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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398 thoughts on “The Catholic Sex Abuse Scandal”

  1. I’d never advocate running TOWARD any Protestant church, but the Orthodox Christian church is always an option…
    I don’t believe these are priest that are predators. As if they transformed into predators after becoming priests. I look at it as predators who became priests. Just like other predators become school teachers, counselors, etc. They put themselves into positions of trust in order to carry out their evil passions.
    I am so sorry you, and other Catholics, are hurting right now. Unfortunately, I don’t think the Catholic church is ever going to handle this situation correctly, nor will it ever be able to rid itself of this problem. Evil finds a way to flourish and for some reason, there are too many opportunities for it to do so in this environment. More checks and balances are needed, more accountability, but from what I have read about the ‘government’ in the Catholic church, there doesn’t seem to be much chance of self regulation. Perhaps if the parents got together and formed ‘protection details’ at their parishes? Pull all altar boys from service. Make sure multiple parents are a part of every event involving children. Never leave your child alone with anyone no matter how much you love/trust them because those the children trust are the ones doing the damage. ‘Stranger danger’ has fooled people into thinking danger comes from strangers (the man with the leash looking for his dog is prevalent and it does happen but it is not as common) but in reality, it comes more from those we trust.
    Hugs and prayers for my Catholic brothers and sisters and prayers for the victims. Lord have mercy.

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and heart on this issue. I will definitely join you in those prayers. It is such a tough issue. And it is so hard because in every organization, we are all humans and products of the fall, and nothing on earth will ever be perfect. We need to rectify this evil situation and purify it as best and swiftly as possible. Hugs and love xox

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  2. Thank you for publicly sharing your deeply personal thoughts and emotions on this terrible, despicable issue. You being a member of the Catholic Church, your thoughts carry much weight. I am not Catholic, but my heart grieves deeply for you and for each of your Church’s membership, across the globe who grieve over the heartbreaking testimonies coming to light. I am praying for you, for your Church as a whole, for Jesus’ perfect light to shine in every dark place, illuminating every single secret and wrong doing, and then for healing for all of you. I applaud you for concentrating on Jesus and standing strong against the enemy and not allowing him to derail you and your faith. Jesus is worth standing up for and fighting for, and if that means standing up for your Church, Catholic or not, then you, and each of us should stand! Love and prayers to you!

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    1. Thank you so much Mindy for sharing your thoughts on this issue. I appreciate your prayers and will definitely join you in them – yes – for Jesus light to rid out the darkness! Hugs and love xox

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  3. I’m so glad you pointed out the difference between the teaching of the Catholic Church, from those who exploit their position of power. The abuse of power applies in religious and in the secular worlds as well. Unfortunately, for the anti-religionist benchwarmers, they consistently don’t recognize those distinctions. xoxo

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  4. As a fellow follower of Jesus, it is a hurting time. Thank you for sharing from the depth of your heart. Events like this can almost derail our faith in God. I admire you for choosing to fight. Much love and prayers.

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  5. Hey it’s Tom, so sorry I haven’t been on lately and keeping up. Hope all is well with you!

    It is abhorrent. It definitely colors and mar the gospel of Christ that the Catholic Church is supposed to represent. This is an ongoing scandal that the Catholic Church hasn’t been able to shake. Even from the time I was in middle school and high school, I remember stories coming out about clergy abuse in the Catholic leadership. And it angers me–for one particular reason. Yes the acts themselves are evil and my personal beliefs about the punishment towards people who commit such a heinous act aside, I believe the real fault lies in the Catholic leadership in the Vatican. The center for the Catholic Church has either failed repeatedly to look into these abuse claims and punish accordingly, tried to cover it up, stayed silent, and maligned the stories of the victims. I hope I’m not getting to personal in saying these things about the Church, I know how dear it is to you and how much this personally pains and upsets you. But what really upsets me is those are not part of the Christian faith are painting a large brush over the church and saying that’s all of Christianity when it is in fact a world problem–it’s not just contained to one group.

