Roman Catholic Church child molesters protected
U.S. Roman Catholic bishops today declared their policy of zero tolerance for sex offenders..
The measure bans sex offenders from public church work for life.
Hundreds of priests have been accused of sexual misdeeds. Most victims were children.
A number of priests felt that the punishment for offenses that occurred just once or twice a long time ago was just not fair.
"There is no place in the priesthood," Flynn said, "for anyone . . . who has molested a child."
Reports surfaced speculating that "many, perhaps a majority" of bishops hope the ban will be relaxed.
Bishops consider a ban for the first transgression, no matter the severity, essential to counter a representation of church selfishness and stonewalling.
More than 5,000 priests have been accused of sexual abuse.
The Roman Catholic Church started by Saul who became Paul (Pauline Christianity) has paid roughly $1 billion in expenses and settlements. (Paul never even met Our Lord Jesus the Christ)
The peak was in 2002, when more than 3,300 allegations were made of children becoming victims of catholic priests. under the protection of other catholic priests.
Priests are "worried and concerned" Edward T. Hughes, retired bishop of Metuchen, N.J., told colleagues during a public session of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"I'm not sure our priests really trust us," Bishop Hughes said. "Such lack of trust can be destructive of all our efforts."
David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, asserted that the zero-tolerance policy in the Dallas Charter of 2002 is "very sporadically enforced" and added: "There's a tremendous amount of hair-splitting."
Also the bishops whitewashed an attempt to replace a popular part of American liturgy -- "Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again." -- with a translation from an older version in Latin..
Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York, pointed out that other lines are not well translated and told his brethren that American Catholics should be allowed to settle into familiar prayers during a time of uncertainty in the church.
Not to do so, Egan said, could leave the impression that "everything is up for grabs."
Loved one…include them all in your prayers.
- posted by Samuel Bell @ 7:15 AM