Diversions
The Vatican has finally decided to forgive The Beatles for their satanic messages in such songs like "All You Need is Love." An ungrateful Ringo said "...they've got more to talk about than the Beatles." Doesn't he realize that it took the Vatican 359 years to pardon Galileo? Comparably The Beatles were fast tracked.
But Ringo may be onto something. This could be a diversion from discussing the cover-up of the sexual abuse scandal reaching the Pope's door. I think some other topics are also diversions.
Celibacy
Some have suggested that celibacy is the problem for the clergy sexual abuse of children. So are the proponents of this theory suggesting that if a man does not get laid for ten years, one day he will wake up and say, "Gee, I think I'll boink a kid"? Haven't they heard of craigslist?
I can't even begin to connect these dots. I worry about those who do. I think we need to create a registry for people who come to this conclusion. The creepy logic registry.
Allow Priests to Marry
Some are suggesting, as an offshoot from the celibacy argument, that allowing priests to marry will stop the sexual abuse of children. Because we all know married men never sexually abuse children.
Okay maybe they do.
The notorious serial abuser from the Fall River Diocese, Father James Porter, was married after he left the priesthood. As a priest he has admitted to abusing over 100 kids. He was arrested and prosecuted for abusing his kids babysitter.
I guess his marriage didn't protect children.
Gays
Recently the Vatican has been saying that gay priests are the reasons for the sexual abuse of children.
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said "Many psychologists, many psychiatrists have demonstrated there exists no relationship between celibacy and pedophilia." So far so good.
"But many others have demonstrated, and have told me recently, that there is a link between homosexuality and pedophilia. This is true, this is the problem."
As it is with the celibacy argument, if a gay man wants to have sex he doesn't need to go to college, get accepted to seminary school and get ordained as a priest to do so. He can use craigslist. A pedophile would take the other route.
And how does the gay argument explain female victims? It seems to me the Vatican only seems to think sexually abusing little boys is the problem. But little girls?
Suddenly they become Maurice Chevalier singing "Thank Heaven for Little Girls"
The sexual abuse of little girls by priests still seems to be a secret. Or tolerated.
Prayer
One of the best solutions the Vatican and Catholics seem to be offering is prayer. It seems as if they pray hard enough, priests will stop abusing children.
The Knights of Columbus are even sponsoring a Novena.
V/ Let us pray for Benedict, the pope.R/ May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life,
make him blessed upon the earth,
and not hand him over to the power of his enemies.
V/ May your hand be upon your holy servant.
R/ And upon your son, whom you have anointed.
Uh oh. I think I'm the enemy.
And all I'm suggesting we do is prosecute criminals. Including the Pope.
A kind of secular solution.
1 comment:
And how do they explain the cover-up, Skip? Do celibacy and homosexuality cause one to enable and protect child abusers? Do celibacy and homosexuality cause an institution to value image over the lives of children? Oh, wait, I forgot, they also blamed it on the media,the Jews and "petty gossip." Maybe that explains the cover-up.
And, speaking as a female who was raped by a priest (the same James Porter whom you mentioned, by the way) I thank you for the reminder that many girls were also abused by priests. Sometimes I feel invisible when reading the coverage. We've been trying for years to get the word out that we exist, but guess it wouldn't be such an exciting story if they covered us. As one reporter told us "the public is more interested in boy victims because it's natural for girls to be raped." He won a Pulitzer!
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