    Hope you are well!
    ~Tom

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    1. Hi Tom, great to hear from you! Thank you so much for your reflection on this. Sadly you’re right – this isn’t new. I pray the evil gets rooted out and that a renewal and purification can occur immediately. Hugs and love xox

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      1. Indeed, and it is not only a church issue, but a societal plague–it reaches across the culture and pervades everything. The hardest part about all this is the Church, the body of Christ, is to be a refuge and a place of healing. Yet, those entrusted with shepherding our souls have also fallen prey to the worse evils and hurt the most innocent of us.

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  6. This is very true and alarming issue. In my country, (Philippines) where the major demonation of Christians are Catholics, there are a lot of victims suffering from sexual abuse from priests and nuns. Yet, the Catholics are just covering the issue and paying the media to hide the truth.
    This is a big societal problem that needs to be cured.

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts on your blog.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. So sad. You’re right – it needs to cured and rectified immediately. Hugs and love xox

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  7. I recently re-watched THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING and the scene where they are in the mines and Frodo tells Gandalf that he wishes that the Ring had never come to him and Gandalf says, “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide,” really struck a cord with me this time around.

    As a historian, I know that the Church has been through the ringer numerous times before: the schisms, the Borgias, the Renaissance popes, the mass corruption of major religious orders, etc. But that doesn’t erase the fact that this latest corruption/scandal is happening and that we are having to live through it now.

    They say that God brings good from evil and I think that the same thing will happen here. We became spoiled by two good popes back to back–St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. We got into the habit of thinking that the Church leaders would solve all the problems, that we were on Easy Street. Now that we know that the problem is not just a couple of corrupt priests but corruption that extends to the upper levels of the hierarchy, we–hopefully–have realized that we have a responsibility too. Like Ven. Fulton Sheen said, the check upon the priests is us.

    We thought that all the Church’s problems would be solved by the clergy. Some will be. But problems, more generally will be solved by saints. And that’s what we’re all called to be.

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    1. Wow that sounds like a powerful scene. Yeah sadly this is not new. I pray we can purify the church and root out the evil. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. Hugs and love xox

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  9. We’ve let the Enemy in. Usually the Church is attacked from the outside, but this time the forces of evil were inside and the result has been as disastrous as you’ve described. However, I firmly believe in what Jesus say: the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against the Church. We need prayer and penance, we need to make as many reforms as needed so this doesn’t happen again, and we need to trust God and the many good priests that there are all around the world. For the victims, healing is possible too, the same way you and I have been healed of our eating disorder. Speaking up has been a great step and I hope they can find love and comforting from people who care and find God again.

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    1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this, Paola. Yes. Prayer and Penance. I will join you in that prayer. Hugs and love xox

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  11. I think the key here for ALL of us who are Christ followers, is three-fold: sincere confession of our sin to the Lord, seeking the Lord first and foremost (including His forgiveness, and the forgiveness of others – where appropriate – and in time), and actively turning away from the confessed behavior. If we fail to do these things, then the behavior is destined to repeat itself and get deeper (as we have not invited the Lord into the situation to provide healing). God is faithful, and He will equip us to turn away from these misdeeds, when our focus turns away from ourselves and on to Him. A familiar passage from 2 Chronicles 7 may be illustrative here:

    “if my people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
    ‭‭2 Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭(ESV‬‬)

    I believe that the three-fold seek God/confess/repent are critical for ALL of us – whether we are a church, a country, or a family. God makes it clear that acknowledging wrongdoing is not enough; Such acknowledgment must be paired with action that involves Him, and seeks to make amends – even from a distance – to the one(s) we have wounded, such that these wounds will not be repeated in the future.

    As always, thank you for your heartfelt and thoughtful posts. I believe that God continues to use your ministry to bring unity and peace (not necessarily the same thing as agreement, and that is OK) to people regarding issues of great significance, and this is a valuable gift. ✝️💛

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  12. So sorry for the pain you and my other Catholic friends are feeling. Praying for the victims but also my many Catholic friends who, like you, are hurting and not sure what they should do. Praying that keep their eyes on Jesus and do not give up on their faith in Him.

