posted
Today, Cardinal Bernard Law resigned as Archbishop of Boston after many months of protest against him. Homosexuality among the priests and seminarians as well as molestation and rape of nuns and minors have been the Catholic Church’s dirty little secret for centuries. The epidemic seems to be coming to a head.
Too many priests are having sex with minors and parishioners. Now, one of the most powerful clergy men in America has fallen. What should the Catholic Church do to heal the open sour that the clergy has inflicted on laity.
Posts: 113 | From: USA | Registered: Aug 2001
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___________________ He likened the second coming of Christ to the realisation of the Biafran dream, stating that at a time people least expect, the much sought Biafra would be a reality..Rev. Fr. Cornelius Ezeiloaku Posts: 622 | From: santiago, chile | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Without being cynical,I must say that there is no difference between the priestly sex and the barely legal sex [under 13]that Nigerian northern moslems especialy General Buhari has consistently engaged, defending his action or the action as a clause binded by Islam.
However, that not withstanding. I restrict myself within bounds in saying, that so far as I have observed in this priestly behavior, Cardinal Law has failed from defect in morals and the catholic church [Pope John Paul] has also failed from defect in intellcts. They knew about this behavior for ages and condoned it.
It always grieves me to see perverts and predators masqurading as priest initiating children to have sex as their one way ticket to become a catholic priest when they are scarcely more than infants. It destroys their confidence, self esteem and simplicity [ask a rape victim], three of the best qualities that God has given them. What gift has Providence bestowed on any man that is so dear to him as his innocent children? only to be manhandled by someone whose immidiate and natural purpose is to save a soul..tuffiakwa
WAYPOINT 1 RECOMMENDATION/SUGGESTION
The Roman Catholic was a great democracy and still could be. There was no peasant so humble that might not become a priest or become Pope of this christiandom, and every chancellery in Europe, every court in Europe, was ruled by these learned, trained and accomplished men-the priesthood of that great and dominant body. But as it is now,we have come to see the catholic church as an infiltration of man whores, pedophillia and perverts who cannot fullfill themselves by just being an average Joe Blow but a priest.
My recommendation is to revisit the cannon law and the priviledges accorded to clergies.There should be no such thing as mortal immunity given to religious freaks and whore priest when the life of a child is being placed in the altar for pornographic gesture by whore priests. The catholic church must tilt their rules of violation in favor of the children. The Priest will have the burden of prove. That ought to make it hard for them to violate a child's expectation of privacy.
I am not relieved by the the resignation of Cardinal Law, it is more like a band aid than a cure. The damage has already been done. But the problem remains the cannon law.This is the 21st Century. Imagine a moslem terrorist taking a refuge in the mosque and protected by Imman under the cannon law, kinda scary.It is imperative that a new law with exclusivity on sexual violation and with the consent of the Roman catholic [Criminal law] supercede the old one [cannon]just for the sake of our children. However; the Roman Catholic must agree to drastic changes within their institution for any measure to prove worthy of its merit.
Hail Biafra
[ December 14, 2002, 06:56 PM: Message edited by: Waypoint1Biafra ]
Posts: 1673 | From: Minnesota USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Regina: The epidemic seems to be coming to a head.
What should the Catholic Church do to heal the open sour that the clergy has inflicted on laity.
"The Churches one foundation is Jesus Christ our lord" ---The begining of a song whose author and title I cant quite remember (my three children under four have possibly hidden the songbook away somewhere)
The Church today represents the Body of Christ. i.e you and me. It is an institution which can never fall, if anything it will strengthen and grow from this very adversity as Catholics and all Christians rise up to the mandate given us by our Lord Jesus Christ to: "GO YE UNTO ALL NATIONS AND PREACH THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION TO ALL MEN AND WOMEN BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND TEACHING THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. AND I WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS TO THE END OF THE AGE". Matthew: 28,v:19-20
What is happening in the Church today is very very good for it. For a long time, the evil one has sought to infiltrate and destroy the Christian Church from within so whether it be Catholics (of which I am) or protestant, or other, there has always been and will always be a struggle for the soul of the church.
This struggle does not imply that Christ Jesus our Lord has not conquered and subdued the evil one into eternity, rather it implies that with the free choice given to us by our loving God and that despite the salvation purchased for us through his love for us in sending His only Son our Lord (Gods own word existing in the begining) to free us from sin and darkness, that we still exercise that choice to display a rebelious nature which then invites the evil one to continue to misguide all sinful souls from their already purchased salvation.
What does all this mean? it means that the work of the Apostles is not yet done as many of us tend to think, but that each and every one of us who calls themselves a Christian still has the responsibility to "watch and pray" as our Lord Jesus Christ exorted his Disciples on the mount of olives and to fulfill the mandate handed to us during his acsension into heaven as stated in capital letters above.
To this end, we must pray and hope that more exposures will happen, until all the weeds are uprooted. It may be embarrassing for man, but if it is God's will for things to happen that way, then what is it to us. May His Will be done.
On our part as Christians, we must pray for Vocations to the Priesthood and to Christian service in general (so that as the bad weeds are removed the good will replace them in droves, since the battle goes on as long as we are in the world) and we must apply ourselves to the needs of the church and as instruments of the will of God, to repentance for our daily shortcomings, while seeking to evangelize and show good example by the way that we live, since the indictment against these fallen Priests is as much a representation of our failings and sinful nature as anybody else's.
This must be the day to day battle which we must do within ourselves and of which we must be conscious, in light of the relentless onslaught which the evil one directs at us from different angles.
posted
It's time for the Catholic Church to drop all pretense and let their priests get married. Almost every Catholic priest is having sex with a man, a woman, or a child. Why then is the church still pretending about this reality?
