Wim Deetman better not be a catholic....I wish someone would start looking at the pope....he looks so slimy, he has to be one.

By alanposting | March 10, 2010 8:36 AM

In a press release by the Holy See's Director Fr. Federico Lombardi SJ on March 9, 2010, "concerning cases of the sexual abuse of minors in ecclesiastical institutions," Lombardi parrots the Holy See's historical response to the church's widening problems of sexual abuse, particularly of minor children.

The institutional Roman Catholic church has reacted to the continuing sexual abuse debacle neither rapidly nor decisively, contrary to what Lombardi states. The Vatican has attempted to distance itself from what has happened in country after country, first categorizing it as an "American problem," then as a "homosexual problem." What has been done in the United States, for example, it was forced to do by the pressure of public opinion after records, files and correspondence was forced into the public venue by a very brave, principled and grounded Catholic woman judge in Boston, Massachusetts in 2002.

The church's response continues to be re-active rather than pro-active while minimizing the systemic and endemic abuse of power and authority which has enabled and exacerbated it on the one hand while covering it up whenever and wherever possible on the other.

The "wide-ranging context" is that in countries from the United States, Canada, Australia and Ireland to Austria, the Netherlands and Germany church authorities have repeatedly and consistently disregarded its own moral and Canon laws as well as the existing laws of the countries' in which these horrific crimes against humanity occurred.

Lombardi does not mention nor does he admit to the well documented widespread cover-up of the sexual abuse of children by bishops and other church officials in many countries like the United States, that makes the church's sexual abuse problems particularly egregious. If church authorities had done the morally right thing initially how many children would have escaped sexual abuse by a particular priest?

When are people of good will going to say, Enough!

When are the leaders and legislators going to change the laws so that justice can be pursued for the thousands upon thousands of victims of childhood sexual abuse who have been unable to access let alone obtain justice?

In most states and probably in most countries existing criminal as well as civil laws give more protection to sexual predators and their enablers then they do to victims of childhood sexual abuse - by anyone. This is deplorable and should not be.

The removal of all statutes of limitation in regard to the sexual abuse of children is the single, most effective way to hold predators and enabling institutions accountable before the law.

The state of Delaware in the United States is one of a very few states in the U.S. which has removed all criminal and civil statutes of limitation in regard to the sexual abuse of children - by anyone. It also legislated a two year civil window for previously time barred cases, again, by anyone. That window closed in July of 2009.

In a civil suit, unlike a criminal suit, the burden of proof is on the plaintiff to show that the abuse happened. It is not on the accused individual or institution to prove innocence, at least in the United States.

Every victim of childhood sexual abuse should have a right to the pursuit of justice at the very least!

If Delaware can do it other states and other countries should be able to do it and hold sexual predators and any enabling institutions responsible, especially those institutions which chose to ignore their own internal laws.

I was privileged to testify before the Senate and House Judiciary Committees in support of the 2007 Child Victims Law in Delaware.

No rules and no laws of any religious organization or denomination should be allowed to trump the laws of a civilized society where the protection of children is concerned.

The Roman Catholic Church should be held to the highest standard as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, a Convention that by any objective standard it has grossly violated for decades.

Is it time to formalize those violations?

Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Victims' Advocate
New Castle, Delaware, USA
maureenpaulturlish@yahoo.com

By Sister Maureen Paul Turlish | March 10, 2010 12:48 PM

I wholehartedly agree with Sister Turlish. The church is certainly not above the law and the law of both church and state do not, and should not support the abuse of children. Of the interviews given by the perpertators of these abuses not one has sounded truly repentant or as if they acknowledged the dammage they have done to people's lives. There can be no excuses and no justification for their actions. There should at the very least be some recogntion of their exploitation of innocent children and some justice sought regardless of the time lapsed.

By Deirdre Budd | March 10, 2010 3:35 PM

Parents knew that there is a high risk of child abuse in boarding schools and more particularly in schools run by THE church.They never bothered to find out.

By pieter van schaaij | March 10, 2010 4:06 PM

It is abnormal for any man to abstain from sex.

The pope, Mr. Rat-singer promotes death by ruling out condoms, and ignorance among his clergy by keeping them from their natural function, to procreate.

When are the authorities going to wake up and put an end to this nasty nonsense???

By stevie - just back from Manila (Nice weather!) | March 10, 2010 4:47 PM

In Catholic run school, during the 70s, had Catholic Priests telling us it was bad for humans to go without sex ... the Priests said the frustration caused mental illness. I'm serious that is what they used to tell us!
We had one Priest (nickmane = Fr Blew It (!)) who used to tell us in Religion Class all about his adventures to 'women of the night' for his, "2 or 3 minutes of pleasure". I kid you not!

By Gerard | March 10, 2010 5:08 PM

The problem is that there has never been a true separation of church and state in most western countries. The US started life as a secular democracy, but Bush put the final nails in that coffin.

We are heading into a world of theocracies along the Iranian model. Only the Chinese can save us?

By Bene the Rat | March 10, 2010 5:35 PM

Sister Maureen Paul Turlish: I am so grateful for your continuing active stance with regard to Catholic child abuse. You are the voice that really embodies the true original spirit of the church.

By Jsutton | March 10, 2010 9:58 PM

Independent Enquiry about the Catholic Church and they appoint someone from the CDA to lead it. Yeah very independent. Thats like asking the Marlboro Man what smokings all about. HaHaHaHa.

By langer | March 11, 2010 9:18 AM

Science now supports what my Catholic Priest teachers used to say in the 1970s:

According to the Journal of Sexual Medicine, people who engage in regular sexual activity gain several health benefits, such as longer lives, healthier hearts, lower blood pressure, and lower risk of breast cancer.

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091207/Regular-sexual-activity-can-help-improve-the-overall-health-in-men.aspx

http://www.femefashions.com/lifestyle/64/14629

By Gerard | March 11, 2010 10:46 PM

It would be interesting to investigate as to whether the Roman Catholic Church was the driving power to have statues of limitations enacted on child sexual abuse.

By owlafaye | March 13, 2010 8:43 PM

Catholic future history:

In 300 years the Roman Catholic Church will refer to these times as one in which the church was falsely and malignantly attacked by atheists, non-believers, government and Satanic enemies of Christianity.

"Against a massive effort to discredit the piety and chasteness of the clergy with accusations of heinous crimes, the church and her followers fought a protracted battle against this evil... eventually triumphing in the name of Jesus and to the greater glory of the mother church."

I assure you that this will come to pass...this has always been the strategy of the criminal enterprise called Catholicism.

May the light of knowledge shine on your path,
May your path lead to TRUTH,
and the LIE die.

By owlafaye | March 15, 2010 5:01 PM