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  13. I just wanted to encourage you. The majority of leadership are wonderful and love Jesus like we do. It is disheartening when people sin and devastating when it involves leadership and children. But I assure you that God still wants everyone saved and still loves us all dearly. Focus on Him and don’t lose heart. And I love your heart for Jesus and justice. Keep that, it is very beautiful! Love and hugs! XO

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  14. Well said, Beauty. It’s truly heartbreaking in so many regards. I think of the families who entrusted their sweet and faithful sons, and then these horrific things were done to them. Then no justice, only more sweeping under the rug, more shame and abuse. The young men themselves. I just can hardly stand it. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There is no justice with mercy, and no mercy without justice. Only His righteousness makes the right balance possible. I am truly grateful that the curtain is being pulled back on the darkness and hopefully prayerful these incidents are stirirring the hearts and minds of the lay people to get involved, be alert. Pray. Serve. Don’t be silently trusting. Be connected. To Hesus and each other. Lord, help us.

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  16. It saddens me, but does not overly surprise me. I have long felt that it is a flaw to require celibacy of the priesthood, no other church (even the origins in Judaism) require it. It is a lot to ask of anyone, something Jesus never did.

    I’m not sure about P. Francis and the allegations. Whenever there is a scandal, in any arena, accusations of conspiracy and coverups fly, and in the “bad news sells” media it typically gets unsubstantiated coverage. The media is different than when I was young, research is non-existent and hiding behind the 1st Amendment and source protection are used as an excuse not to do the fact checking.

    In any case, the reason people go to church (RC or any) should be for the comfort it gives the soul, not for any particular preacher. I come from a diverse background (RC, Orthodox, Byzantine), when I was of age I chose the church where the liturgy stirred my soul, leaving a priest whom I dearly loved for his gentleness and love of God. But, priests come and go (sadly, he passed when I was in college), but the soul is eternal.

    With God’s Love.

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    1. Thank you friend for sharing your thoughts on this. That’s true, we need to make sure we’re getting credible information. Hugs and love xox

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  18. I like your reference to Christians as opposed to Catholic, or for that matter Baptist or any other label within Christianity. Each may have an emphasis which is worthwhile bringing focus to but we will not be saved in heaven because of the label we give ourselves or some ritual we do. We will be saved by the blood of Jesus and it is the relationship with Jesus that will get us there, not some priest or minister who attempts to act as a go between. Only you and Jesus, no one else in the equation. Now on the point of your blog. From heaven standpoint as the Angels and unfallen beings look down on us we are all dysfunctional. We as a human race changed when Adam and Eve liked what satan said in Eden rather than what God told them was best for them. And over the thousands of years since we have mutated downward genetically which makes sin more attractive. Priests and Ministers are not special. They are human and they need to recognize that. You’ve met exemplary men of the cloth and so have I, but they are still sinners in the sight of God the same as the rest of us. There is a chance for all of us if we let the Holy Spirit work on us but it will be a lifetime repair job until Jesus changes us at the time of His coming as recorded in the book of Thessalonians. There are some sins though that are so destructive that they will not be forgiven when we are all examined at the time of the judgment. Jesus said in paraphrase that anyone who messes up the lives of children it will be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and drowned. So God takes messing up children’s lives very seriously indeed.

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  19. As usual, well said. As a life time Protestant, don’t think that sexual misconduct afflicts only the Catholic church. Over my life as a believer, we’ve gone to about 4-5 churches. Every one of those has had some sexual failing among its senior leadership. Two reasons I believe. First, and most important, demonic attack. And second, and nearly as important, these people are in a position to become emotionally involved w/their parishioners. Which, not unsurprisingly, leads to intimacy. A slippery slope.
    But pedophilia is on an entirely different plane. No excuse! Disgusting!
    I saw a post the other day by a Catholic woman who said it may be a good time to join the church. Why? Because things have gotten so bad that they may finally be willing to confront the evil and make the required changes. We’ll see. And pray.

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  20. I’m not overly surprised by the scandals you mention. In fact, I suspect that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Critics will leap on it. But the crud in the Church has nothing to do with heaven. 🙂💒❤

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  21. Brilliant post. I have been a Catholic ever since I can remember. I have lost my way for more than a few times but somehow, I am always drawn back. It had always been a mystery to me how and why that happens, but I’ve been sure that there is a reason. I just haven’t gotten the grasp o it yet. Reading your posts, it makes me want to go all in once more, but I’m already afraid. Maybe soon. Until then, I’m content where I am, I believe in what I believe in. And to me, that’s enough for now.

