister's marriage ceremony.

The other was at my Aunt's church, but had been assigned to several other parishes in the county. He was VERY well known and respected, by most. I went to a few of his services and spoke with him on several occasions. I remember him saying that the hardest part of being a priest was celibacy. Well, ok.

He resigned from the priesthood in 2002 and admitted to inappropriate sexual contact with a minor (an 8 year old boy) over a period of 5 years nearly 30 years previously. DA's office did not prosecute. Then a new allegation was made public by a man who said he was abused at age 5 on one occasion in 1987. The police did not prosecute, citing unusual circumstances that required corroboration to prove the case. Now he's on the loose, somewhere in Florida.

That was per the Bishop's request, after the priest requested a leave of absence. Someone charged that he inappropriately touched the hands and legs of two students. Knowing the demographics of this church, it may well have been something completely taken out of context, or even charged with malice. This is one of those upper middle class parishes with a whole lot of neurotic parishoners who have a habit of running off priests who don't conform to their "standards".

The case was sent to a Grand Jury and they found nothing on which to base the charges.

This priest had been at several previous parishes with zero 'alarm bells'. He may very well be a case of being inappropriately tarred, and his calling/career is in ruins.

It beats me how everyone knew and did nothing

Good post upthread about Roman Catholicism
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7975744

I grew up in a predominantly Roman Catholic neighborhood and "clergy never did anything wrong" was pretty much the mantra. I was so glad that I was brought up in a different faith.

He stopped going to school and church, he was 13, but his parents still sent his other 6 brothers to the same school and church. I don't know if they were molested as well. The family wouldn't talk about it, but Grampa sure did, and he was considered a black sheep for doing so. The family blamed HIM.

to hear their beloved church priest was molesting boys so they don't talk about it and don't like people who pull back the curtain . An entire church group can be dysfunctional with many kids complaining but no family wanting to stand out and break the illusion of holy

Even for funerals. He missed 8 funerals of his parents and brothers because they were Catholic funerals in the same church he was molested. Grampa died before the information came out. He would have been happy about seeing it out in the open...he always wondered how many more victims there were. Oh, and there was no pay-out for what they did to him.

I followed it while it was happening; it's the main reason we left the Catholic Church. But the depth of the coverup.!

OT, Marty Baron is now the editor of the Washington Post, the paper that just had their press credentials revoked by Trump. Baron will make mincemeat out of the short fingered vulgarian.

Last edited Mon Jul 4, 2016, 12:55 AM - Edit history (1)

Under Cardinal rat zinger
Filmmaker Alex Gibney explores the scourge of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, highlighting the landmark story of five deaf men who spoke out about a priest who molested more than 200 children