[Closed] Paedophile priests - an explanation

He'll be back next week suggesting using the ducking stool to find the women causing priests to abuse children.

I think its more the 'abstinence' from woman needed an alternative outlet

I should be shocked by this, but I'm not.

It's all a bit Handmaids Tale...

How does that explain the historical allegations and incidents?

No mass here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-40531730

I want to emphasize that the practice of having exclusively boys as altar servers has nothing to do with inequality of women in the Church.

"feminised" men abused children due to radical feminism

TBH i see why he finds the Bible so credible if he believes shit like this

The Catholic churches great failing was not that it has them[ they are in all walks of life] it is that it covered them up and left them in positions where they could abuse again. They chose to protect the reputation of the church rather than its children

Given this is it any wonder the number of parents willing to leave their kids in the service of the church dropped?

Blaming women for this is frankly nuts

Well, that's one website I won't be visiting again in a hurry 🙁

Blaming women for this is frankly nuts

He's in an organisation which revolves around worshipping a magic man in the sky, lets not assume the line between sanity and insanity is drawn in quite the same place for these guys.

I thought this was going to be a Misty's Big Adventure reference.

Sadly not.

A friend who was one of the founders of the Movement for Married Clergy tells me that intellectually the battle is won and the way is open. Politically however it's still a dream as the Cardinals are so conservative.

as he claims that the participation of women and girls into the daily life of the church has a chilling effect on priests, causing them to turn to "immoral and unpriestly vocations" such as "abusing minors".

Hmmm... so creating a job with the over-riding job requirement of "not being interested in adult women" can't have anything to do with this.

Next they'll be telling us a virgin mysteriously gave birth.

it's still a dream as the Cardinals are so conservative.

That's a very polite way of putting it!

Next they'll be telling us a virgin mysteriously gave birth

Mary wasn't a virgin (in the never had nookie Sense). Interesting fact; in the translation of the bible way back in the day from the original Hebrew to Greek, the Hebrew word for 'young girl' was translated to the Greek word for 'virgin', which was then later translated into the Latin workd for 'virgin', and so the misconception (pardon the pun) started.

But yeah, he sounds like a well-rounded thinker.

I'd argue that people who had these urges gravitated towards roles which allowed them power over and access to children. In some countries Ireland in particular this was the priesthood in other countries it seems to be Children's entertainer and sports coaches

The Catholic churches great failing was not that it has them[ they are in all walks of life] it is that it covered them up and left them in positions where they could abuse again. They chose to protect the reputation of the church rather than its children

Thank you for saying this, Junkyard. I often get aggravated when people talk about the Church as being some kind of foster home for paedophiles, considering that they can be found in all walks of life - and especially institutions that focus on the young and vulnerable. What is, and has been, so despicable, is how it has been covered up at the expense of the victims. There simply is no excuse.

As for what Burke said, above, words fail me.

Man wearing frock complains about feminisation.

If the priesthood is not open to the majority of the male population who wish to spend their lives in a relationship with a woman, why are we surprised that a significant proportion of priests have unconventional sexual appetites?

I read shit like this (and the general inane, ignorant, mean-mouthed dreck in just about every comment feed everywhere about anything) - and realise that human 'progress' is either a complete myth or else too slow to see it grow.

Definitely too slow to ever cope with the exponentially-increasing negative effects of the ecological and environmental shitstorm we're unleashing. Yet this Catholic stuff is like some dark medieval Monty Python satire come to life. Sorry, but reading this just felt like someone crapped in my head for the last possible time, and now it's leaking out of my eyes.

Shut the priests down. Just shut their shop.

The Catholic churches great failing was not that it has them[ they are in all walks of life] it is that it covered them up and left them in positions where they could abuse again. They chose to protect the reputation of the church rather than its children

My thoughts exactly, well said.

