More Than 300 Predator Priests In Pennsylvania Protected By Catholic Church

[Anomaly]

Is God your god, or is the Catholic Religion your god?  Or is God and Catholicism one and the same in everything or just some things?

Tough questions and difficult answers.  But the various answers lead to the Schisms and permit the long term atrocities to continue.   

[chrysostom]

All of the corruption and coverup and abuse is not only wounding and killing souls but it is also disfiguring and wounding the face of Christ Himself who is the innocent of innocents. It calls for reparation - by offering Christ the love and adoration taken from him by those who spit on his face by their cruelty and abuse of his little ones. Adoring him in the Eucharist will call down the graces of healing in wounded souls.

Also, I ask people to remember and pray for another class of innocent in this crisis: those priests who were falsely accused, however many or few they may be. Some of them were defrocked, or cast out homeless on the streets, or driven to suicide, or left without a chance to defend themselves in the rush to settle all claims the same way - or because they were long dead when the accusation was made. Some may even be in prison now. Pray for them because however many of them are out there, they definitely exist - and they suffer a martyrdom with Christ.

[Peace]

1 minute ago, Anomaly said:

Is God your god, or is the Catholic Religion your god?  Or is God and Catholicism one and the same in everything or just some things?

Tough questions and difficult answers.  But the various answers lead to the Schisms and permit the long term atrocities to continue.   

No. They are not tough questions. They are stupid questions.

[Ash Wednesday]

31 minutes ago, Anomaly said:

Is God your god, or is the Catholic Religion your god?  Or is God and Catholicism one and the same in everything or just some things?

Tough questions and difficult answers.  But the various answers lead to the Schisms and permit the long term atrocities to continue.   

I'm not sure how to answer that, or maybe I'm not understanding the questions -- but staying in the Church despite the atrocities doesn't mean someone is making the Church their god.  You can remain in the Church even if you are horrified by what other people are doing. It doesn't mean you approve or agree with them. A lot of saints remained in the Church and reformed it. But I think in a way, people DO make the trappings of religion like a god, including Catholics -- I wonder if at times people fall in love with BEING Catholic and Catholic traditions -- the bells and smells, beautiful churches, the aesthetics of the liturgy, the music -- but get so wrapped up in the details they drift away from the message. 

[Peace]

@Kateri89 I am from Pittsburgh too, although I became Catholic after I went to college so it is less personal to me from that standpoint. I never actually realized how Catholic of a city Pittsburgh is until I hit my 30's.

[Anomaly]

34 minutes ago, Peace said:

No. They are not tough questions. They are stupid questions.

There are no stupid questions, just stupid responses.  

Some may put the Religion an such a pedestal that they can’t accept the reality of faults and deny them.  

Some may put Religion at such a low value they go and start a new one to their own liking.  

[Peace]

1 minute ago, Anomaly said:

There are no stupid questions

You just proved this wrong.

[Kateri89]

I prayed this morning after Mass and simply asked God to help me and show me He really exists and that my whole life hasn’t been a lie.  I know that sounds dramatic but that’s where I’m at right now.  I also asked St. Therese to intercede for me because she has been a wonderful spiritual friend to me.  I’m sitting here with the Scriptures before me and several verses have stood out to me.

 

In regards to the abuse and cover up:

Isaiah 57:11 “Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not give me a thought?  Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and so you do not fear me?”

Luke 8:17 “For nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light.”

 

I really feel that we are living in a time of intense spiritual darkness and now more than ever, it’s up to all of us, especially the laity, to suffer willingly and joyfully for Christ if we want to fix this crisis.

In regards to the effects of true fasting and worship:

Isaiah 58:12 “And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.”

 

And of course, lest we are tempted to despair:

Romans 8:28 “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.”

 

Keep on fasting and praying and let’s all make our voices heard in our dioceses that we need reform and purification in Christ’s Church.

[Seven77]

2 hours ago, Kateri89 said:

I prayed this morning after Mass and simply asked God to help me and show me He really exists and that my whole life hasn’t been a lie.  I know that sounds dramatic but that’s where I’m at right now.  I also asked St. Therese to intercede for me because she has been a wonderful spiritual friend to me.  I’m sitting here with the Scriptures before me and several verses have stood out to me.

