The Catholic Sex Abuse Scandal

Posted on by beautybeyondbones

I’ve never been ashamed to be Catholic before.

Not until now.

Given the nauseating information coming to light about the atrocities of sexual abuse in the Church, I am filled with so much disgust, and anger, and yes…shame.

I feel like, you tell someone that you’re Catholic, and it’s like you’re admitting to worshiping at an altar of pedophilia or child molesters. I feel embarrassed. Ashamed. But more than that, I am enraged.

I want to start out by addressing the victims. Thank you for having the courage to come forward and share your story. I am so incredibly sorry that you had to endure that, and live with the aftermath of what those sick men did to you. And I know an “I’m sorry” is laughable in response to the life altering wounds you’ve carried as a result. But you need to know that you did not deserve to be violated, especially by a man that was supposed to be in persona Christi to you and the world. I pray that God’s healing grace wrap around you, as your wounds are reopened with each and every new allegation that comes to light.

These allegations and disgusting truths that are coming to light are going to change Catholicism forever, I fear. People are calling for the resignation of Pope Francis. And frankly, I am one of those.

It pains me not to be able to throw my support behind the leader of our Church, but if the allegations are correct that he knew of the culture of homosexuality and abuse that was rampant among Cardinals and Bishops, and knowingly looked the other way…he needs to be removed.

The body of Christ – the people of the Church – are grieving right now. They are reeling. And angry and confused. And to hear that they need to fast and pray in reparation for the sins of sick, sick men, though coming from a well meaning place, is doing nothing but drive a wedge further between the lay people and the ordained. A clear message needs to be sent that this abuse and systematic allowance of such creeps to continue to abuse is coming to an end. The pedophiles and child molesters will be brought to justice: put in jail, and given the mental health treatment that they clearly, so desperately need. And that those who allowed such sick behavior to continue will be rooted out completely — up to and including the Pope.

As a Catholic, that is not a fun thing to admit, but in order for the Church to truly heal, in addition to prayer and fasting, what we need is the confidence in our leaders that they truly do have our best interest at heart, and are on our team, protecting the Institution of the Faith granted them by Jesus.

There are so many issues that are being spotlighted in all of this. So forgive me if my thoughts are a bit sporadic.

First of all, I’m so glad that the Pennsylvania Report came to light with the degree of gut wrenching detail that it did. Although reading the report and hearing about the specific, graphic detail of the abuse made me want to vomit, it needed to be shared. All of this language used to down play the gravity of the actions — “grooming,” “inappropriate touching,” “sexual misconduct,” — no. I’m sorry. A grown man made a child bleed from the anus after raping him. That is not “grooming.” That is a sick child molester that used his position of power to violently assault a child and then got away with it. He should be in jail and exposed for the creep that he is. Not slapped with a “grooming” charge and then shipped off to the next unsuspecting parish across the country.

Oh it just makes my blood boil.

And I want to pause to just say that there are good priests. Men who dedicate their lives to serving Jesus and live a chaste, holy life in devotion to the Church and her people. And it is such a damn shame that there are these bad apples that “ruin the bunch” in society’s perception. And to that end, those good priests are also hurting right now. And now, more than ever, they need our support. They need community and loved ones around them, as they too, carry society’s mark of shame around their necks in black and white. Invite them to have dinner with your family. Write them a letter of support. Because the vast majority of those in service to the Church are good priests.

But to that point, especially back in the seventies, there was/is a small, hidden culture of active homosexuality among some priests. Look at McCarrick. Homosexual orgies taking place, beach house vacations among priests where the Good Lords knows what took place. That is not okay.

And this is such a tricky issue, because homosexuality is such a hot button issue, especially among the Church.

But whether they are a heterosexual or homosexual priest, they are called to live a life of celibacy.  Drug fueled orgies and pedophilia of any kind are just fundamentally wrong, particularly so for an individual placed in a position of high regard and trust.

Lastly – being gay or being celibate does not make one a child molester or a pedophile! Hell, I live a celibate life, as I’m saving my virginity until marriage. But just because I’m chaste doesn’t mean I have all this pent up sexual energy that makes me want to harm children! The men who did those things were sick, sick men, and need professional help, received from the inside of a correction facility.

It takes a strong gut to be Catholic right now.

Hearing these allegations ignites in us one of two options: fight. Or flight.

This is a defining moment in the church. Are we going to walk away and go join another church? Because believe me, they’re gladly welcoming “refugee” Catholics with big, open arms right now.

Or are we going to fight? Are we going to stand up and say, “This is wrong. This is not the Church that Jesus founded. We need to eradicate the corruption.” 

And friends, I pray that we do the later. And here’s why:

We have a faith that is worth fighting for.

I don’t place my faith in fallible men who are running the religious organization, known as Catholicism.

My faith is in Jesus.

Jesus is worth fighting for. His Body and Blood are worth fighting for.

And sure, walking away would be the easy thing to do. But that would be a victory for the evil one.

I just want to close quickly with this:

Reading and hearing about the abuse scandal, part of my heart was reminded of an oddly different-yet-similar season in my own life.