Mary wasn't a virgin (in the never had nookie Sense). Interesting fact; in the translation of the bible way back in the day from the original Hebrew to Greek, the Hebrew word for 'young girl' was translated to the Greek word for 'virgin', which was then later translated into the Latin workd for 'virgin', and so the misconception (pardon the pun) started.

It's interesting you should say that, as I believed this to be the case also (though I thought it meant pure or virtuous rather than specifically "young girl"). I mentioned it on one of the previous religion threads and was informed in the replies that I was wrong.

It makes complete sense to me.

As in, anyone who's prepared to believe in the Catholic* faith seems totally capable of this level of utter idiocy.

*insert religion of choice here

Next they'll be telling us a virgin mysteriously gave birth.

Although I find this article easy to believe there are reports that Neon Nettle is a purveyor of fake news.

Is there any corroboration of the statement?

Unless I'm missing something obvious which is likely as I'm quite exhausted.

Oh, is there? Apologies if so, I didn't fact-check. Mia culpa.

In my youth people were sent off to the seminary if they didn't fit in. Whether they were introverted, disinterested in "normal" pursuits, particularly if they showed some type of effeminate mannerism or behavior. I knew two fairly blatantly gay guys (or certainly non binary) who were basically forced to join.

One later became a woman, but that's another story.

I realise this is very sketchy ground, but I can imagine how a young man who hasn't been allowed to develop a normal sexuality, who then finds himself in a position of extreme power over punescent boys or girls might end up using that as a sexual outlet.

Isn't this story 2 years old, and led to Burke basically getting a non-role desk job when the Pope learned about it?

Edit: yes, it is:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/american-cardinal-raymond-leo-burke-blames-paedophile-priests-on-radical-feminists-9973240.html

No excuses mind.

Some basic googlefu reveals several other sites such as the Catholic Herald, Huffington Post or [url= https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/susan-milligan/2015/01/14/cardinal-burke-doesnt-get-it-on-women-in-the-catholic-church ]USNews[/url]
reporting that Cardinal Burke did make these comments in 2015

Blaming women for this is frankly nuts

Yes, the above posts would provide corroboration

and so the misconception (pardon the pun) started

Is this where the word mis-conception cums from ??

If the priesthood is not open to the majority of the male population who wish to spend their lives in a relationship with a woman, why are we surprised that a significant proportion of priests have unconventional sexual appetites?

Because not wanting a sexual relationship with a woman doesn't equate to being a peadophile?

I think perhaps the inference is that they [i]do [/i]want a sexual relationship with women, choose to deny themselves that luxury, and so then find themselves other outlets.

Whether that's actually true or not, I've no idea.

I wonder idly how this correlates statistically with anal sex in prisons between otherwise straight men. But then, there's something wrong with my brain.

It's not really a comparison is it Cougar. Some priests are in denial about their desire ( see what I did there) to have sex with a woman or women.
Prisoners are not in denial but have that opportunity withheld from them.

I think people need to realise that these are not people of faith who have abused children. What happens is men who want to abuse children look for careers, jobs, hobbies and oppertunity to gain positions of access and control over children e.g. running childrens homes, scout masters, teaching etc.

Cardinal Burke is obviously an asshat resolved not addressing the issue

Well, that's one website I won't be visiting again in a hurry

It's not really a comparison is it Cougar. Some priests are in denial about their desire ( see what I did there) to have sex with a woman or women.
Prisoners are not in denial but have that opportunity withheld from them.

They're both prevented from having sex, one by their faith and the other by their incarceration. So, priests too have that opportunity withheld from them, they're not choosing to be celibate directly but rather they're choosing a lifestyle which mandates that they have to be and are (at least theoretically) willing to make that sacrifice for the greater good even if they don't really want to. It's not "I don't want sex therefore I'll become a priest," rather "I want to become a priest therefore I can't have sex."

(And yes, I appreciate the celibacy thing is an oversimplification for the sake of argument)

I think people need to realise that these are not people of faith who have abused children.

