Major news organizations, influential churchmen and others have been hammering away at how Pope Benedict XVI—then, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and later Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly known as the Holy Office, the historical Inquisition—handled cases of pedophilia among priest under his scrutiny prior to his ascendency to the papacy.
Der Spiegel, one of Germany’s most prestigious news sources wrote, “But the pope, this owl-eyed old man with a high voice, simply isn't as adorable as the Dalai Lama. He lacks the clear message of a Barack Obama. And no one would want to be stuck on a deserted island with one of his German propagandists, let alone be guided through the desert by them. The days of Vatican chic are over, it seems.”
Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican Communion, has said that the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has lost "all credibility" over the way it had dealt with paedophile priests."
“He is at a crossroads,” said Marco Politi, a veteran Italian Vatican journalist. “What’s extraordinary is that the scandal has reached the heart of the center of the church. Up to now, it was far away — in the States, in Canada, in Brazil, in Australia. Then it came to Europe, to Ireland."
On Maundy Thursday, members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, an American advocacy group, held an impromptu news conference in St. Peter’s Square, holding up pictures of Father Murphy [a convicted pedophile] and calling on the Vatican to take responsibility.
“They’re not holding themselves accountable, and these documents show they were very involved in the case,” said John Pilmaier, the group’s Wisconsin director.
Twenty minutes into the news conference, the Rome police told the group that it did not have a proper permit, and brought organizers in for questioning. They were detained for two and a half hours. “We’ve spent more time in police custody than most of these pedophile priests have,” Mr. Pilmaier said.
Well, to say the least, these are some pretty stinging accusations. So, I would like to address a few myths concerning pedophilia in general.*
So, what is the answer to this growing problem? In my opinion, most of the hard questions on the subject are easily answered. Here is what I think:
Answer # 1.—Keep informed and know how to define your position, including what the Bible says about sexuality. For example, the Scripture says in Genesis, chapter one, that God created male and female and pronounced His creation very good. Furthermore, both the Old and New Testament proscribe homosexuality. But, did you know that Christ by inference also proscribed homosexuality? He said, “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” (Mark 10:6-9 NIV) Therefore, it is hard to see a same sex relationship fitting this criterion.
We must repent as a nation and as a people.
* Summaries taken from Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis by Philip Jenkins, a non-Catholic, who is a Professor of History and Religious Studies at Pennsylvania State University.
Der Spiegel, one of Germany’s most prestigious news sources wrote, “But the pope, this owl-eyed old man with a high voice, simply isn't as adorable as the Dalai Lama. He lacks the clear message of a Barack Obama. And no one would want to be stuck on a deserted island with one of his German propagandists, let alone be guided through the desert by them. The days of Vatican chic are over, it seems.”
Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Anglican Communion, has said that the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has lost "all credibility" over the way it had dealt with paedophile priests."
“He is at a crossroads,” said Marco Politi, a veteran Italian Vatican journalist. “What’s extraordinary is that the scandal has reached the heart of the center of the church. Up to now, it was far away — in the States, in Canada, in Brazil, in Australia. Then it came to Europe, to Ireland."
On Maundy Thursday, members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, an American advocacy group, held an impromptu news conference in St. Peter’s Square, holding up pictures of Father Murphy [a convicted pedophile] and calling on the Vatican to take responsibility.
“They’re not holding themselves accountable, and these documents show they were very involved in the case,” said John Pilmaier, the group’s Wisconsin director.
Twenty minutes into the news conference, the Rome police told the group that it did not have a proper permit, and brought organizers in for questioning. They were detained for two and a half hours. “We’ve spent more time in police custody than most of these pedophile priests have,” Mr. Pilmaier said.
Well, to say the least, these are some pretty stinging accusations. So, I would like to address a few myths concerning pedophilia in general.*
Myth # 1.—Homosexuality isn't connected to pedophilia. This is plainly false. Homosexuals are three times as likely to be pedophiles as heterosexual men.
Myth # 2.—Catholic priests are more likely to be pedophiles than other groups of men. Again, this is just plain false. Pedophilia (the sexual abuse of a prepubescent child) among priests is extremely rare, affecting only 0.3% of the entire population of clergy.
Myth # 2.—Catholic priests are more likely to be pedophiles than other groups of men. Again, this is just plain false. Pedophilia (the sexual abuse of a prepubescent child) among priests is extremely rare, affecting only 0.3% of the entire population of clergy.
Myth # 3.—Celibacy state of priests leads to pedophilia. As a matter of fact, married men are just as likely as celibate priests to sexually abuse children.
Myth # 4.—Married clergy would make pedophilia and other forms of sexual misconduct go away. The plain fact is, healthy heterosexual men have never been known to develop erotic attractions to children as a result of abstinence.
Myth # 5.—More female clergy would help solve the problem. For every three male abusers, there's one female abuser.
So, what is the answer to this growing problem? In my opinion, most of the hard questions on the subject are easily answered. Here is what I think:
Answer # 1.—Keep informed and know how to define your position, including what the Bible says about sexuality. For example, the Scripture says in Genesis, chapter one, that God created male and female and pronounced His creation very good. Furthermore, both the Old and New Testament proscribe homosexuality. But, did you know that Christ by inference also proscribed homosexuality? He said, “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” (Mark 10:6-9 NIV) Therefore, it is hard to see a same sex relationship fitting this criterion.
Answer # 2.—Actively object to the gay agenda. We must, as Christians, never resort to hateful tactics and acts of violence to promote our moral agenda, however. (As previously pointed out, Homosexuals are three times as likely to be pedophiles as heterosexual men are.)
Answer # 3.—Zero tolerance, with stiff penalties. The hard statistical facts are, there is no cure. Once a confirmed pedophile starts, he or she virtually never stops. Most pedophiles just get smarter at hiding their perversions, recoursing to murder in far too many cases.
Answer # 4.—Intercessory prayer is needed. A holy prayer life changes you, and you thereby influence others. It is a Biblical principle that “if God’s people, who are called by God’s name, will humble themselves and pray and seek God’s face and turn from their wicked ways, then He will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 This I believe.
Answer # 5.—Sound biblically based doctrine must ring out from our nation’s pulpits. The church is sick, emaciated and dying from the lack of solid Biblically based theology. Truly, God’s people are being destroyed because of a lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6
So, if we are honest with ourselves, pedophilia and sexual perversion is much larger than the Catholic Church, and they should not have to carry the full brunt of all that has gone bad in our country or the world. Unfortunately, we are all in the same boat, and it is rapidly sinking. Patching it up with a few mea culpas is not enough either from the church at large, or society in general, either.We must repent as a nation and as a people.
* Summaries taken from Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis by Philip Jenkins, a non-Catholic, who is a Professor of History and Religious Studies at Pennsylvania State University.
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