Shadow Minister,

"An audit would involve speaking to many of those that had not complained as well to detect if unreported incidents had been covered up. (as many of these incidents are only surfacing decades later)"

Perhaps then you should suggest that to the appropriate officials in the Catholic Church as that would definitely bring things to a new level. Even when you started discussing it with me it went over my head so I doubt whether it would be something in the pipeline. Perhaps you can provide them with examples of other groups who audit for paedophilia so that they can learn from the systems.

"I did not claim that celibacy caused paedophilia, only that the requirment for "celebacy" attracted paedophiles. If you can show otherwise I will stand corrected, but I doubt it."

That is a little more meaningful then my assumption as historically it could have been used as a front but as I've hinted I would have thought the last place a paedophile would consider hiding to go undetected these days would be in the role of a Catholic priest.

Runner,

Can you support your allegations? I really don't want to go to the next thread on this topic and just read them again. It would be nice to deal with this issue now one way or another.

The idea that celibacy attracts paedophiles is a bit of a stretch, isn't it? Why on earth would someone who engages in deviant sexual practices want to join a club where all sexual practices are banned?

That said, the whole thread is fraught with hyperbole. That the worst sex offenders exist only within the Catholic Church is another unsubstantiated assertion. The Governor General who stood down in response to a sex scandal was Anglican, not Catholic. The vast majority of paedophiles are not Catholic priests. What it boils down to is that the Catholic demand for celibacy does not cause priests to go stir-crazy and become paedophiles. And it doesn't attract paedophiles to the job, either. I seriously doubt that there is any real connection between church-enforced celibacy and paedophilia.

Otokonoko,

Sometimes I despair.

Catholic priests are supposedly celibate, but the structure essentially guards against female contact, but allows contact with other men and their wards (usually children). This discourages heterosexual males, but not those of other persuasions, who are protected from the consequences of their actions by a slap on the hand and the transfer to a fresh bunch of victims.

There was no implication that all or even most paedophile are catholic priests, but that there was an inordinate number who are given the cloak of religious respectablity whilst performing abominable acts.

That it happens in other faiths is not a surprise, but as indicated above it happens to a lesser extent, whereas in the Catholic Church it appears to be endemic.

Shadow Minister,

Please don't despair. The comments were reasonable.

Currently in the Catholic Church most people priests deal with are women. The top advisers the Pope uses tend to be female. Women do anything from extraordinary ministry and running RCIA courses to secretarial or administrative support for a parish priest and of course there have always been nuns or at least the Apostle Paul's comment that priests have a right to have a Christian woman assist them and early references to deaconess' would suggest that. Further, at regular Novus Ordo Masses the alter servers tend to be girls.

"This discourages heterosexual males, but not those of other persuasions, who are protected from the consequences of their actions by a slap on the hand and the transfer to a fresh bunch of victims."

Any paedophiles that I've ever heard of getting unconvered end up in jail. I heard a rumour about Ireland recently but in most countries if a psychologist advised a Bishop that a priest was cured of paedophilia they would not rely upon that type of thing anymore and I doubt that any psychologist would give that type of advice these days. Foxy's book would suggest that it is the opposite in Australia.

"There was no implication that all or even most paedophile are catholic priests, but that there was an inordinate number who are given the cloak of religious respectablity whilst performing abominable acts."

True but you seem to single out Catholics.

"That it happens in other faiths is not a surprise, but as indicated above it happens to a lesser extent, whereas in the Catholic Church it appears to be endemic."

I don't believe you can say it is a lesser extent with certainty on the available facts. The gross numbers are higher but there are a lot of other facts that weigh in the other direction if clerics alone are looked at.

In any case it really stretches credibility that a paedophile would expect to be trusted with children if he became a Catholic priest.

All,

When will it end?

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,1,26440237-3102,00.html

This happens again and again and again and again! And, again!

The politicians know it, the judges know it, and the police know it?

But what happens? bl**dy, nothing! The offending priest are transferred and the bishops cover-up.

Every Catholic should be their priest's face and asking why, why, why, for goodness sake, why?

Perhaps, church goers should not donate in the collection plate for six months to protest.

The Irish examples are worse than thos just cited.

The US Authorities tried to interview a past Bishop of Boston, on;e he shot of the Vatican, where the Pope is protecting him.

ditto for the Protestant's, where applicable.

In threads just like this surely we have seen 1000 posts?
And maybe 40 such threads?
About tens of cases.
Yes other Church's too, none however as often as Catholics.
Not as many victims and surely not as much evidence of covering up the crimes?
Even after this thread started another story and cover up.
The Catholic church may be both unable to change and unable to survive.
Would you Bord your children with church run school? truly?