Even if there's some truth in that, I think you need to acknowledge that that's exactly what they at least claim to be. "They're nonces therefore they weren't really people of faith" is surely special pleading.

If I were a wannabe kiddie-fiddler who wanted to get myself into a position where I could fiddle kiddies, I'd go into teaching or youth club work or some such. Joining the priesthood in order to be able to "liaise closely" with altar boys would seem to me to be very much a high investment / low yield choice unless I had a very specific fetish.

The whole contextual-sexuality thing is interesting. However, I more disposed to think that some people look for specific opportunities to abuse others - similar to Basils point.

very much a high investment / low yield choice

And historically a low risk choice...

I imagine it more complex than desire vs opportunity vs effort.
The difficulty is though the average person would find the prospect of working with children pretty un appealing so anyone especially a male who chooses that path is likely to be suspect.
Thats likely to put a lot of well meaning people off.

By way of a balancing example- I was orphaned quite early in life and whilst not religious then or now I can now at least recognise how helpful the local vicar and his family was to me as young fella needing some support and guidance.

Without help like that and similar from local families, social workers and just random well meaning people ( the lady in the letting agents I'm talking about you) life would have been very different.

A lot of people were forced into the priesthood in Ireland. If your father had a farm or a trade typically the eldest son would follow that. If you were a second or third son down the line you'd be a priest. Super common.

Not saying that to paint them in a sympathetic light, just to point out it wasn't really a choice many people made willingly once upon a time.

Also I would argue that abusing wouldn't diminish their faith. People are great at rationalizing their desires. And don't forget the sacrament of confession.

I'm surprised that there has been no mention of power in this thread.
Priests are, typically, respected - maybe not by their wider community but definitely by their parishioners - and this gives them both authority and power.
Most neither use nor abuse their authority and power but some do.
Any and every paedophile is a problem for society - as has been pointed out ^^^ this is not exclusive to the catholic church; the church are particularly culpable of cover-ups but they are not the only organisation to attempt to deny and avoid.
As for the link in Cougar's post - some people are clearly deluded and serial deniers.
Such a concerning and depressing subject.

The difficulty is though the average person would find the prospect of working with children pretty un appealing so anyone especially a male who chooses that path is likely to be suspect.

🙁

Holy (erp!) sweeping tabloidesque generalisations, Batman. sports-coaches, paediatricians, teachers, care-workers, advocates, counsellors, yourh-club managers, charity workers, outdoors pursuit leaders, special-needs teachers and assistants, crossing wardens, etc, etc.

Some of the best and most upstanding people I've ever had the pleasure to meet have filled such roles. Many have been male. Can't believe anyone actually needs to qualify this, if so then we are living in some dark times. The only abuse I've ever witnessed was in the Cadets (as a cadet). Steered well clear of the Forces from there onwards.

Is there a good reason why priests can't have sex? Some biblical thing? Jesus had girlfriends, Moses hosted orgies, Noah dressed in women's clothing for the bants, so why can't priests get down?

Reason? We are talking about religion here.

Because they tried that already and they ruined it for themselves.

Ok, so reason was the wrong word, but why can a vicar get busy but a priest can't? Isn't catholic vs CofE pretty much the same thing? Maybe I'm showing my ignorance of religion slightly here.

And why do I find nuns so damn hot?

And why do I find nuns so damn hot?

For the same reason that pizza-delivery guys have mullet hair-styles and outsized genitalia?

Ok, so reason was the wrong word, but why can a vicar get busy but a priest can't?

There are evil people in all areas of society, but the Catholic Church claims moral authority, and indeed moral superiority, and, as in the case of Cardinal George Pell, who is lurking in the Vatican rather than go home to Australia to face the music, it has failed to protect anyone other than themselves.

They should be [b]better[/b] than the rest of society, otherwise where lies their authority?

Or they lose that authority which is happening/happened in developed countries.

And why do I find nuns so damn hot?

It's probably just a habit.