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  22. Thank your for your perspective. The issue of this extends beyond Catholicism since we have seen the scandals of those non-Roman Catholic Christian leaders that have abused their positions of power, most recently Bill Hybels. The issue of power and the sin that the hunger for it can create helps us to realize our need for humility within leadership in the Church. We are not called to be leaders lording over others, but humble servants shining Christ’s light. Anytime that one tries to hide sin is where it gains power. Sin brought to light removes the shame and allows for healing and forgiveness. That is the where all of us can begin. No Christian should look at the scandal as an opportunity to build up the flock of another group. Some may leave for other church groups, but many, when they leave, leave the Christian faith entirely. We all need to rally around the Gospel of Jesus Christ and decry the wrong that has been done, remove those that were in power that allowed for the abuse, give appropriate punishment to those who were engaged and/or enabled the abuse, and seek restoration of the Church to her rightful place (I would look to Ephesians 5:21-33 for guidance). May Christ’s love shine out in the end and may this darkness be banished from the faith we hold together. Being a Lutheran pastor, I am quite saddened but I do pray that Pope Francis be removed as I see his leadership as being harmful to the faith in its entirety not just to Roman Catholics but to Christianity as a whole.

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  23. I like you am Catholic. I was raised Catholic, we raised our daughters Catholic…when they were growing up we were very active in our church. My husband & I were Eucharistic Ministers, our daughters were altar servers as well as Lectors. Parishioners would joke that literally our whole family served in some capacity at Mass! Then five years ago…a relative called me to tell me he had been sexually molested as a young boy in the late 1960’s – early 1970s. The priest responsible was still a practicing priest, still reaching out to the youth of the parish. Shortly after my relative called, the priest was brought up on charges. This scandal has changed the way I look at the Catholic Church.

    You said it so beautifully, and I wholeheartedly agree with you, I believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I am still sorting out how I feel about the Catholic Church, understanding that forgiveness is a part of being a Christian. The corruption, the coverup, the lying, the deceit…morally it just is so contrary to how I was raised IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH! I appreciate how well you articulated this topic!:). God Bless You!

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  26. Great post on a difficult topic. The saddest thing about this crisis is how often it has been covered up by the church hierarchy. I read somewhere that only 3% of priests are pedophiles. If that is true, it creates a horrible stereotype that hurts the other 97% (including those who are not responsible for covering up others’ crimes).

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    1. Thanks Michael. You’re so right – this is hurting the good priests so much. It breaks my heart. Hugs and love xox

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  28. A wonderful post. Much truth . I shared it with me son-in-law who is a ordained Catholic deacon in Boston, and has spoken out strongly there. As he wrote back in response to your article, ” I will not resign the church to evil.” Thank you for your faithfulness.

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  29. As you may know, I left the normal protestant church thing because I wanted to get back, as best I could, to what Jesus actually started. I had to admit we are pretty far off base. I had to also study early church history. Precatholic. I admire you want to defend your church, but catholic is not what Jesus started either. Maybe it’s time we all begin to admit these things, and get back to what Jesus actually did. I’m not targeting cstholic, because like I said, I already had to face the ugly truth concerning my own church of many many years. I know it’s depressing, but better to have the truth than remain deceived. How many people have been taught God’s word by these sinful men? Try to tell me they teach it right? Sorry, but people are being misled by false teachers, let alone those physically hurt by them.

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  30. Thank you so much for your courage, humility, honesty, and heart for reformation.
    I am saddened and sickened by the stories of abuse you are helping to shine the spotlight on!
    I am excited with sorrowful hopeful joy that the courage and humility of people like you will result in change through Truth and Spirit. May Jesus strengthen you and give you clarity through the Holy Spirit in this season. Here are a couple songs I really like from a great album that I thought you might enjoy and find encourage you

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  31. Thank you for another good article. As an outsider it appears to me that the laity of the RCC must step up and call the professional clergy to account. It appears that they are unwilling or unable to police themselves, therefore the laity must do it. The LORD be with you.

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  33. Well put. I appreciate hearing your perspective on this difficult issue. Know that I’ll be praying for you and all our Catholic brothers and sisters!

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  34. What has happened in the Catholic Church is for sure very ugly. If I remember correctly, some years ago, there was an outbreak of the same kind.