During my anorexia, I lied, manipulated, deceived, controlled, and dishonored my parents. I completely and utterly shattered any trust they could have in me, through my actions. Lying about what I was or wasn’t eating, about my exercise habits, the pain from my Ulcerative Colitis, my whereabouts, my weight, my medications. I manipulated the love and concern they had for me, for my own sick and twisted ED gain.

But even though they were so deeply hurt, they knew that it was my anorexia that was making me do all those despicable things, up to and including starving myself down to 78 pounds, nearly destroying the life I was given by God, through them.

And through their pain and disappointment, they chose to love me through it. They chose to forgive me, and rebuild the trust that I had so grossly broken.

And sitting here ten years later, that relationship and bond that we have, is stronger than ever. And truly, stronger than it would have been, had we not had to walk through that valley of darkness.

I’m not saying that we as a church, need to just offer blanket forgiveness and forget this ever happened.

No.

My parents and family and I learned so much from that period of pain. Lessons that will resonate for the rest of our lives. As well as new lessons that we still are learning today.

This is an opportunity for renewal and a potential strengthening of the Body of Christ. An opportunity to come together as broken, hurting, brothers and sisters in Christ, and creatively work in unison, for a solution to this heart wrenching situation in which we find ourselves.

I am choosing to fight.

Fight for the relationship with Jesus that has rescued me and set me free from the grip of anorexia so many years ago. Fight for my Savior who forgives me and all my shortcomings.

Fight for the Church, who though broken and bleeding now, can be made new through shining a big spotlight on all the dark and decrepit crevices of darkness.

Jesus is the Light of the World.

Darkness will never win. Not now. Not ever.

See ya tomorrow morning on the Podcast!

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BBB: Because we're all recovering from something. // For speaking/business inquiries: beautybeyondbones@yahoo.com

398 thoughts on “The Catholic Sex Abuse Scandal”

  3. Well said. It’s going to be a time of purification in our Church. And renewal. Extra incentive to keep our eyes on Jesus and not on others if we’re going to stay in the Church.

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  7. You have such a sane, sensible, outlook on this horrible topic. I’m not of your church but I’m with you in feeling disgusted by inappropriate behavior no matter if it does come from those who are supposedly godly men. I’m also with you in feeling like it should be fought and not run from, so hang in there and do what you can to make it go away and your conscience should be clear. This was a very good blog, I wish I had written it.

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  8. Very powerful post. I take small issue with the idea that these monstrous priests need treatment for mental illness. As a schizophrenic, I want to tell you that mental illness is not, nor should it ever be, a “cause” for raping children. These guilty men are cretins, lowlifes, scum of the earth, worthless pieces of [bleep], but they are not mentally ill. That sounds like an excuse or a cop-out, and it defames good mentally ill people all over the place. There’s no mental illness that causes someone to rape or molest. It’s a defect of the soul, of the core of inner being, not of brain chemistry.

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    1. As you do, I too believe these priests “are cretins, lowlifes, scum of the earth, (and) worthless pieces of” refuse. And as such, I certainly believe they should, at the very least, be locked away for the remainder of their lives. Having said this, however, I can see where BBB is coming from in recommending counseling/therapy. And, yes, pedophilia is listed in the DSM-V as a mental illness. Mind you, it does nothing to justify what these horrid men did to children, but it does point to the fact that they do have problem(s), whether psychological, anatomical, or some combination of both. And as despicable as they are, they do, nevertheless, need treatment … for both their minds AND their souls. Blessings to you!

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      1. Oh, you’re right! It IS in the DSM. Well, you learn something every day. I guess I disagree with the DSM, then, but it is a problem of the mind, so it makes sense.

        I guess at the heart of it, I think we should be judged by our decisions and actions, not our inclinations. That’s why I don’t like the pedophile-mental illness connection. But maybe I overpersonalized the post. 🙂

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      2. No, you certainly did not over-personalize… You made perfect sense. I guess at the end of the day I would just like to believe that even those most disgusting of men are redeemable. Of course, I mean redeemable behind bars, yet still redeemable in heart, mind and soul. Thank you so much for your comment and God bless you!

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    2. Thank you so much for this powerful and important insight. You’re so right – mental illness definitely does not make one act out in those ways. Please accept my apologies if it came across that way. Amen – soul illness. Hugs and love xox

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  9. In 2002 when the Boston papers “broke” this story we were gutted as a Faith Community and BELIEVED that our Shepherds would correct and deal with this swiftly, with the charity sinners deserve, with prayer and fasting. We gathered together learned, listened and prayed. The Trust we have in our Shepherds is shattered, but not irreparable. There are good Priests, Bishops, and leaders and they need our support – verbal, written, prayer – and encouragement. Those Shepherds who have violated our Trust must be called to Repentance by those who are themselves modeling repentance and forgiveness. Those Shepherds must face whatever charges necessary in this life.

    Your experience with ED, UC and your family is an excellent example, descriptor for what is happening in the Church right now. Lies, deceit, illness, all of it. There is also renewal, and earned trust. It’s going to take some time, we have to fully unpack and deal with this stuff, to deal with all of this. Prayer, fasting and doing.