 

In regards to the abuse and cover up:

Isaiah 57:11 “Whom did you dread and fear, so that you lied, and did not remember me, did not give me a thought?  Have I not held my peace, even for a long time, and so you do not fear me?”

Luke 8:17 “For nothing is hidden that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light.”

 

I really feel that we are living in a time of intense spiritual darkness and now more than ever, it’s up to all of us, especially the laity, to suffer willingly and joyfully for Christ if we want to fix this crisis.

In regards to the effects of true fasting and worship:

Isaiah 58:12 “And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.”

 

And of course, lest we are tempted to despair:

Romans 8:28 “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.”

 

Keep on fasting and praying and let’s all make our voices heard in our dioceses that we need reform and purification in Christ’s Church.

Thank you for sharing. Sometimes I feel the same way. How is this possible---? I've come to understanding how God allows suffering but this is difficult. I know that great good will come about from this and great saints are going to come up because of these things, but still it is difficult to know why these things have been allowed to happen in the Church. Just recently, I was horrified to see the name of a cleric, now deceased, accused of abuse, that was a pastor in the parish I grew up in.

 Yes, we need to pray and fast and make reparations. As the priest to give the homily today said, our holiness helps to make the Church holy. How providential was today's reading from Ephesians 5:

"Brothers and sisters:
Watch carefully how you live,
not as foolish persons but as wise,
making the most of the opportunity,
because the days are evil. 
Therefore, do not continue in ignorance,
but try to understand what is the will of the Lord. 
And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery,
but be filled with the Spirit."

[little2add]

CLEANSING THE CHURCH OF CLERICAL SACRILEGE

by Dominic Legge, O.P.8 . 16 . 18

It is time for clergy and laity to begin a movement for the purification of the Church. The shameful sexual sins and crimes of clergy—including cardinals, bishops, and priests—can no longer be tolerated. Tolerance is precisely what has allowed these problems to multiply for decades and persist up to today. 

As Fr. Thomas Berg recently explained, the issue is sexually active priests and bishops. In the main, the persistent problem is with homosexually active priests.  Fr. Roger Landry argues—rightly, I think—that most priests who persist in infidelity with women eventually leave the priesthood, but priests who cheat on their vocation with men often continue to live a double life. Most of the issues stem from this kind of duplicity. Networks of active homosexual priests have developed: They protect and promote their own and others who will tolerate them. They become a major problem when they insinuate themselves into positions of power (in a seminary, in a chancery or diocese, in a religious order, in the Roman curia)—as occurred in the case of Theodore McCarrick. 

The sins here are more grave than adultery or homosexual acts because they besmirch what is holy. Properly speaking, this is sacrilege, the perversion of Holy Orders, and the defilement of a person solemnly and publicly consecrated to God in chastity. The sin is even more serious when a bishop, a seminary formator, or a priest uses the authority of his office—an office instituted by Christ for the sanctification of the faithful—in a perverse way, in the service of shameful and selfish passions. The higher the abuse of authority in the Church, the more grave is the sacrilege. These are not private sins of individual Christians, and the victims suffer more because they are abused not by “private individuals,” but by priests. These crimes dishonor and offend God, and they wound the Church in a unique way. 

Focusing on sacrilege is important because it helps us remember that we are dealing with something holy: the holiness of the priesthood, of the episcopacy, and of the Church. We must not give up on this call to holiness. Bishops and priests should be holy, they must pray for it, and with the help of grace, strive for it.  (And some really do become holy—something we should not overlook.) When priests habitually commit mortal sins, they lose their zeal for the gospel, they become numb to the truth of the Eucharist's holiness, and they water down the doctrines of the faith. This leads to many other infidelities, and to a kind of pastoral despair.  

What, then, can be done to fix this problem? We should begin by articulating clearly what remedies are needed. (Getting the bishops and the Vatican to adopt these reforms is another question, but first we need to know what reforms are needed.) Here are five bullet points. 

First, we need to investigate the past and have a transparent accounting of the failures.  How were known networks of active homosexual priests (and bishops) allowed to continue?  What structures of accountability were missing?  This investigation won’t fix the future, but it will begin to identify where the biggest problems are. 

