BishopAccountability.org
	New Study Confirms: Clerical Sexual Abuse Not Gay Related By Steve Weinstein Edge Boston May 4, 2010 http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=105327 A new study from CBS News and the New York Times shows that, contrary to the Vatican’s assertions, celibacy and homosexuality are not major factors in child sex abuse by priests. The study surveyed Roman Catholics and found that fewer than a third thought either was a factor in the rampant sex-abuse cases plaguing the church. Interestingly more observant Catholics - those who attend Mass at least once a week - are even less likely than Catholics overall to think these factors contribute to child sex abuse by priests. The study was conducted among a random sample of 1,079 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone in the past few week. An oversample of Catholics was interviewed, for a total of 412 interviews. The study shows that the Vatican’s attempts to fob off the scandal on gay priests may not be sticking among the faithful. Last month, the Vatican’s second-highest authority blamed homosexuality - pointedly, not celibacy - for the international scandal. As reported here, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s secretary of state, made the comments during a trip to Chile. "Many psychologists and psychiatrists have demonstrated that there is no relation between celibacy and pedophilia," he said. "But many others have demonstrated, I have been told recently, that there is a relation between homosexuality and pedophilia. That is true. That is the problem."
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