    God bless

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    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this Teri. I think I was sheltered from that news in 2002 but I can only imagine. Yes! We need to support them!! Hugs and love xox

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      1. Have you watched the movie “Spotlight”? It’s about the story that broke in 2002. I’ve watched it several times as I’ve been at the center of the metoo movement in the Mormon church and have seen the same systems exposed. It’s on Netflix right now – I highly recommend it!

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  10. Thank you for expressing the pain we are all feeling at this profaning of our holy church. We must fight for her!

    Francis must resign! The bishops and cardinals must answer for their silence! The college of cardinals, especially, must be purged of the guilty before the next pope is elected.,

    If only a dozen uncompromised cardinals remain, that would be sufficient. It was once before.

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      1. Just read your post about the Philadelphia scandal. As a relatively recent convert, I agree with you on all points. This is certainly a trying time to tel others “I’m Catholic”, but like you said, if we turn and run, the devil wins. And yes we put our faith not in men but in Christ. The gates of hell will not overcome His church. Keep up the good work of spreading the gospel.

        Travis

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  11. My dear sister in Christ,

    As a priest and bishop in the Anglo-Catholic faith this Plague rocks my core. We experience this in all denominations and lets face it all faiths Christian and non alike…it just seems like Rome gets the press.

    It is a sad time for the Roman Church…a time needed for prayer and the Holy Rosary. There are many avenues that can be taken to rectify this which I won’t get into because it is not really my place. However we must remember the Church is still the Church. We must pray that the powers that be allow the Holy Spirit to guide them to rebuild the fractures and breaks that this has caused.

    Also remember religion is what man says about and all men are flawed (including me), but God is not flawed.

    I remain your faithful servant and friend,

    Padre Eddie

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    1. Padre Eddie, would you be willing to publically call for the defrocking and imprisonment with the help, not the hindrance, of the Catholic Church of all found guilty of such barbarous and heinous acts against children?

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    2. Thank you so much for sharing this powerful perspective. You’re right – lots of prayer. I will join you in that Fr. Eddie. Hugs and love xox

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    3. Your first paragraph appears to sum up your actual thoughts on this topic. Every other Christian faith experiences the same problems- unfortunately Rome gets the press.

      Therefore, Roman faith is no better or worse than other religious faiths?
      Perhaps the spiritual head of your church would agree?

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      2. What I was attempting to say rather cryptically – but not very successfully apparently – was that human nature will always attempt to deflect attention away from an indefensible position by blaming or including others in acts that in this particular case can be called evil. The Catholic Church is not the only religious institution that has been receiving publicity for the vile deeds of a number of their respective shepherds (perhaps wolves in this case?). However, by deflecting attention away from the Catholic Church by including other people, of varying or no faith, with a deviant nature does not make such acts less evil or sinful.
        It is the same as saying that if enough people do wrong or commit a particular sin then it becomes acceptable over time. There are a number of examples that could be mentioned.
        Romans 8:7 is worth remembering.

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      3. I would agree 100% with that, so would my other bishops. We need to remember that as Shepherd’s sometimes we have to fight the wolves off and yes there are some clergy that are wolves in shepherds cloth. Sin is sin no matter how many times it is committed. Those unrepented are given over to a repribate mind.

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  12. I truly do wish that the Catholic Church as an organization was redeemable and reformable to the point that this isn’t the constant story. Decades long abuse, cover up, secret records documenting the abuse and protection of the church by protecting priests, bishops and cardinals from prosecution. Decades surely are in reality centuries of abuse with the only reason we know of it in our time is the internet and bravery of victims.
    The organization of the Catholic Church must die. It’s beyond trust with yet another reform/redemption movement.
    Serve christ… Kill the Catholic Church as an organization.

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    1. As BBB pointed out so sensibly, though, the overwhelming majority of priests, bishops and cardinals are not criminals; they are innocent. To move to “kill” the whole body because one leg is broken is an extreme and unnecessary move.

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    2. It really is deplorable what happened, but I do believe that restoration and renewal is possible, instead of death. Hugs and love xox

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  13. Your article is well written however I would not call for the resignation omg the Pope because the culture was so known that there is not one seior member of the clergy that did not know of the practice and culture of abuse. There would be no one to be Pope. Instead I propose we determine if he was a perpetrator (I hope not), and if he was not then let’s see what he does next. Maybe he will expel them from the clergy and turn them into law enforcement. Let’s not be so quick to crucify the head of the church. My opinion only.

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  14. “A grown man made a child bleed from the anus after raping him. That is not “grooming.” That is a sick child molester that used his position of power to violently assault a child and then got away with it.” – I applaud your courage of calling a spade a spade and not beating around the bush with words. As you very well know that I do not see eye to eye with you in many issues but with young people like you with the moral courage to stand up, there is still hope in this world.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. Yeah there is definitely still hope!! God is always good and can heal our wounds. Hugs and love xox

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  15. I applaud your courage and your faith. Unfortunately, as a former Catholic, I cannot in good conscience support this church either with my prayers, or with financial support. This poison within the organized church has tentacles that go back several decades. It took a long time for me to reach this decision – it came after many years of witnessing the denial of the powers that be within the church. I take comfort in knowing that the real church are the people of God, not an organization. It saddens me deeply even as my anger is ignited again and again by those who mock the name of Christ by their actions and inaction. I choose to honor God outside the walls of the institutional church. Perhaps I am wrong, but I see nothing good to fight for within it. I wish you blessings of peace and comfort. May God guide you in your struggle.

