Did you all see the most excellent news today?

The Belgian police today raided a meeting of catholic priests who were in the midst of a pow pow about pedophilia and took all their "secret" files about specific cases of abuse.

The slime in the vatican have been hissing and spitting about the delusional notion of the churches right to autonomy. What a laugh!

I agree with the view that the church has had more than enough time to admit to what they have known in detail and subsequent to their ongoing demonstration of obstinate, belligerent lies, denial and cover ups that the time has come when they must be coerced.

May we see more of it in the times ahead.

Suze,I commend your honest and brave but very honest email on this subject. Well said.
Now, just imagine if every second Catholic backed you up OPENLY.Every second Catholic!I t would be a revolution that the Catholic Church is waiting for. It will emerge stronger and would then be making a valid claim to present God to the world again. The priests who survived the cleanse-out would be clean and honest practising priests.
I happen to know so many Indian priests who are shining examples of Christian custodians of Catholic religion. I happen to know how embarrassed and saddened they all are. Some are even scathing in their criticism. One said to me that any action short of a revolution such as you advocate will only give protection to the undiscovered paedophiles. He even hinted that the situation could never have reached such levels had they not received protection and encouragement from their regional authorities. One priest who had it out with his bishop was immediately posted out to a tiny rural parish hundreds of Km from any town.

Socratease

Socratease,

Yes, Imagine the wonderful burst of freshness all the churches would receive if they just cleared all this horrible, ugly stuff out, and handed all evidence to the police.

It would give all those who wish to attend Church a wonderful burst of positive fresh energy. It may even fill the Churches again!

Wouldn't this give their congregations a new lease on life?

Even though this thread was specific to the Catholic Church, it really is about ALL organisations that have allegedly covered up, the horrendous crimes that continue to be alleged.

Why can't the Church hierarchies see that the days of secrecy are over?

DreamOn,

Yes, I did see an article on the Belgium police action... I find it fantastically refreshing.

For those who missed it see here http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100628/ap_on_re_eu/eu_vatican_belgium_27

mjpb,

Did you see this article?

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/28/pope-reprimands-cardinal-over-sex-abuse-criticism/?hpt=T2

Does Matthew 7:20 "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.", apply here?

If people call themselves Christian, and Jesus is the Christ, should Christians follow his precise teachings?

OR Can Christians pick and choose which teachings they want to follow?

If the Pope is the leader of the world's biggest Christian organisation, should he follow Christ's teachings even more precisely?

Would Jesus aid and comfort the victim or the perpetrator?

Matthew 18:6 is quite explicit also

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

Now I don't condone this punishment but Jesus' teachings are very precise here...AGAIN!

So how do Jesus' teachings apply to what this webpage alleges and this picture allegedly shows?

http://brokenrites.alphalink.com.au/

As I said earlier, Catholics generally, are wonderful people. I know many. Don't they deserve much better from their leaders, if even any of what all the newspaper articles present in this thread are true?

Suze
the really important thing about a cleansed,honest,transparent and reformed and genuinely penitent Roman Church would be to regain integrity and the love of parents and more importantly to erase any fear little childrfen have of priests. The Church needs to be more vighilant and at the first suspicions of paedophilia make the matter over to the police openly without any interference from the pope or any Bisgop or other priests. This will go further than anything to restoring belief and integrity and people will start coming back to worship ina safe and secure place.
The Church,finally, must ,ake sure that there arfent any more cases being covered up hoping no one will ever uncover them. NO MORE!!

Suze... thanks for your clarity of expression and quiet passion for all that we all want but dont quite know how to say it like you can.

socratease

Socratease,

If parents are ignorant enough to have concern about priests they need information so they can get a reality check. I have young children and even in the period when this problem peaked priests were still underrepresented.

It is a logical impossiblity to change something so that it becomes what it is already changed to unless you revert to darker days.

The Church already does have a zero tolerance policy and Bishops are required to and do hand the matter over to the police. Can't you at least read one of these threads before typing these things?

In spite of this it changes nothing because people like you will continue to say things like this and people like you will think nothing has changed when they hear it. If no more cases can be uncovered from 50 years ago the media will shoot for 60 years and put it on the front page.

Opinionated 2,

Regarding your "other analysis". That apologetic piece by the ABC Barrister primarily arguing the topic was newsworthy rather than an ambush on the Pope doesn't change the issues raised in previous discussion on this topic.

"Have you found peace with the situation, have others, have the victims?"

Actually refuting the same lies and misrepresentations over and over gets rather tedious. I can count on you to indiscriminantly throw another thousand bits of mud immediately.

"Did you also read this article in your research?

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/no-regrets-about-act-of-faith-despite-churchs-woeful-state/story-e6frg7ko-1225769660350"

No. Did you read it?