Suzeonline,

It is right to be upset over the current revelations of historical child sexual abuse by priests all over the world, and the failure by their superiors. Paedophiles weren't exactly overrepresented in the priesthood and the Bishop's response was normal at that time in history. However, as you rightly note priests are charged with a duty to be moral shepherds. The priests involved were wolves and the Bishops were asleep on the watch. At one time the exposure was a needed wake up call for the Church even if it seems to have developed into a sport.

However I suspect Fr Doyle is being a little disingenous (to advance his own belief that the hierarchy needs scrapping so that his own beliefs can triumph within the Church). He should know how much work the Catholic Church has done to address the problem of sexual abuse. An indication of this can be found here:
http://catholicanchor.org/wordpress/?p=601

Or by reading the Collins book that Foxy had me buy and I misplaced (title?).

I don't believe celibacy causes paedophilia. Doesn't it mainly occur within families? I also subscribe to the view that at one time paedophiles were attracted to the Catholic priesthood as it gave great cover. Now they would go to greener pastures. On that note the continual digging up of priestly misbehaviour and Bishop's poor handling decades ago now creates a perception that Catholic priests have a monopoly on paedophilia and risks the greener pastures, wherever they may be might be now, will be hidden for the next 50 years.

Abusers should be put in jail but the confidentiality of the confessional does serve a purpose. Granted it can be abused but who would confess if it wasn't confidential? It is like arguing that more criminal offenders would be caught if lawyers were obliged to rat on their clients. That is true but it would compromise the system.

Surely it would be a non-issue these days as a victim of a Catholic priest would assume that secular authorities would believe them cf. the situation if anyone else was the abuser.

I hope foxy is ok she is catholic and not well at present.
Above everything else those in this church who hurt children this way.
Are they true believers?
Are those who covered it up?
If God existed would he forgive this? ever? if he would I Am pleased do not believe.

Dear mjpb,

Thanks for mentioning the book.

The title of the book is:

"Believers: Does Australian Catholicism
have a future?" by Dr Paul Collins.

It's an excellent book with quite a bit
on sexual abuse. Dr Collins is one of
Australia's most controversial and respected
commentators on the Catholic Church.
A graduate of Harvard Divinity School and the
Australian National University, he's a former
priest and a historian and broadcaster.

I can highly recommend this book to anyone who's
interested in this topic. Dr Collins doesn't
shy away from the difficult questions that must
be asked about the church. However he does deliver
an optimistic message, a clear program for reform
and renewal and the realisation that the church
has managed to recover from its mistakes in the
past.

Dear Belly,

Don't worry about me.

I'm coming along quite well.
Still a bit light-headed at times -
and my pulse rate now is a bit low -
but once I get rid of all the medication
that's currently in my system - I should
be back to normal. I'm doing fine.

The sexual abuse scandals have done enormous
harm - there's no question about that. The
Church needs a strong leadership and a
willingness to confront both the difficulties
and the opportunities that it now faces.

I can only hope that it will meet the challenges
that have arisen and actually do something about
them, and not simply express "concern," as Pericles
suggested in his excellent post.

what a lovely topic, and just how many of you [chattering classes as Howard pronked it] have ACTUALLY gone though the "Pain & Healing" of this?

I bet not one of you

I was abused [in the so called confessional] in 1958 as a 12 year old boy and 48 years later I investigated the Healing process.

In fact the greatest ever legal con man [and best mate of Howard for that reason] pronked the process itself as "Towards Healing" [and no mention at all of it in the OP article even though Pell used it himself to get off his own pedophile matter].

The "man" is Professor Parkinson, so start Googling folks and if you don't discover the corruption I will explain

Foxy, I am glad your health is improving.
Thanks to all again for their thoughts on this sad subject.

I am horrified by the Pope's Easter message to the Catholic faithful.
Not one word about the current disgusting child sex abuse allegations within his ranks.
The victims must feel violated all over again.

DivorceDoctor I am sorry for what you have been through.
I have a close female friend who has been through an abusive situation in the confessional as well.
After several inappropriate questions on sexual matters, my friend raced out of the confessional and ran home to tell her mother.

Her mother wouldn't believe her though, and rebuked my friend for repeating 'dirty things'.
She hasn't stepped foot in a church since.

AJ Philips, I believe you have hit the nail on the head! Proxy and Yutic certainly sound the very same. I will not be drawn into any more of his nonsense again, and I feel just a little violated because I had chosen to ignore that poster previously.