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    1. Thank you Carol. It is definitely a tragic situation. And I understand where you’re coming from. Big hugs to you xox

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    2. Carol, I’ve made the same decision about my membership in the Mormon church. It’s difficult to imagine giving support to a church when the leaders are either abusers themselves, or are protecting the abusers or are protecting those who protect. The culture of enabling pedofiles is as big a problem as the pedofiles themselves.

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      1. It truly is. I just cannot believe that the Christ operates only within this particular theatre. For me God, Creator, Christ, operate everywhere and within everyone. I take my spiritual sustenance from the beauty of the earth itself, which was sculptured and painted by the divine hand. I have not given up my faith. I have just chosen to express it on a different path.

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      2. Beautiful perspective. One thing I’ve noticed since deciding to leave…..how much beauty there is in the world. Religion taught me that those who conform to the standards and culture, doctrine or not, are more worthy than others. That’s not how God operates. Once I stepped outside of the confines of religion, I could see the beauty in everyone rather than a select few.

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      3. Why do organized religions do this? Not unlike the pharisees of yore…. and yet I believe the Christ to be inclusive, not divisive. I think that, in and of itself, is telling.

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  17. Take heart. Christ promised that the gates of Hell would not prevail against his church. There may be leaders of the church who have committed atrocities, but the vast majority of priests are genuinely and sincerely trying to serve. Individuals may be in error, but this is the church Christ Himself founded, and it will survive. Christ is still present in the Eucharist. Yes, we will fight, and our first weapon must be prayer. May no one despair because of the sins of men, but remain hopeful in the truth and love of God.

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  18. All priests and ministers found guilty of sex abuse of whatever kind should immediately defrocked, excommunicated and put in prison with the help, not the hindrance, of the church authorities. Anything short of this is complicity with the perpsand betrayal of the victims. Retweet

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      1. As a former, in childhood, Catholic, pre Vatican two, myself… I ask do you agree, and would you be willing to publically call for this kind of action from the church?

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  19. You probably know already, I am your brother in Christ, but not a Catholic. There have been some controversy among some on the Protestant side as well. When these things unfortunately occurred, I had to remind myself of what Paul wrote concerning following too closely to teachers of the Gospel. He warned us not to badge ourselves with a certain slant of teacher and teaching, but rather remind ourselves of the words of Christ, the Redemption for all. When we put too much faith in a man or woman, we must remember, they are like us, faulty. I have often had to shake myself up and remember it’s all about Jesus, the One without blemishes. No need to be ashamed of your righteous anger. Love to you and your faith journey. –Alan

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    1. Thank you Alan, you’re so right — it’s all about Jesus! We must keep our eyes on Him in these painful times. Hugs and love xox

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  20. It is sad. Justice will be done. Jesus will make sure of that.

    Jesus warns us: “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?”

    Of course there is this: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin by leading him away from My teaching, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone as large as one turned by a donkey hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

    God is God. Justice will be done.

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    1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Madeline. Yeah it is a very messy situation. I believe God can make it right. Hugs and love xox

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  22. I’m disappointed. Are we forgetting that Jesus died for our sins. That penance and reconciliation are integral to Catholic identity. Joining the mob mentality of putting someone’s head on a spike will not solve anything and draw us closer to Satan than our Lord and Savior. Succumbing to fear of being ashamed of being Catholic? I thought you had more faith than that. Asking for the Pope to step down? C’mon. What does that solve except put the Church under secular control – which I think is one of the motivators on the rapid dissemination of these events.

    What those priests did was beyond reprehensible. They should be removed from contact with kids and not protected from civil authorities. Victims should go to civil authorities because not doing so give the impression of wanting it to be handled privately. I understand being put in public is victimizing the victim again so we need to be cognizant and sensitive to their pain.
    How the victims were treated by the Church could have and should be better.

    Remember we all have one God to answer to when we depart this life and answer for our actions here on this earth. I pray that you and all of us receive God’s mercy and grace. Remember too that he who is without sin cast the first stone and Jesus, being without sin, did not.

    Let’s protect our kids and potential victims as best we can and unselfishly be there to help heal those who need it.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this difficult issue. I think that lots of our thinking and judgement is clouded by the disappointment and anger with the situation. I will join you in that prayer. And thanks for this wake up call too. Hugs and love xox

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    2. The broad church, its government structure, much of its teachings is already secular. This expands to Orthodoxy and Protestantism. The entite structute is secular and corrupt, deeply rooted in paganism even before it was institutionalised. Just see how Paul, in the first century, had to deal with sexual perversion in some churches. It were only the Jews in Jerusalem that were fully functional. Jesus never came to start a religion, go back to what He told the woman at the well. The religion and the bulk of its structures are man-made perversions not in line with the Bible. It fails the Word of God in so many respects, be it Catholic or Protestant. The thing is that we as Christians lack the integrity to live according to His Word, because we don’t know or apply what it teaches. Instead, we follow human dogma, thereby creating a quasi-Christianity.

