Child abuse claims sweep Catholic Church in Europe

[babylonsister]

Child abuse claims sweep Catholic Church in Europe
AP

By SHAWN POGATCHNIK, Associated Press Writer


DUBLIN – It often starts as a voice in the wilderness, but can swell into an entire nation's demand for truth. From Ireland to Germany, Europe's many victims of child abuse in the Roman Catholic church are finally breaking social taboos and confronting the clergy to face its demons.

Ireland was the first in Europe to confront the church's worldwide custom of shielding pedophile priests from the law and public scandal. Now that legacy of suppressed childhood horror is being confronted in other parts of the Continent — nowhere more poignantly than in Germany, the homeland of Pope Benedict XVI.

The recent spread of claims into the Netherlands, Austria and Italy has analysts and churchmen wondering how deep the scandal runs, which nation will be touched next, and whether a tide of lawsuits will force European dioceses to declare bankruptcy like join their American cousins.

"You have to presume that the cover-up of abuse exists everywhere, to one extent or another. A new case could appear in a new country tomorrow," said David Quinn, director of a Christian think tank, the Iona Institute, that seeks to promote family values in an Ireland increasingly cool to Catholicism.

Quinn noted that stories of systemic physical, sexual and emotional abuse circulated privately in Irish society for decades, but only moved aboveground in the mid-1990s when former altar boy Andrew Madden and orphanage survivor Christine Buckley went public with lawsuits and exposes of how priests and nuns tormented them with impunity.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100313/ap_on_re_eu/eu_europe_church_abuse

[lunatica]

1. If it happened in one country it's happened in every country

For the first time ever I wonder if this won't be the downfall of the Catholic Church. That or being diminished to a cult following.

[SpiralHawk]

2. They'll probably hire Ari Fliesher (R) to help with the cover-up

The republicons are well practiced at making mincemeat of the truth.

[lunatica]

3. He gets on my last nerve faster than Sarah Palin does

Just looking at his photo makes my gut twist in reaction.

[deaniac21]

6. They have more money than most countries. They will never

be held fully accountable for their crimes against humanity. Kids are easy picking for someone with the respect and authority of a priest. Plus they are well educated and very smart. The preisthood is the biggest pedophile club the world will ever see.

[lunatica]

9. I wasn't referring to their wealth but to people leaving the church

When children are molested they keep it secret so they go through life thinking there's something intrinsically wrong with them, but when they find out that they weren't the only one everything changes. Suddenly the person who is twisted is the priest and not the people who were molested. And as it begins to dawn on everyone that there have been millions molested it becomes obvious that the church itself is what's twisted.

Many, if not most people will probably leave the church. Or keep their kids out of church, because many parents know the priests who molested their kids, and trusted them completely. If you can't trust one priest how can you trust others. There will always be a question in people's minds.

[deaniac21]

12. You don't know Catholics.

[lunatica]

14. I grew up in Mexico. I know Catholics

What I'm talking about is something that might happen eventually, not tomorrow. When pedophile priests are exposed in more and more countries and communities many Catholics will have a crisis of faith. Many will decide their faith in God is OK, but that they've misplaced their faith in the Church.

[deaniac21]

16. The majority will never blame the church. It's always something

that happens somewhere else. The Mexicans are truly indoctrinated. I went to a catholic church for 10 years that was mostly Mexican before I saw the light.

[lunatica]

17. So if you saw the light why would you think no one else could?

And what was the light you saw? I'm not being snarky. I seriously want to know what your experience was.

[deaniac21]

18. Everyone else is still there. That is how I know.

My spouse divorced me which was devastating then not a single person in the church ever asked if I was ok. They in fact shunned me. I have come to believe that the church is just a club. I don't think there is a god. If you want to do good you have to do it yourself.

[malaise]

8. And that's the absolute truth

The saddest part is that many 'important' people knew and know and remained and continue to remain quiet. Finally the shit has hit the fan.

[MindandSoul]

4. I was raised in Belgium. . .and was molested by a priest in a hospital chapel

This was a long time ago. . .almost 48 years ago in fact. But it happened!

[lunatica]

5. I was molested as a child although not by a priest

It's very hard to get over the damage it causes, and in some ways one never gets over it. It robs you of something important for decades. You waste so many years feeling bad about it.

[SoCalDem]

7. Any organization that demands celibacy, will attract men who are not "of the norm"

Some will prefer children to adults.


MOST young men will not be at all interested in the priesthood because they would NEVER give up the potential to live out a normal sexlife.

The ones who would gravitate to that sort of life may be drawn to it because it adds another layer of secrecy to their already secret life..and they may even feel that they would find like-minded men already there, to "welcome" them into the secret club..:( They cover for each other..


Cloaking it in mystical faith may make it more exciting for them..

[Johonny]

10. a lot of them just sleep with women

and have a normal sex life.

Clearly the church has to simply admit celibacy only isn't a good working structure for the church because it's not a well kept secret to any catholic that it doesn't happen. Unfortunately virginity has the same magic property for people in the modern world as it did in the ancient world. So I doubt it will happen.

[deaniac21]

13. It wil NEVER happen.

[lunatica]

11. That's a very good analysis

I don't think there has ever been a time when this wasn't happening in the Catholic Church. Not only child molesting, but also that whole celibate thing. And of course another attractive thing to priests is the automatic mantle of authority where they can get away with even more secrecy.

[TexasObserver]

15. Appalling. Just when you think it can't get worse ... it does.

[Liberal_in_LA]

19. How much negative stories can the catholic church absorb before the people shut them down

Seriously

[TexasObserver]

20. I don't know how they can keep asking for money.