The problem is that the hierarchy actively protects and covers up those who are, to the extent of moving them to different parishes if people get suspicious. And to be clear, this isn’t because popes are necessarily in favour of paedophilia (though I’m not saying none are…), it’s because the clergy are more concerned with the prestige and survival of the institution than they are with the well-being of lay believers.
Also the seal of confession. Paedo priests would confess their abuse to all of their colleagues using it. Thus they can’t do anything or they’d be accused of breaking said seal
It’s been a trope since at least the 1500s that clergy are pedos, “Julius Excluded from Heaven” by Erasmus contains this exchange between Saint Peter and the recently deceased pope Julius:
PETER: [… ] I hope it won’t be too tiresome for you to answer a few clumsy questions about the details. Who, for example, are these little curly-headed striplings?
JULIUS: I brought them up for my diversion.
The problem with the catholic church isn’t just that a lot of preists are predators, it’s that the church covered up these crimes and moved preists to new places where they could continue being predators
When I hear pastor, I can’t help but think of pasture, as in “put out to pasture”. It’s a lot harder to molest vunerable people if they’re without an misleading image to hide behind.
Indeed. Never leave your kid alone with a priest. I was that kid.
I’m sure there are some preists who are good people, but enough of them are predators that it ain’t worth the risk
Most priests aren’t paedophiles.
The problem is that the hierarchy actively protects and covers up those who are, to the extent of moving them to different parishes if people get suspicious. And to be clear, this isn’t because popes are necessarily in favour of paedophilia (though I’m not saying none are…), it’s because the clergy are more concerned with the prestige and survival of the institution than they are with the well-being of lay believers.
Also the seal of confession. Paedo priests would confess their abuse to all of their colleagues using it. Thus they can’t do anything or they’d be accused of breaking said seal
It’s been a trope since at least the 1500s that clergy are pedos, “Julius Excluded from Heaven” by Erasmus contains this exchange between Saint Peter and the recently deceased pope Julius:
https://web.archive.org/web/20090326073147/www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/lansing/classes/hist4b/materials/Week7.pdf
Yes but statistics indicate priests are not more likely to be pedophiles than any other profession that works regularly with children.
The problem with the catholic church isn’t just that a lot of preists are predators, it’s that the church covered up these crimes and moved preists to new places where they could continue being predators
You’re right, my comment didn’t address how the church protects predators compared to other professions that work with kids.
Statistics need someone to report them, and someone to record them.
If you haven’t experienced it you don’t know how tightly faith communities protect the people they worship.
Not a priest, but a southern baptist youth minister, I was also that kid.
I don’t know anybody, myself included certainly, who doesn’t have a story about a youth pastor.
When I hear pastor, I can’t help but think of pasture, as in “put out to pasture”. It’s a lot harder to molest vunerable people if they’re without an misleading image to hide behind.
Pastor means shepherd, and pasture means sheep-field. So yeah.
R/woosh