Pope Connected to Sex Abuse Scandal

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The Pope faces significant scrutiny due to a priest's conviction for child sexual abuse, which he had previously approved for transfer while serving as a cardinal. This situation raises questions about the Pope's awareness of abuse and potential complicity in a cover-up, mirroring past scandals in the U.S. The Vatican's unique status as a city-state and religious institution complicates accountability, with concerns about the church's declining influence amid these revelations. Discussions highlight a perceived lack of moral integrity among clergy, contrasting expectations of priests as moral exemplars. The ongoing scandal threatens the Catholic Church's reputation and raises doubts about its structural issues.
  • #61
pallidin said:
Perhaps the issue with the Vatican can start some type of reform on these types of abuses with respect to all legally recognized "religions"
I was thinking that more regulation/oversight based on the fact that they are businesses would solve much of the problem.
 
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  • #62
russ_watters said:
... Then again, perhaps they are relaxing their selection criteria in response to a dearth of candidates? Are you really being serious here, Ivan? You really don't expect more from a priest than you do a teacher, PE coach - even a soldier or cop? REALLY? That strains credulity.

Seriously, Ivan - that's rediculous. Being an examplary example of morality is perhaps the single most important trait of a good priest. By the very nature of the job, I - you - we - should expect priests to be vastly better than average morally.
We want, or hope, anyone in a leadership position to be better than average morally. That's obviously why news of pedophilia in the priest hood is so particularly horrific and news provoking. People being people however, I don't expect that to necessarily be the case. Also I haven't see any good comparisons of like to like in this thread showing that priests really are less so. Regarding sex crimes, comparisons to the public at large including many or most that have no access to children or authority positions does not prove much. Compare instead to the rate of those charged with overseeing children not their own and then we'd have something meaningful.

Regarding the OP point on the Pope himself, I'm inclined to consider most of the pop media stories from outlets such as CNN on this inflammatory subject as crap, absent some personal review of first-hand reports.

Bias, or sloppiness, example:
On Tuesday 3/30, http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache...holicism+in+Turmoil&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us" title up on its website:
“Pope Describes Touching Boys: I Went Too Far.”
MSNBC retracted it an apologized the same day.
 
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  • #63
Apparently if you think the church is guilty of child abuse - you're a Nazi
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8601389.stm

What's the latin for "when you are in a hole this deep - stop digging"?
 
  • #64
I think
1) all people who committed crime should be treated normally
2) people who covered up the crime should be punished by law
3) church shouldn't give as much focus as it gets
4) people in funny costumes shouldn't make headlines :biggrin:
5) it should be illegal to promote abnormal practices done by many religious organizations if those seem harmful
6) church should have weaker authority in politics/media
7) providing legal statuses to the religion or alike is nonsense and should be stopped
 
  • #65
That the Catholic Church is hesitant on fully disclosing internal acts of severe moral transgression is unacceptable.
 
  • #66
pallidin said:
That the Catholic Church is hesitant on fully disclosing internal acts of severe moral transgression is unacceptable.

They would open up as soon states/media stop giving them special status and when they would have to deal only with the legal authorities.