BishopAccountability.org
	Vince Perry: the Myth of the Pedophile Priest Record Searchlight December 4, 2011 www.redding.com/news/2011/dec/04/vince-perry-the-myth-of-the-pedophile-priest/ While the credibly accused should be handed over to civil authorities, the allegations against the Rev. Uriel Ojeda should become an opportunity for prayer, healing and reconciliation — not an invitation for anti-Catholics to publicly bash the 2,000 year old church of Jesus Christ. Professor Philip Jenkins (who is not a Catholic) has written the most objective book on the subject. In "Pedophiles and Priests: Anatomy of a Contemporary Crisis," Dr. Jenkins discusses the following basic facts and principles which are often neglected or ignored by the media: 1) Priestly celibacy is not the issue — married men are more likely to abuse children than unmarried. 2) Most child abuse takes place within the home. 3) All religious groups have pedophile scandals, and the Catholics (while the largest religious group) are at the bottom of the list statistically. 4) Child abuse is prevalent in all areas of society: schools, youth organizations, sports, etc. 5) Statistically, of all the professions, Christian clergy are least likely to offend. Doctors, farmers and teachers are the professions most likely to abuse children — not clergy. The U.S. Department of Education found that public school teachers are more than 100 times more likely to offend than priests. 6) Among clergy offenders, Catholic priests are least likely to offend. 7) Catholic cases of pedophilia make more headlines because of anti-Catholic prejudice and because the Catholic Church is bigger and more lucrative to sue. 8) Pedophilia and euphebophilia are different problems. The former is sexual attraction to prepubescent children. The latter is attraction to teenagers. Most cases branded "pedophilia" are actually "euphebophilia." 9) Most of the cases of euphebophilia are homosexual in nature, however the politically correct do not want this problem to be associated with homosexuality. 10) The number of Catholic priests guilty of pedophilia is very small. 11) What we now call "cover-up" was often done in a different cultural context, when the problem was not fully understood and when all establishment organizations hushed scandals. They did so for what seemed good reasons at the time: protection of the victims and their families, opportunity for rehabilitation of the offender, the avoidance of scandal to others. It is unfair to judge events 30 years ago by today's standards. 12) When lawsuits are looming, people smell money. We must be wary of false accusations. 13) The accused must be entitled to a fair hearing. The church should insist on hard proof of the abuse, and for the sake of justice, ensure that the innocent are not prosecuted. 14) When guilt is established the offender must be punished, not sheltered. 15) Distinctions must be made between types of abuse. Some offenses are worse than others. Verbal abuse or corporal punishment during a time when that was acceptable, while lamentable, is not the same as sexual abuse or extreme physical abuse. 16) Sexual abuse of an adult or a sexually experienced older teenager is wrong and damaging and should be punished, but it is not the same as the sexual abuse of a younger, innocent child. 17) Number of offenses must be considered. One lapse is not of the same seriousness as repeated, persistent and premeditated offenses. For faithful Catholic answers, visit catholic.com.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.