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  23. Very great post. There are many things that lead to this. First, many people look at these priests as perfect sinless people. They are not. Second, people think that because they are away from the real world that they are unable to do bad things. That is definitely not the truth. A priest is human like anyone else and is prone to do evil things if he is not paying attention to what they are doing. Those who think they can blot out evil on their own strength is more prone to do evil. Jesus Christ is the only sinless man to walk the earth. Even when tempted, He did not give in, and He was in far worse situations than these priests. Trust in Jesus Christ. He will get you through.

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    1. Thank you JB. You’re right – we are all fallen. Jesus is our hope during these times. Hugs and love xox

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  24. “Jesus is worth fighting for. His Body and Blood are worth fighting for.” Amen and amen! My prayers are with you and every brother and sister of courage and integrity fighting to restore the Church to purity. Blessings to you!

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  25. Well-stated. The Church is acting like these priests were godless sinners who are just now repenting and seeing the light of Christ. Yet they were self-proclaimed men of God, living in the faith and the Holy Spirit, and actively blaspheming against it, harming the young and innocent in the process. They are on par with the Pharisees. Such sins following such a vocation are not matters lightly forgiven, and the actions may indeed be unforgivable in God’s eyes. I’ve read the Bible enough times to know that truth. We’ll pray for them, the victims, and our Church nevertheless. God will help his Church and those who love his Son.

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  26. Hi Carolyn Very brave very strong words. As one looking in from another denomination I want to comment briefly on other denominations taking in refugees from the Catholic Church. Firstly it must be devastating and disillusioning to find that their leaders have betrayed their trust and hide this behaviour and endorse it behind closed doors. You’re right not everyone in leadership endorses it or encourages it or even know who is committing this sin; the majority wouldn’t tolerate it if they knew who these people are.

    On rescuing those who have left the church because of this, it isn’t quite as simple as one or two sinful acts. It is much more to do with the debate over the authority of the church verses the authority of the bible. Which one is inspired by the Holy Spirit, which one reveals life giving truth and which one gives assurance of salvation. Protestants believe as you have pointed out in your own personal conviction here that it is Christ who saves and redeems us from sin.

    We/I don’t believe that the church has the power to save or redeem one from sin in and of itself, only true conviction, confession and repentance of sin will achieve this. Christ alone is the head of our church Christ is our mediator not the church, not a priest and certainly not a pope. Christ resides in our hearts. Christ does not reside in a building or a sacrament. We all represent the presence of Christ not just a Priest or a church building or a particular denomination. Truth is found in the bible alone it is our authority that tells us how we should live before man and God. The Catholic (universal church) is the body of Christ who are true believers.

    That being said none of us do that perfectly or even very well as you have pointed out from your own life experience. Forgiveness is there for the most saintly of people right through to the worst of humanity if they will only turn and ask God for forgiveness from their sin. Ultimately our sins are against God not man.

    The person who is forgiven is the one who turns to Christ. in essence salvation is from the Father through the Son by the Holy Spirit that reveals truth to us through the word of God, the holy scriptures. There is no salvation outside of this criteria.

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    1. Thank you friend. Yes very devastating. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this difficult topic. Hugs and love xox

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  27. This has been hard. And then there are the things that have been done to try and cover up…bleh.

    What the church needs right now as a whole is the same thing each one of us needs when we fail…a resolve to confess sins, do penance, and make amends (as the Act of Contrition says, albeit I’m paraphrasing). But first we need to fully confess, and right now I feel like many parts of the Catholic Church in America are struggling with that.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. You’re right this is a “come to Jesus” moment. Hugs and love xox

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      1. You’re welcome! And thank you for being an advocate for survivors. The Church (the Catholic Church and the Church Universal) needs more voices like yours! We need more voices calling for complete reform of minds, hearts, and souls!

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  29. We must be careful, as the saying goes, not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Twenty or so years ago, Benedict XVI (then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) foresaw a Church much smaller in numbers and means than the current version. If that’s what the Church needs to look like in order to fix this situation, so be it. Benedict then foresaw a new springtime for the faith, led by that smaller but faithful core of believers. Yes, we must fight, because, as you wrote, the Church, as it is meant to be, is worth it. And the best way to fight is through absolute fidelity at every level– laypersons, deacons like me and others, priests, bishops, cardinals and pope. After a proper investigation, anyone who has tarnished that fidelity should resign or be removed. And in the end, if we hold to the truth, we will be okay. But there is much to be done. Hugs and love– Deacon Mike Clapp.

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    1. Thank you so much for this powerful perspective, Mike. That is a really great point. And you’re right – it is so so worth it. Hugs and love xox

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      1. It’s noon Friday now, and I’ve just come back from a couple hours of Eucharistic Adoration. And I find myself conflicted about Pope Francis and whether he should resign. Pray for me as I sort thoughts out and create a blog post soon.

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  30. Heart wrenching post, yet your beautiful heart shines through. Jesus name isn’t going to be tarnished because of the sinners you referenced. But their names will be.
    Hugs my friend. Xoxo

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  31. Very well written! I have heard some despicable things from various leaders in this whole situation, and I do agree that the corruption at the top must be addressed. I have seen this abuse happen in tons of religious circles and excused depending upon the notoriety of the individual. Thank you, as always, for how you articulate on the tough issues and for your unwavering commitment to Jesus above all!

