This is a good sign. This must have the legal department worried.
http://www.independent.com/news/2009/apr/09/victory-suit-against-pedophile-priests/
VICTORY FOR SUIT AGAINST PEDOPHILE PRIESTS
by whereami 3 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
Amazing
whereami,
I can say as a Roman Catholic that it is good that this issue of such priests is being dealt with, both in the courts, and finally within the Church. To become a Priest or Deacon today, one must undergo a criminal background check and psychological profiling. The requirements were always stringent with respect to education and a trial period, usually about 3 to 5 years ... but the added background checks and profiling will help.
Catholics are not only free to speak out against such Priests and Bishops, but are expected to do so ... and there is no backlash for suing the Church. In fact, various Parish Priests will address this at Mass, and cntinue to openly and publicly consol those who have been so harmed.
The Watchtower could take a few lessons from Catholics on how to properly deal with such a crime.
-
blondie
whereiam, you might enjoy this website. It will keep you up-to-date with the news on the Catholic Church and abuse from another viewpoint. If any real change has been achieved it has been mostly through the work of these people.
-
StAnn
In a parish I attended, the previous priest had been removed for sexual abuse of boys. But the parents of these boys had written to our archbishop, Daniel Pilarczyk, repeatedly over the course of several years and he did nothing about it. Pilarczyk retires this year. Good riddance, I say.
It appears that the big problem was one of homosexuality, where in the "free love" atmosphere that began in the 60's, a lot of homosexuals were ordained to the priesthood when they should not have been. The ability to remain celibate is necessary for any priest or religious, straight or gay, and many of the homosexuals in the seminaries at that time were practicing while they were in seminary. Anyway, the new crop of young priests coming up seems to be much better. And they are certainly screening seminarians better now. Hopefully they Church has learned its lesson.
However, people who prey on children always get into jobs where they have access to their victims. For instance, they often become teachers. My husband is going to college pursuing a teaching degree. One of his professors is a school superintendent. He says he's never worked in a school district where they didn't have to fire teachers for sexual misconduct with students. He says he thinks it's safe to assume that pretty much every school has at least one sexual predator working in it.
Let's hope there's a special hell for these people, whether they be teachers, priests, archbishops and administrators who allow it to continue, or JWs who skate by on the "two witness" rule.
StAnn