    I’ve thought a lot about what us humans do that are stupid and the things we expect. The weirdest part about us humans, is we do things which are against human nature and expect us not to bend to the will of it.

    I am not justifying anything, what I am pointing to is our reaction to the lousy events we put ourselves in. We are fallible humans, very much so. Just listen to the news everyday . . .we are constantly expected to perform outside what we are.

    It’s our assumption we will be something we are not. We put woman and men together in situations and expect both not be either.

    We ask men to put aside their natural behavior and if they have an illness, we ask them too not to acknowledge it.

    I understand how we want to believe it will be safe, it’s the church, but the church, regardless of how “Godly” we believe it to be, it is still made up of the humans, fallible humans.

    I hope what I am trying to say is making sense. We should be upset by the behavior of people, but we also must understand that our expectations may also not be inline, we are expecting perfect behavior from a sinful creature, us.

    My final thought about Church, is I truly believe Christians should not look to the church or their pastors for their spiritual guidance, make sure you have your faith, your relationship grounded in your love of Jesus Christ himself. For as we can see, it is easy for the Church, the leadership to go astray, be aware, do not follow. God Bless.

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  36. I am not Catholic, but I am also Christian of the Protestant kind. You are correct–we are not worshipping because of the “church leaders,” we are worshipping Jesus Christ, who is our redeemer. Continue to fight the good fight!

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  38. I’ve been a Baptist for 50 years, and have met so many people abused by religious leaders of all kinds it just breaks my heart. I remember when our small rural church 10 or 15 years ago – maybe due to the 2002 thing – was advised by our association to put windows in all our Sunday School classrooms. Some of the teachers (female) were insulted that anyone needed to check on their behavior. But one of our blunter members pointed out that it would also protect the teachers if any of the kids decided to cause trouble by lying. The arguments stopped and the doors were changed that weekend before church on Sunday. Just as we recognize not all our leaders are saintly, neither are members, especially some teen going through bad times who has been forced by family to come to church and takes it out on the teacher.

    One of my own sisters who is shorter than most of the teen boys, was body pressed into a wall in the Sunday School classroom by a 14 year old. She wasn’t traumatized, she just asked him if he wanted to find out why athletic cups are necessary. Then she told his mom, who was a friend and very down to earth. He straightened up and today is a wonderful young man and a good friend like his mother.

    But grown people who molest small children and young adults have special problems. A documentary I once saw interviewed a child molester who complained about being released from prison. “What, do they think I’m cured? Because I’m not. I don’t want to molest children, but I will, as soon as I’m free. I’m sick in the head and people like me never get cured. Just either kill us or put us where we’ll never come into contact with children again. We can’t be made safe to be in the general public.”

    Jesus said if a body part offends us or causes us to sin, remove it and cast it away. There are people who make mistakes and regret it. They can be helped. Others enjoy their crimes and revel in their power. Those should be removed and left to civil retribution of jail time. Leave the church? No. Stay, and be part of the resolution and healing. But to do that, we must be shepherds, not sheep. Not even sheep dogs. We have the knowledge and awareness, and the duty to make decisions and take actions.

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this incredibly difficult issue. It absolutely breaks my heart. Lots of wisdom here. Hugs and love xox

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  39. This is also going on in Australia. The highest-ranked Australian in the Catholic church, Cardinal George Pell, has had to come back from Rome to face child abuse charges. When he was refusing to come back, Tim Minchin wrote a song called ‘Come Home Cardinal Pell’ to raise money for the survivors to fly to Rome to confront him there.
    Powerful post.

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  40. These and all the “controversies: in the modern church whether it be the Catholic or Protestant denomination prove that the bible is true. Man apart from Christ is evil (John 3:19) and that some even the leadership in churches are fallen men who are ‘playing’ the roles of leaders. Read the parable of the sower in the Book of Mark chapter 4; it speaks of four kinds of folks who hear the word of God. Some will make it to the gates of heaven only to be told by Christ away I never knew you and cast into hell. Only one of the four will be granted access to the kingdom; only one did not run from the word or was not a great pretender.