Second, every diocese and religious order needs to implement an affirmative program to screen out vocations applicants with a history of deep-seated same-sex attraction—and certainly those who have engaged in homosexual activity. Applicants should not be allowed to apply for the seminary unless they are already able to live as habitually chaste single men, without recurring falls into unchastity. Candidates in seminaries who act out sexually should be dismissed. This policy is not homophobic in any way. It is simply non-hypocritical: The Church has to cultivate vocations of men who live and practice what the Church professes. 

Third, American bishops should enact, as “particular law,” the canonical norms from the 1917 Code of Canon Law (they were mostly dropped from the current Code of Canon Law when it was revised in 1983) dealing with the sexual acts of clerics (whether homosexual or heterosexual, and whether with minors or with adults). Those provisions made sexual activity by clerics, even with other adults, a canonical crime. The punishments included “being deprived of office, benefice, dignity, responsibility, if they have such, whatsoever, and in more serious cases, they are to be deposed.” 

Fourth, there should be an apostolic visitation of all provinces of religious orders, diocesan chanceries, seminaries, the offices of vocation directors, and of the USCCB, to investigate whether they have networks of active homosexual priests, structures of manipulation, or other such misconduct.

Fifth, there needs to be a system for reporting clerical sexual infidelity—even infidelity with “consenting adults”—akin to the system that currently exists for reporting clerical abuse of minors. The reports should not just go to the bishop or religious superior; they need to involve a review board and other lay outsiders.  Allegations should be investigated, using fair and just procedures, and should be concluded with a report of findings recommending canonical charges where warranted. This process needs to be instituted for both religious orders and dioceses alike. 

These prescriptions are actually rather straightforward and simple. The hierarchy needs help from laity and investigators from outside the dioceses, religious orders, and seminaries to expose the corruption and begin the process of dismissing the wrongdoers. Let us cleanse the sacrilege, so that the Church will again be holy.

Hand-wringing and pious platitudes won’t fix things. It is time to confront the real problem with courage and sobriety.

 

https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2018/08/cleansing-the-church-of-clerical-sacrilege

Edited August 19, 2018 by little2add

[CatherineM]

I’ve spent a lot of time talking to gay men. As their attorney, I heard their biggest secrets. There was a time that gay men had to hide in marriages or the priesthood. I’m hoping that if there is one good thing to come from all the LGBT stuff is that gay men will no longer be tempted to hide in the priesthood since they don’t have to hide anymore. 

[Guest]

[Ash Wednesday]

33 minutes ago, CatherineM said:

I’ve spent a lot of time talking to gay men. As their attorney, I heard their biggest secrets. There was a time that gay men had to hide in marriages or the priesthood. I’m hoping that if there is one good thing to come from all the LGBT stuff is that gay men will no longer be tempted to hide in the priesthood since they don’t have to hide anymore. 

That crossed my mind as well. If someone identifies as gay it shouldn't bar them from parish life any more than a single woman, man or other people of different walks of life that don't fit into the marriage or priesthood/religious vocations. I think at times it's easy for some of these Catholics to feel somewhat marginalized since so much about Catholic life traditionally focused on celebrating marriage and family or being in the religious vocation, but not a lot is said about everyone else in between. 

[Guest]

Father - I don’t say this to you, in criticism or to cause bad feelings here, but I’m now as of this week no longer a Catholic. I have slowly lost faith over the past 20 years in the institution for every one of these atrocious stories that have come out. It is a complete violation of everything the teachings ought to be. The institution has completely failed — even to the point of callous negligence and worse causing intentional harm! Oddly, my parish admin wrote an email to me and said, “we are updating our records to be sure you are in our parish...” I wrote back, “With the news from Pennsylvania today, I am no longer a part of the Parrish, I am no longer a Catholic.” It was hard to type those words, but it was absolutely the least I could do to honor the victims. Being a Catholic has been part of my identity and 16 years of my parochial education from 1st grade through my catholic college, in our marriage and baptism of our children..., but I ended all of that with one email with conviction and clarity. The Catholic Church will only begin to change when it starts to feel the financial loss and empty pews... - Heather Dority

[dUSt]

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bishops-blistering-letter-time-to-root-out-homosexual-subculture-in-church