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  32. So true! I’m not leaving either! Strong words, strong stand! Keep up your good work expresssing the feelings of many of us! Live Truth, Live Catholic!

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  34. Thank you for writing this. I am angry too. I did see a report the other day that seems to indicate that the rumors about Pope Francis are not true and are drummed up by conservatives in the church who have wanted to start trouble against him. It wasn’t but a couple weeks ago that he made a strong statement about things when they were beginning to rumble in the news but then it all exploded so fast since. I hope that as some of the smoke can clear from this, that he CAN act. Time will tell. He, to me, doesn’t seem like the kind who would sweep it. He’s always been no-nonsense, not part of a church good ol’ boy type of network. Benedict, and I’m sorry to those, but JP2 too, were more like that. Back when the 1st big explosion of all this came to the fore, in 2002 or so, mostly in The Archdiocese of Boston (bringing down Cardinal Law etc..) we were fortunate here that our pastor got up and without any hesitation, said that we were all in a safe environment in our parish. I too feel sorrow and sorry for any victim of any of this, any where. I was fortunate to have grown up in a parish where the priests of my childhood were honorable to their calling, and while I wonder about one of them since then because he is no longer a priest, we as kids were NEVER in a dangerous environment with any of them. In my childhood parish’s diocese, there is alot of fury right now and the calling for the resignation of their present Bishop. They finally published a list of their diocese’s priests who have been charged, suspected etc.. 2 priests on the list served in my childhood parish, but luckily after my childhood, if the allegations were in fact true. I am glad too, to see that a follower of your page who is protestant, wrote that protestants have had their problems too. Yes they have. You see it in the news about a minister doing this or one doing that with all the excuse that they are saving everyone, that they are following scripture this/that way. You see some of these Mega Churches around the country where everybody goes because “oh the minister is so wooooonderful” and they think nothing of giving them $$$$ to fund their big stadium mega church, and then you hear about embezzlement etc.. You hear about physical abuses toward kids too.
    Personally? I think its time for one of 2 things. Either let married priests or female priests, or both, into Catholic clergy. Back in the back in the day (DECADES ago) the church could count on a priest and a nun from every family. Then as the 60s became so wavy in every aspect of social life, and the church changed with Vatican 2, so did the amount of priests. Seeing all this sickness, makes me wonder if they, in the 70s, saw the slip in priests getting worse and tried to bandaid it by letting in anybody they could get just to boost numbers, especially in big parishes. That may not be accurate, just a thought. Lets hope actions can come up that can help ALL our angers heal. Keep going to church! The church has been through schisms over its centuries and they all eventually healed. This will too. Hugs and love! xoxoxoxoxoxo

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    1. Thanks Miguel for this perspective. I hope you’re right about that. You’re right – every religious organization has their problems. Those are interesting solution ideas. Big hugs xox

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  35. Sorry, but I found your post to be as phony as the Catholic Church. If you read the Bible you’ll find out there is nothing new under the sun. Mankind as abused itself for thousands of years and in thousands of ways. As sad and unthinkable as that is! It’s what you get when you put your faith and trust in mankind and religion. It’s unthinkable to me that people sitting in church any church know so little about God that sex abuse makes sense to them. When we took our kids to childcare at church we interviewed the people providing the care and we would check in on them unannounced and randomly, because as their parents it was our job to protect them. If you think this is bad because its the Catholic Church aren’t you cheapening all the sexual abuse against women, men, kids in elementary schools, or how about College Athletes! Our society is in big trouble and sexual abuse is only a small part of it. We as Human Beings need to treat each other way better than we do, way better than we have for thousands of years.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this difficult issue. There’s definitely truth in the fact that we all need to do better. Hugs and love xox

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  37. Wonderful, meaty thoughts all through this. All very Biblical:

    “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath. Ephesians 4:26

    Your anger is Biblical, appropriate. Let it have its season, inspiring you to do the right things, as you obviously are in tonight’s article. Then let it go once it sets you on the right path.

    The best part of your article is the shortest: “I don’t place my faith in fallible men who are running the religious organization, known as Catholicism. My faith is in Jesus.”

    One of the hardest facts to make clear to those who judge God based on people’s action is that God is not a church. I heard people rail against God for teachings of the church, right or wrong. Whatever their pick, they need to talk to the right party. In tonight’s case that is the Roman Catholic Hierarchy and NOT the Roman Catholic Church. You and those like you do the true heritage of Christianity proud, regardless of denomination. Reforming and not running is absolutely the correct response. Listen to St. Paul:

    Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? 1 Corinthians 1:12-13a

    Paul wrote that regarding sectarianism, but it is appropriate here, because, ultimately, it is about unifying as the bride of Christ and not splitting off into man-made groups. Certainly perverse groups!

    So, as I wrote at the top, tonight’s missive is spot on and eminently, Biblically correct. So well done you! I know you don’t enjoy these sorts of topics, but sometimes I think you do your best writing when you’re pissed off, whether it’s about something like this or giving ED the literary finger! You become that insightful, inspirational, warrior for the Cross. That’s why you inspire so many and why I enjoy you so much!

    Hopefully you saw my email. Happy to help, if you wish. Hugs & blessings!