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  41. On my blog “Alaboutnothing” we have been doing some posts about the state of the Vatican and because we are no longer Catholic we did not feel the effect. When we read your post on how the recent events effected you it hit us like a ton of bricks. We can feel your pain in your words and this needs to be said, especially by Catholics. We are paying for a healing for you and because it’s now “out there” we hope for solutions. I am going to do a follow up about the Vatican and I plan to use link to your piece, and will be sure to include that because we are not Catholic, this is a coming from a devout Catholic….. You have been following us for a long time and we appreciate every like. We like your words because we can feel your energy in every letter. Please continue and know that this Catholic post will open the eyes of many and then we can start a healing.
    Namaste

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this. I would be honored if you linked!! I look forward to reading it. Hugs and love xox

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  42. I was Catholic until I was 18. I was an altar boy and I never experienced such horrors. I am so sad when I read that others had other experiences. I loved my time as a Catholic but it was not for me. I feel a lot more attracted to Russian Orthodoxy, Islam and Bahaiism.

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  44. A thought-provoking article…
    THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (excerpts of an article written by non-Catholic Sam Miller, a prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman)
    “WHY would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the U.S., namely the Catholic Church?
    Do you know–the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students everyday at the cost to that Church of $10B, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of $18B.
    The graduates go on to graduate studies at the rate of 92%. The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S., with an enrollment of 700,000 students.
    The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people–not just Catholics–in the U.S. today.
    But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country.
    They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the institution of marriage.
    Let me give you some figures that Catholics should know and remember.
    For example, 12% of 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner; 38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church , 41.8% of clergy women reported unwanted sexual behavior; 17% of laywomen have been sexually harassed.
    Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty of pedophilia. 10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia. This is NOT a Catholic problem.
    A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.
    The Catholic Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church.
    You have been hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally weeded out by now and a number of bishops who failed to act.
    Walk with your shoulders high and your head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United States.
    Then remember what Jeremiah said: ‘Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls’.
    Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions.
    Be proud that you’re a Catholic!”
    (Feel free to pass this on to your Catholic friends, and even to those who’re not!)

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  45. If the options you have are fight or flight, I would advise a third option.

    The problem with flight is that there are broken sinners in every denomination and non-denomination. As a pastor who has served both as a non-denom, and now in an older liturgical denomination, I cantell you this. It is there, and too many laypeople and clergy refuse to acknowledge it. Primarily because they have seen these same men do things that are good and right.
    So fleeing to the baptists, methodists, anglicans, non-denoms, it is encountered there, at about the same percentage. ( Which is still a lot lower than we would expect on the news)

    The problem withfighting is that it only drives the sin more underground, and makes those who are guilty of it even more dangerous and devious.

    A different option is to encourage those who are struggling with this temptaiton to get help prior to actively engaging in it. To provide them something that keeps the publcc safe, while prviding them the ability to get the help for their brokenness. Example, a major stay in a monastic setting, where they are isolated, but recieve cousneling and the sacraments to deal with their sin. Obviously, if there is sin involved, the proper legal steps should occur. But how do we stop it from occuring? Renewal and healing, prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit!

    The Lord is with you!

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  46. Such a huge topic. Australia has a stain from the church also. Sadly. We have something called the Stolen Generation where aboriginal babies were taken from their parents. I have a friend who was part of this epidemic. Stolen and raised by priests in Italy from a baby. The church has no shame. Cheers,H

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    1. thanks H. oh gosh that absolutely breaks my heart. I had no idea. thank you for bringing this to my attention. i will definitely pray for your friend. gosh so sad. Hugs and love xox

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  50. Thank you for sharing on this important and difficult topic. As a pastor myself of the evengelical persuasion I have seen and been horrifed not just by the high profile leaders that have been exposed in the evangelical church but also by the stories I have heard personally from people who have confessed to me past traumas at the hands of church leaders. One of the greatest abuses is the denial and covering men of God have done on behalf of the offenders making the victims feel ashamed and worhless. My response is always the same- on behalf of the church, as a pastor and a man, “I am very sorry you were hurt, that you were not believed, listened to and that you were made to feel anything less then loved and valuable. Youndid not deserve anything that happened to you.” You said it well and thank you for clinging to your faith even with the failures of those who “represent”. “Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.”
    Be blessed and keep fighting the good fight.
    Dan

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    1. Thank you Dan for sharing your thoughts about this challenging issue. What a powerful response. And it’s so true. Thanks for this powerful insight. Hugs and love xox

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