Interesting statement from the Pope last week as he pointed out that all institutions need to deal with the issues that are involved with providing access to children for pedophiles. In his statement , it was reported that he:
insisted on Saturday that all of society's institutions and not just the Catholic church must be held to "exacting" standards in their response to sex abuse of children, and defended the church's efforts to confront the problem.
If the Church had shown the commitment to zero tolerance that was available, this statement would mean something. He could actually stand there and give guidance on how each scandal should be handled. The problem is that they haven't in the past and have continued to show to not doing it in the present. They have no real policy in most of the world that even suggests that they are using "exacting" standards.
There are so many priests who are still being hidden and information that has been destroyed or covered up. If the Church was truly to lead the way, they wouldn't be suffering through the most recent problems with indited Bishops and new disclosures. They wouldn't need victims to finally come forward and be heard before they disclosed the hidden atrocities.
As Snap national director, David Clohessy pointed out:
"No public figure talks more about child safety but does little to actually make children safer than Pope Benedict… The pope would have us believe that this crisis is about sex abuse. It isn't. It is about covering up sex abuse… And while child sex crimes happen in every institution, in no institution are they ignored or concealed as consistently as in the Catholic church."
It is very true that the Catholic Church leadership should be looked at for guidance in handling these problems, but as a symbol of what not to do and not one of virtue.
Abuse of children and the continued silence by the offenders needs to be prevented. If you suffered, saw, or suspected such events, it is important to know that there is help out there.
A founding partner with Bradshaw & Bryant, Mike Bryant has always fought to find justice for his clients—knowing that legal troubles, both personal injury and criminal, can be devastating for a family. Voted a Top 40 Personal Injury "Super Lawyer" multiple years, Mr. Bryant has also been voted one of the Top 100 Minnesota "Super Lawyers" four times.
11 Comments
Judy Jones
"The Pope Worries About How Others Handle Pedophiles?"...
No he doesn't, he worries that he might be held accountable for covering up sex crimes against humanity. So he desperately needs to get the attention away from himself and his institution...
Judy Jones
....And thank you for the article...!!
Rita Marie Kelley
The tip of the iceberg is showing at Penn State. Hopefully, in the coming months, we will know the rest of the story. We will come to know that Jerry Sandusky displayed the quintessential and classically obvious behavior of a pedophile. Hopefully, millions will learn the lessons that weren't learned from the horrific history of the Catholic church's cover-up of the rape of children.
Jerry Sandusky behaved predictably. He knew so well how to ferret out the most vulnerable because these are the children who are most likely to be victimized: timid, fearful, abused, neglected; the under-achievers, those who suffer the pain of divorce...Jerry Sandusky was an expert at this and he did it so well. Pedophiles are charming and therein lies their cunning. They do look like the neighbor next door; they can look wholesome; they can present as intelligent. They present well; they have made this a part of their grooming behavior: looking good. They get into positions that make them appear as above reproach. Priests, for instance...who was going to question a "man of God." Part of their costume is the mask of decency, the mantle of respectability. This is consciously conjured up by a pedophile.
Jerry took his game to greater heights. Using his influence, he founded a charity where only the most vulnerable children would be in attendance. He had a pool of potential victims constantly surrounding him, joining in the many voices of praise for the Pied Piper. Jerry Sandusky is just like all the other pedophiles of the world; he just took his game to the Pros. He was also cunning in that he knew that no one would want to tarnish the reputation of Penn State; too many drank at that trough.
If we could only learn from this. If we could only learn about what to tell our children to look for. If we could only learn to tell our children to listen to their guts; that if an adult makes them feel uncomfortable, that they are safe to come to us and tell us, knowing and relying upon the fact that, as adults, we will protect them, that we will do the right thing.
Utah's statistics on the sexual abuse of children are horrific. We are the state of denial when it comes to this problem. Utah ranks in the top five of all 50 states. Hardly a family value. Or rather, this and similar statistics tell us of how Utah children are valued. Budgets have been slashed in this area and other similar areas.
And what of the children? How are they going to fare? They face
a lifetime of higher risk of depression, addiction, suicidality, post-traumatic stress disorder, relationship difficulties, divorce, job-risk and physical and mental health issues and more. Suffer the little children…
sent to Deseret News 11/19/11
GLORIA SULLIVAN
Judy Jones... I agree with every thing you say but....... I see your name coming up on all the posts but I never hear you say to the people who still attend the RCC to "LEAVE!". HAVE YOU LEFT? THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET YOUR SELF ESTEEM BACK IN THE EYES OF GOD, is by leaving.
Still Blog, still do all you can but you are aiding and abetting, in these CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IF YOU STAY.
God is within in you. No person can take HIM AWAY FROM YOU. You reject HIM when you stay.
Mike Bryant
Very interesting and informative comments, thanks for reading and taking the time to share.
drwho13
I was taught that the RC Church was the institution that lead the way, and set the example for all other institutions. That teaching turned out to be a bunch of crap!
Ben16 certainly is trying to deflect attention away from himself and the RCC Inc.
I look forward to seeing him and his fellow devils standing before the ICC.
Mike Bryant
Thank you for taking the time to comment. It will be interesting to see how this all turns out. The example has not been a good one so far.
Ken
Hilarious. A personal injury lawyer running a blog of misinformation and hate and encouraging others to do so as well.
Sex abuse in the Catholic church is largely an artifact from 30, 40 and 50 years ago before most of us were even born. The story is only kept alive and recycled by a media which hates the church for reasons unrelated to sex abuse and trial lawyers since you can't as easily sue government schools where TODAY 100 times more sex abuse occurs than ever happened in the Catholic church. Show me the money!
The Catholic church is today--while with 77 million folks not perfect--the safest place for a child to be thanks to the many folks like you that are obsessed with this old story. Thanks you.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/04/07/mean-men.html
http://www.themediareport.com/
Mike Bryant
Your first word covers your position very well, there isn't a thing funny about any of this. The recent indictments in Philadelphia and actions around the world easily take care of any belief that this is an old problem. Actually, I wish it was.
The links add almost nothing The Church leaders preaches zero tolerance. To link to an article that says "look there are other institutions out there" is exactly what the Pope is doing here.
Victims keep coming forward and the Church leaders keep hiding the pedophiles. That has to stop.
drwho13
Ken, Are you really Ken, or is that your pen name? As an apologist for the crimes of the RCC you could easily pass for Bill Donohue. That was not meant to be a compliment, but I suspect you may take it that way.
Ken you're simply wrong. Go to:
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AbuseTracker/
New cases within the RCC are listed there regularly. Mike, I hope you and other lawyers sue that filthy organization right down to nothing!
Comments for this article are closed.