Posts: 11 | From: Atlanta, GA | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Njoku, Nwabiafra: Your idea may seem to be the FINAL SOLUTION on the surface, but the truth is that even if every priest gets or is given hundred wives each and the Catholic Sisters' given their male counterpart in equal number, it wont stop a funicator from being just that.
Away from seeing this issue from the narrow prism of ONLY the Catholic communion (or Christianity as a whole) this isssue should be seen as EVIL PEOPLE hiding under "religion" to commit evil. If we can be honest to ourselves, you can agree with me that it doesn't matter if it is a Catholic Priest, a Budhist Monk, a Voodoo High Priest, an Islamic Mullah, or even an African religion Oracleman, etc., just like ethnicity, race and other things that makes us different (not necessarily better or worse), what this saga tells us is that EVIL IS EVIL and the perpetrators are often smart (unfortunately some fall for it) to hide under one or all of the above differences to DISGUISE and JUSTIFY their INDIVIDUAL EVIL PERSONALITY.
Then Regina asked: "What should the Catholic Church do to heal the open sour that the clergy has inflicted on laity?"
The broader question should be: WHAT SHOULD WE AS HUMANITY DO TO HEAL THE OPEN SOUR EVIL THAT HAS INFLICTED OUR WORLD? As far as I am concerned, the simple answer is to ALWAYS see and call evil as EVIL and fight it thus. And for that war against evil to be successful, it MUST start with our INDIVIDUAL SELVES; because often times when we point one finger at others for the evil that we face around the world, three fingers are pointing at us and priking us to search our hearts and minds to see if we (or the things and people we identify or are identified with) are ABOVE BOARD.
Bottomline: Any change (or advocate for one) that does not START with OURSELVES (including what, where and how that 'self' is identified) and END with the SELF is a FRUITLESS effort.
Happy Sunday to everyone.
Posts: 997 | From: Germany | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Nwa Aro is wrong. When a group does something wrong, they blame society. Something is wrong with a strange demand not to get married or have normal sex. Many Catholic priests in Nigeria have children and concubines in secret. I saw an Ibo priest in America with two girlfriends. Please it is not the fault of society. If you cannot keep your thing in your pants, don't become a priest. It is wrong to ask healthy men and women to not have sex. Haba!! Chikena!!!
Posts: 7 | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
Qutoe: -------------------------------------------------- "Nwa Aro is wrong...I saw an Ibo priest in America with two girlfriends." --------------------------------------------------
Olusola: If Nwa Aro is "wrong," you are more WRONG and a LIER if you say its only "Ibo" priest you saw having "girlfriends." Thank God you are yet to see an IGBO priest who has concubines like their "Ibo" counterparts.
Just like in other proffessions (priesthood can be classified as a religious calling and a proffession), so if anyone knows he cannot live by the ethics of that proffession, the proper and sensible thing to do is to LEAVE. But staying there and using "religion" to perpetuate EVIL is both humanly and spriritually punishable. Afteral, the last time I checked out I didn't hear or see anyone being forced into the Catholic priesthood by a decree.
About Nigerian priests "having children and concubines." as above, I doubt your story. However, if its true, then it's another aspect of the "Nigerian factor" thing which like the EVIL actions of the American priests has absolutely NOTHING to do with religion.
Posts: 997 | From: Germany | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
-------------- Just like in other proffessions (priesthood can be classified as a religious calling and a proffession), so if anyone knows he cannot live by the ethics of that proffession, the proper and sensible thing to do is to LEAVE. ::: Nwa Aro ------------------------
False again. Many people became were brainwashed by their parents that they were supposed to be nuns or priests. Before they became adults they were stuck pretending that they have a calling. By that time it was too late for them to just "LEAVE." They had become prisoners of the Catholic Church and it strange traditions.
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posted
I am catholic by faith, and I am proud to be catholic. Having said that, I am not endorsing priests abusing children. However I think that Catholics are been picked on unfairly in this whole bruhaha. priest getting married will not solve the problem, As much as some priests have made mockery of their celibacy oaths, there are so many priests who have lived in the very Tenet of that oath. With the press so hang up on this issue is hard to sperate real facts from falsehood. I admit that some priest have engaged in this behavior, also there are so many people claiming abuse today, because of almighty dollar sign.
posted
Quote: -------------------------------------------------- "False again. Many people became were brainwashed by their parents that they were supposed to be nuns or priests."---Olusola. --------------------------------------------------
Olusola: That's another BLAME THEM excuse to run away from an INDIVIDUAL taking RESPONSIBILTY for his/her ACTION.
Granted that they were "brainwashed" BEFORE joining what you now subtly describe as a cult, is there no priest who has left the Catholic church to join another denomination or reknounce religion altogether? If you dont, I know many who have left the Catholic Seminary BEFORE finishing; and there're many who have also left after qualifing and ordained as a priest. But till date I'm yet to learn of the Catholic church as a body stopping them from LEAVING or attacked IN ANY WAY those who left.
For the records, before a Chatholic nun or priest becomes one, he/she must have attended a Catholic Seminary (and often times they are above the deciding age of 18) and if you ask these seminarians, they will tell you that the FIRST thing that is done is to explain to them the RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (which serving God in FLESH and BODY) are part, if not the most important.
So if you and others remove your LUMB THEM TOGETHER and STREOTYPING lenses, you will see that like in every sphere of human life, this unfortunate saga (I bet that as we write there're very GOOD Catholic priests out there; some of whom I can vouch for) goes BEYOND race, nationality, Denomination/religion or even family background.
Therefor, no amount of ring-running or propaganda will make the Catholic church nor any Sect, group or religion be held guilty by FAIR-MINDED folks of the INDIVIDUAL crimes of ADULTS who can and did make decisions on THEIR OWN.
Posts: 997 | From: Germany | Registered: Mar 2001
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