South African cardinal suggests child abuse is illness not crime

by besty 40 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

• 

  besty

  http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/16/us-safrica-cardinal-idUSBRE92F09A20130316

  JOHANNESBURG | Sat Mar 16, 2013 11:54am EDT

  (Reuters) - A South African cardinal who helped elect Pope Francis this week has told the BBC pedophilia is an illness and not a crime.

  Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, the Catholic Archbishop of Durban, told BBC Radio 5 on Saturday that pedophilia was a "disorder" that needed to be treated.

  "From my experience, pedophilia is actually an illness. It's not a criminal condition, it's an illness," he said.

  Napier said he knew of at least two priests who became pedophiles after they were abused as children.

  "Now don't tell me that those people are criminally responsible like somebody who chooses to do something like that. I don't think you can really take the position and say that person deserves to be punished. He was himself damaged."

  The Catholic Church has had its image deeply tarnished by a widespread child sex abuse scandal.

  Napier was one of the 115 cardinals in the Vatican conclave that elected Pope Francis on Wednesday, the BBC reported.

  The first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years, Francis has signaled a sharp change of style from his predecessor, Benedict, for the 1.2-billion-member Church, which is beset by scandals, intrigue and strife.

  He said on Saturday the church should be poor and remember that its mission is to serve the poor.

  (Reporting by David Dolan; Editing by Jason Webb)
• 

  designs

  His admission explains why they shuffled priests to other dioceses instead of calling the police. How many thousands of kids are in danger.
• 

  Finkelstein

  He said on Saturday the church should be poor and remember that its mission is to serve the poor.

  Thats a laugh, the Catholic religion pulls in over 2 billion dollars ever year from its many churches around the world.

  Why has this shuffling of pedophile priests been happening for a long time now ?

  Most of the reason is because there was an official church Edict established with the Pope's stamp of approval, that states these

  situations will be handled internally by the church, any member of the church who takes the matter to outside sources will be punished in doing so.

  Thats why the shuffling of these priests has been occurring, with unfortunate dire results.
• 

  Sulla

  Not to let pesky facts cloud our Catholic discussions here, but:

  Does the medical community consider pedophilia to be a mental disorder?

  Yes. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has included pedophilia in itsDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders since 1968.

  In the DSM, which is updated periodically, pedophilia has been grouped with other paraphilias -- which the APA defines as "recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors that involve children, nonhuman subjects, or other non-consenting adults, or the suffering or humiliation of oneself or one's partner."

  http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/explaining-pedophilia
• 

  designs

  Sulla- I was an addict for 37 years, addictions have a genetic/medical components, yet if I got in a car while high and drove I have committed a criminal act punishable under laws. We here understand there are sexual addictions and compulsions and sexual predators which the APA studies.

  Your Church and its Leaders from the top down shuffled sexual predators around to other parishes rather than call the police! Kids were molested!
• 

  cantleave

  Sociopathological disorders are also an Illness, lets not punish serial killers.

  Fucking stupid Cardinal and his messed up Church.
• 

  FlyingHighNow

  Whatever. Acting on the urges and violating children is a crime. I personally do not believe a person can cured of pedophilia. It may be a sickness, but its uncontolled results are a crime.
• 

  Mum

  cantleave got it right! Almost all criminals are mentally or psychologically diseased. That fact does not give them the right to molest your children without consequences. Decent people who have illnesses get treatment, and do not use it as an excuse to hurt others.
• 

  frankiespeakin

  How about not thinking so either/or(2 choices only, black and white) about this and recognize it as a illness and a crime.

  As reguards a cure I don't think they have found one that is reliable, but that doesn't mean there is no cure it just means we haven't found one yet as far as I know.
• 

  Phizzy

  Agreed Frankie, but we must not let the idea that the poor diseased paedophile should not be punished for a crime.

  What if I was brutally and dangerously beaten by my Father as a child, does that excuse me beating my kids in the same murderous manner ?

  Of course not, kleptomaniacs have a mental problem, we do not give them carte blanch to steal, do we ?

  This is another instance of the callous disregard for the victims and an attempt to make the criminal acts of paedophile priests look not so bad, nothing, nothing can excuse the robbing of a childs life and well being for the selfish gratification of a pervert.

  The Cardinal should be made to be ashamed for even thinking that way.