    Finally, I know you are having trouble responding tonight, so know that my prayers are with you. Not easy for you at all!

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    1. Thank you Jeff. You’re right. Feel t and then let it go. And it’s so true – my faith is in Jesus. Not an organization. Organizations are ripe with corruption, no matter how “holy” or “upstanding” they may be. We are children of the fall and reflect that in even our best pursuits. Thank you for your wonderfully kind words and friendship as always Jeff. Yeah – didn’t help that I was out with a friend taking a walk so I couldn’t respond! Haha Hugs and love to you and Julie xox

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  40. Great post, my friend. I am impressed with your candor and agree that a few poor examples don’t “make” the church or the other honorable priests who have spent their whole lives serving their parishes and doing good work. Thanks for your insights and keep up the great writing. All the best….

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    1. Thank you friend. You’re right – there are so many good good priests who have devoted their lives in a beautiful way to the church. Hugs and love xox

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  41. Very well said! I still have faith but definitely not with the church. Signed my son up for weekly religious classes and I was trying to have a conversation with the priest….he couldnt be bothered. I don’t think jesus walked this earth acting like that….lol I’m trying to do the right thing and I come home shaking me head.

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this. I’m sorry you felt ignored by the priest. Hopefully he was just busy or having a bad day! Hugs and love xox

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  42. Trust me, it happens in Protestant churches as well and also get covered up. On my blog, there is a post about this. The thing is that you shouldn’t be ashamed to be Catholic but rather that we should be ashamed to be Christian. After all, 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 teaches us not even to eat with gossipers, frauds, greedy folks or sexually perverted who call themselves believers, but to evict them. When South Africa’s foremost Pentecostal church covered up the statutory rape and sexual abuse of a stunning BLIND 13-year old girl in the 1980’s, I was furious. The Christian community in Cape Town, South Africa quickly forgave a pedophile, one that I know personally, then allowing him to be in contact with teens at youth camps, with parents none the wiser. I personally know another convicted pedophile who got away after molesting well over a hundred minors. He only got a light commuted (?) sentence. (im not English) so he wasn’t even jailed…..and soon was at it again, for the past thirty years, to molest even more. Fellow Protestants treat him rather well, while I was ostracised after warning parents, churches and local Christian radio stations. There are more case studies of apparently innocent, “very OK” Protestant child molestation. Just don’t wear robes or carry chalices – only then does it sin. Corporate Christianity really, really sucks sometimes. It is apalling how bad our Scripture knowledge is and how terrible we are at living up to it. We cherry pick our values, as a community and excel at being hypocrites in a corporate sense. I stepped out of church in 2007 and have never been happier, after I found that almost half our last charismatic Protestant church were involved in all manner of sexual iniquity, swinger’s club in church, cross-marital sexual acts while they were being vociferous about all Catholics going to hell, in their expert opinion. It is ghastly, no place to worship.

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    1. Oh gosh that is so horrible. Just breaks my heart. I am so sorry to hear that. how awful. Thank you for sharing that. Hugs and love xox

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      1. Yes, it is saddening, isn’t it? Then we Protestants crack inartful jokes about Catholic priests or condemn all Catholics to hell. Oh, this is so righteous and loving to bash others when they’re not present to defend themselves. I must be forthright to prove a point: one Sunday evening, we attended a Dutch Reformed church service and there was this girl, late teens or early twenties, in the skimpiest of miniskirts, exposing what can, trying to be civil, be described as “deforested loins.” I was so uncomfortable. The blood drained from my face. She went up to a young man who sat there praying, to give him a loooong hug. I see this as sexual assault but I invoked the fury of hell when I discreetly asked the pastor to address the way some ladies generally dress in church. In the same denomination, for many years, I was made unwelcome when not dressed in a suit. Often did I see mothers compete with daughters, both revealing wayy more than what is decent. How is that any different from a priest with fiddly fingers? Should the pot call the kettle black?

        I apologise if I was too forthright yet, as the sexuality is displayed in public, the public should address it. Love from Cape Town.

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  43. Don’t be ashamed…the Church is good, but it’s some of the men who are evil. There have always been men who have tried to destroy the church from within. Remember though, that most of our priests are good and Holy men who are as devastated by this as we are. Send your e-mail address to me at rvisotski@gmail.com and I’ll send you some information that will explain what’s happened and where the church goes from here. I see there are a plethora of comments and links. I’ll check those out, but also have mine to offer.
    oremus pro invicem.

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    1. You’re so right about that, Ray. There are fallen men. But Jesus is always and forever, good. Big hugs to you x

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  44. Hi Caralyn,

    As a former Catholic, and as someone who got to know Jesus inside the Roman Catholic Church, I get where you are coming from.

    But let me give you something to think about: The kind of church that we belong to also matters much to us, not just our relationship with Christ. Because it is only when we are in the company of other true believers of Jesus, being discipled by those who are more matured than us in the faith, and being surrounded by our siblings in a loving and forgiving community, can we truly become the persons God wants us to be. And I’ve found this to be true in my own life; I could never have reached where I am now if not for my church.

    I’m not saying of course that there is a perfect church, because there is none. But there must be a limit to how much we can tolerate….

    Blessings to you.

