Catholic Priests Continue to Sexually Abuse Children, Ethics Soup, November 10, 2008

Catholic Priests Continue to Sexually Abuse Children

Ethics Soup

November 10, 2008

http://www.ethicsoup.com/2008/11/catholic-priests-continue-to-sexually-abuse-children.html

Catholic priests keep sexually abusing children. I don't believe most people are aware of the extent to which the abuse continues. I think most of us, particularly non-Catholics, think that it's pretty much over, since the height of the sex scandal was in 2002.

Now that the Catholic Churchis aware (although many say the Church was always aware -- after all it moved abusing priests from diocese to diocese once they were caught), it has to have done what was necessary -- investigating, defrocking, suspending and ordering administrative leaves and paying out $100's of millions in settlements to victims. Oh, occasionally local news reports may appear about a local priest abusing children. But that's rare, we think. How wrong we are!

SHOCKINGLY, IT NEVER ENDS

A week ago Ethic Soup reported "Priests Face Psychological Tests: Vatican Claims It Wants Gays Out of Priesthood," which you may read here. We decided a follow-up was warranted and searched the national newspapers and international new sites. You're in for a shock.

Priest collar 4

There isn't a day that goes by where there is not a news article on priest sexual abuse. This is a round-up of some of the news articles Ethic Soup found in just the past week or so. And, there are more we just don't have room to include. It will give you an idea of just what the status quo actually is the world over, regarding priest abuse of children. Each brief includes links, so you may confirm and/or read further:

* A letter was sent to Cardinal Francis George this week by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), asking the Cardinal to resign as president of America's bishops for allegedly ignoring years of sexual abuse within the church and permitting a convicted sex offender to work for Chicago's archdiocese, reports the Chicago Sun Times. A Catholic priest, the Rev. Kenneth J. Martin pleaded guilty to molesting a teenage boy in 2001, yet was found working for the Archdiocese of Chicago last month, despite promises from the cardinal that the convicted priest would not be coming back to Chicago. Cardinal George will appear at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops today in Baltimore.

* Sex abuse claims against 150 priests who have served in the Dublin archdiocese in Ireland have been made, reports the Irish Times. To date, 120 civil actions have been brought against 35 priests who served in Dublin, with 94 cases concluded and 26 ongoing. Three fresh allegations have been made since May 2007 and suspicions have been raised concerning another nine priests. According to the latest figures, 400 people have so far been identified as probable victims of clerical child sexual abuse and, according to the archdiocese, it "is most likely that this is not a final figure."

* In Illinois, a once prominent Jesuit priest was convicted in federal court in Chicago of engaging in sexual activity with a teenage boy, who accompanied him on "religious" trips to Europe, according to a New York Times brief. The priest, Donald J. McGuire, 78, was defrocked in February, previously traveling the world directing retreats of laypeople and members of Mother Teresa's religious order. Prosecutors described the priest as "a wolf in sheep's clothing" as he used his position to gain the trust of families and then sexually abused boys under the guise of making them more spiritually pure.

* A Catholic priest was alleged to have sexually abused 24 boys in Switzerland and France over a 40-year period Swiss justice authorities announced last week. All of the cases involving the 68-year-old Capuchin priest cannot be tried in Switzerland due to exceeding the statute of limitations; however, it appears he may be tried in France, reports Swiss Info.

* "Most Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Boston who were either defrocked, suspended, restricted or ordered on administrative leavebecause of involvement in child sex abuse cases survive their ordeals, carry on quietly and continue to live comfortable lives," says All Headline News. The article pointed to the Massachusetts-based Patriot Ledger's report that the majority of former and suspended priestsare not monitored by the church leadership , but allowed to work and live in mainstream society, according to SNAP. Attorney Carmen Durso, who worked on clergy sex abuse cases, said priests who've been removed from parish work often stay in touch with supporters, many who view their former pastors as the victims of a witch hunt, rather than accused or admitted abusers.

* The Roman Catholic Davenport Diocese last week released the names of four more priests it says can be "credibly accused" of sexual abuse, reports the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette. That's four more on top of the previously released 24 names. The diocese board continues to review claims against other priests. The list is posted on the Davenport Diocese Web site as one of the non-monetary provisions the diocese had to meet as part of its $37 million settlement to emerge from the bankruptcy protection it sought due to its clergy sex abuse scandal.

* The Philippines ABS-CBN News reported on responses from the Philippines, a strong-hold for the Catholic Church, regarding the Vatican's report that future priests entering seminaries should pass psychological tests to weed out gay priests. The article quotes a representative of the University of the Philippines' Center for Women's Studies, Sylvia Claudio who said most cases of sexual abuse allegedly committed by priests involved women as victims, not young boys, and described the Church's ideology as "junk."

* In Australia, the Brisbane Times reported this week that a priest and former college professor, 66-year-old Michael Francis Reis, pleaded guilty to seven counts of indecent treatment of girls under 16. But ,his victims initially went to the Catholic Church with their complaints and received counseling, waiting 10 years before going to police. A self-admitted child abuser, the priest will only serve a total of 6 months for the seven counts. Although the priest was sentenced to 18 months' jail for each offense, the sentence will be suspended after six months.

Pray for the children!