Catholics New Sex Abuse Policy . Now What WBTS???

by Nanoprobe 8 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  Nanoprobe

  Bishops approve new policy on abusive priests

  Below are some excerpts from the new Catholic Policy. Even though the Catholic people are not happy with the entire policy, I was just thinking how much better it is than what Jehovahs Witnesses received.

  At least it admits that there are victims, while WBTS still calls victims support groups, Dissidents.

  The policy will be an interim policy in place for the next two years. As such, it does not require Vatican approval.

  http://www.usccb.org/bishops/charter.htm

  Preamble

  The Church in the United States is experiencing a crisis without precedent in our times. The sexual abuse of children and young people by some priests and bishops, and the ways in which we bishops addressed these crimes and sins, have caused enormous pain, anger, and confusion. Innocent victims and their families have suffered terribly. In the past, secrecy has created an atmosphere that has inhibited the healing process and, in some cases, enabled sexually abusive behavior to be repeated. As bishops, we acknowledge our mistakes and our role in that suffering, and we apologize and take responsibility for too often failing victims and our people in the past. We also take responsibility for dealing with this problem strongly, consistently, and effectively in the future. From the depths of our hearts, we bishops express great sorrow and profound regret for what the Catholic people are enduring.

  To Promote Healing and Reconciliation with Victims/Survivors of Sexual Abuse of Minors

  ARTICLE 1. Dioceses/eparchies will reach out to victims/survivors and their families and demonstrate a sincere commitment to their spiritual and emotional well-being. The first obligation of the Church with regard to the victims is for healing and reconciliation. Where such outreach is not already in place and operative, each diocese/eparchy is to develop an outreach to every person who has been the victim of sexual abuse * as a minor by anyone acting in the name of the Church, whether the abuse was recent or occurred many years in the past. This outreach will include provision of counseling, spiritual assistance, support groups, and other social services agreed upon by the victim and the diocese/eparchy.
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  Fredhall

  Nanoprobe,

  Look at jw-media.org.
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  outnfree

  I have been on AOL message boards all morning. The overall reaction to the Bishop's policy is negative, negative, negative. Most Catholics responding did not think the Charter's penalties against alleged abusing priests go far enough.

  Personally, I was appalled to read the following excerpt from the front page article in today's Detroit Free Press :

  "The wiggle room individual bishops were given on Friday was partly the result of sharp criticism by staunch supporters of the church's longstanding policy of secrecy concerning priestly behavior.

  "Bishop Thomas Doran of Rockford, Ill., said he likes the old system of declining to cooperate with law enforcement officials until a bishop is sure that a crime has taken place. He called his colleages 'fools' if they agreed to start immediately turning over any accusation against a priest to law enforcement.

  "'If we do this, we rat out our priests, and I'm not in favor of that,' Doran said."

  Sounds like yet another parallel between the JW and Roman Catholic hierarchies!

  Disgustedly,

  outnfree

  Edited by - outnfree on 15 June 2002 12:17:54
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  Nanoprobe

  Fred

  I'm not sure what point you are trying to make. The Dr Starck Dissident VNR is still on JW-Media if not on the front page.

  The Watchtower Policy barely acknowledges that victims exist. I do not see any admission of guilt similar to the Catholics statement ...... the ways in which we bishops addressed these crimes and sins, have caused enormous pain, anger, and confusion. Innocent victims and their families have suffered terribly.

  Nor do I see any attempt made to ...... develop an outreach to every person who has been the victim of sexual abuse * as a minor by anyone acting in the name of the Church, whether the abuse was recent or occurred many years in the past
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  teejay

  The latest Time magazine carried an interview of Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. I thought it was interesting that when speaking of the crisis confronting the Church, he said:

  It cuts at the heart of the very fabric of the church. That is a fiduciary relationship. When I was ordained a priest in 1973, I was 25 years old. I was assigned to a very affluent and very significant parish in a northwest suburb of Chicago. They didn't know me. I was dealing with people of significant competence lawyers, judges, doctors. But the one thing that I had was that I was a priest, and therefore I had credibility. They trusted me with some of the great secrets of their lives. They trusted me with their kids. They trusted me to shepherd them in their faith. To lose the trust of your people is to lose perhaps your most valuable ministerial tool. How can you witness the mystery of Jesus in his church to people who don't believe you? And they don't believe you because you violated the trust they had with you that you wouldn't harm their children.

  It is so central. People know that priests aren't perfect. They know sometimes we're not great preachers. They know we can be cantankerous. They know we may drink too much. They know our flaws. That's not news. And they forgive us that. But to harm their kids...and for the bishops...

  Dallas is about us as bishops. The spotlight has shifted from the priest who abuses to the bishop who doesn't handle the situation fairly. We must convince our people that first of all we are terribly open and contrite. And we have a firm resolve to mend our ways.

  He seems to be an honest man who sincerely hopes to heal the wounds. I also think that he fully understands that the conference in Dallas is just the first step in a long process. At least the Catholics are trying--you have to give 'em that. You almost have to believe that some of the leadership didn't even know of the problem and those that did didn't know its scope.
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  JT

  least the Catholics are trying--you have to give 'em that.

  ########

  excellent point, consider the man who is having this problem at least the catholic church has a record of trying to help the dude, in case after case the catholic church put these guys in for treatment---

  while it maybe argued if there is really any help, at least they did do that, , BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  NOW let us consider what instructions were given to the elders to at least attempt to help the man with his problem

  1. you need to go out in service more

  2., atttend all of your meetings regualarly

  3 read all of the literature on time that the wt produces

  THEY DIdn't even attempt to get the man any help regardless of whether it actually works or not THEY HAVE NOTHING in place to even help the guy.

  so on both ends the doesn't help the victim or the person doing it

  both persons are told WAIT ON JAh and follow the 3 instructions outlined aboved and those 3 things will fix your sexual problem dear brother molester and it will help you little sister abused to get over the emotional trauma.

  this is why they System KNOWN AS ELDERS is such a joke

  the Cheese Cracker men once again dishing out advice and instructions on matters in which they are neither TRAINED OR QUALIFIED

  how sad

  james
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  Salud

  What the Catholic Bishops fail to realize that these men who are guilty are not Sex offenders but CHILD molestors. It is not like they were robbing a convenience store to support thier families, that maybe by the stretch of the imagination you can justify. Their sin is unjustifiable. They cannot be cured. They need treatement and therapy for the rest of their lives. Part of the treatment is not allowing to associate in an environment where they can fall back. They all need to do their time in Prison as well. They are guilty of rape. Like the show 60 Minutes brought out they are organzied crime. Employers allowing their employees to committ rape of children and somehow hiding it.

  I find this difficult to grasp how the church has known this esp. since 1985 and they only gave in to pressure from the media and lawsuits affecting their wallets. Thank the media for exposing this through the vicitims. Their conferance was a JOKE. Of course they have to say something to the affect that they will take action. But it is left up to each dioces to decide. The problem is that most of these men drafting the new policy, 2/3 in fact, are guilty of either commiting the sin or hiding it in the past and so they were out there trying to save their own skins.

  If anyone else was guilty of this sin they would not be asking us about our jobs or how it will affect our families financially if we go to prison. Why give them any special consideration? Off to prison just like any other criminal/rapist!!

  There is no room in ANY organization for this type of behavior by its men most trusted by its followers.
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  Yerusalyim

  Great, so report all cases of suspected abuse to the law.
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  bonovox

  Has anyone yet noted that since this scandal broke there have been no less than 250 resignations or removals of Catholic priests and clergymen in the US alone? 250???