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    1. Hi Arjay, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this, and for giving me that to think about. Hugs and love xox

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  45. Quoting from u

    [Or are we going to fight? Are we going to stand up and say, “This is wrong. This is not the Church that Jesus founded. We need to eradicate the corruption.” ]

    Fully agree with that!

    We should FIGHT!!

    This problem of abuse not isolated to Catholic churches.

    Churches today, across denominations are a far cry from what we read in Acts 11.26.

    But I can share that once we start to FIGHT for truth and justice the way Jesus wanted, we will be labeled “anti-establishment”, “not submissive”, “rebellious” and “thrown out”, “thrown under the bus”

    I myself have been ostracized by the church I grew up with, and by churches, because I had spoken and fought against leadership abuses … money issue, nepotism, oh yes, Senior Pastors appointing their own wives and family to position to control church finance, abuse volunteers as “free labors” … and what’s happening in Catholic church happened in other denominations as well

    How long have I been fighting against leadership abuse? 30 years and counting

    But this is what I can boast of

    Psalm 9:10
    And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

    Over the years the Lord had brought to me, true friends who are real disciples of Jesus

    This is the real church we should be having. The church is about people and community.

    Acts 11:26
    and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

    People who truly love God and care about others in truth and righteousness. People who will contribute to other’s blessing.

    When we fight, there will those in leadership who will tell us “we are Christian, we should be peaceful, we should be nice and polite”

    But to what extend?

    Share one more incident and I would end this ..

    One time I was involved in volunteer counseling and Bible teaching. A lady who attended my Bible class regular said to me “my husband kick me and attack me “. It was real, her bruise and injury were visible.

    I said to her “call the police, stop him from hitting u”. she said ” but the Senior Pastor told me not to”.

    I ask why? She said ” the Pastor told me Christian should not use lawyers and law enforcement against their own people”.

    What do you readers think?

    Weeks later again she ask me for help and prayer about the same problem, I said to her blunt and direct “Next time your husband attack u, YOU GO STRAIGHT TO THE KITCHEN, GRAB A FRYING PAN AND WACK HIM!”

    This is call “self defense”

    Beware of hypocrite leaderships who pervert justice and rob the innocence, especially those who practice “victim blaming”

    Luke 12:1-3
    Jesus began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

    we should fight for truth and justice

    Jesus died on the cross for truth and justice to set us free from sin, death and corruption

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  46. I’m Orthodox but my heart goes out to you and all other Catholics because I feel like we are still the same church. This Pope seems like a complete disaster, almost like a plant to deliberately continue this terrible blot on the Church. All the mainstream clowns hated Benedict, but at least Benedict stood up and called out a good many problems with the world and the Church. Francis just seems like he tells the non-Christians in the media everything they want to hear. Very sad and infuriating.

    Good on you for not leaving the Church. It’s the laity that needs to demand changes. No gay priests would be a good start. What do you think about allowing priests to marry? That’s what my church does and it seems to curtail abuse dramatically.

    Anyway, God bless all the faithful and the victims of this terrible abuse. I’d hang all the pedophiles and other sexual abusers if I could—and I’d enjoy every minute of it—but then again I’m an imperfect man.

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    1. thank you so much Alex. Yes, we need to demand a change. Allowing priests to marry is an interesting idea. When they join the priesthood, they are marrying the Church. It is a sacrament of vocation – just like the sacrament of marriage is a vocation. You devote your life to your spouse, and in their case it is Christ in the Church, and it is really a beautiful thing. Hugs and love xox

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      1. It’s an interesting question. From what I understand, the prohibition on priests being married is not scriptural, but traditional. My grandfather, an orthodox priest, told me the prohibition stemmed from a desire to curb church land from being bequeathed to priests’ families, but as other measures were put in place to prevent this, the prohibition was lifted (at least in Orthodoxy). Bishops and any other higher ranking clergy, however, are still not allowed to marry.

        It’s an interesting question with no easy answers. One would think, however, that the church would unequivocally punish, excommunicate, and expel sexual abusers and those who cover for them.

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      2. thanks for sharing your thoughts, Alex. What an interesting perspective. I agree. there needs to be a strong stance of no more. Hugs and love xox

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  47. Thanks for sharing this Caralyn! I was mortified when I heard this and truly disgusted. I truly echo the same sentiments that you shared and hope to one day that this never happens again. There are times in life when I feel ashamed of my religion because of these scandalous incidents but I never waver in my faith in God. Thanks for always being a positive influence in my life with your strong belief in God!

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    1. Thank you so much Mark. Yeah it is such a sad sad situation. I really appreciate your kind words 🙂 Amen – never waiver in that faith! Hugs and love xox

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  49. Saint Oster once said to Our Lord when weaker followers left Him, “Master where else would we go?” We are in the same boat as St Peter. This is the last house on the block for me. (Excuse the mixed metaphor) I was an Episcopalian, a church filled the souls totally adrift, hoping to rationalize whatever sexual behavior they possessed

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    1. or desired, with living a righteous life. From my own experience I found that moral compass impossible to guide my life by. I became Catholic and let chastity work its way into my life and world view.

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      1. Catholicism really is a beautiful thing. thank you for sharing your thoughts David. Hugs and love xox

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