Cannon Law Allows Criminals to Escape Punishment
The Attorney General of Illinois made this observation about Cannon Law:
"Because of its structures and because of how it has responded in the past, the Catholic church may in some ways be more ripe for these abuses to happen and fester," says Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.When a Bishop in the past encountered a priest who violated the rules on celibacy he was given options often to take counseling from someone inside the clergy. One the counseling had been deemed successful the priest went back into the temptations he had dealt with unsuccessfully before. If the priest was a problem or embarrassment he was moved to another parish. The policy was not to turn the evidence over to law enforcement.
The Catholic Church and it academic arms have put so much emphasis on the writing of medieval times, its "natural law" and such, they have had arrested intellectual development. Those medieval writer were what we would call today "apologists." There purpose was to extent the reach and influence of the church, not to find the truth.
By following Cannon Law instead of turning bad priests over police Bishops endangered both children and adults. The Attorney Generals of several states have decided to follow up on what happened in Pennsylvania and demand to see all records of the church.
"Cannon Law Allows Criminals to Escape Punishment". The headline is false and perjorative. It is meant to incite hate towards Catholics. It has no basis in fact.
ReplyDeleteCanon, not "Cannon", law is essentially the rules or laws governing the operation of the Roman Catholic Church. It is not criminal law. The Vatican has no jails for those it finds in violation of these rules.
The confessional, i.e. the sacrament where one confesses one's sins to a priest in the confidence of the sacrament, is strictly a spiritual exercise. Those who confess crimes but who seek forgiveness can be granted forgiveness if the priest senses their contrition for their sin. Under the rules of confession, the priest is forbidden from reporting anything said in Confession to any government authority. The priest may encourage the person to turn himself in to authorities.
The seal of the Confessional is to purge the soul of the stain of sin. The sinner has full confidence that the priest will give his life rather than break that seal. Without that seal, people would not be encouraged to confess their sins and thus obtain the mercy and Grace of God.
In as much as the rules of the sacrament of Confession prohibit the priest from going to civil authorities, it does shield the person.
Now, let's take any other institution in the USA or the world and examine it for what it does to shield criminals. Take a university like Michigan State where Dr. Nassar was allowed to molest young female athletes for decades. Take the USA Swim Team or Gymnastics team where similar behavior occurred. Take universities, hospitals, Congress, newsrooms, Hollywood, public schools, etc.
All the above mentioned hold themselves out as moral authorities in some fashion or another.
If a person makes it to the point where they feel compelled to admit wrongdoing to a priest in a Confessional, then that is one step close to confessing a crime to policemen or DA.
Do I expect any different from Jon Lindgren? No. His motivation is hatred towards religion.
Matt "All the above mentioned hold themselves out as moral authorities in some fashion or another."
DeleteThe key here is "hold themselves". Yes, no doubt all molesters think of themselves as authorities in how to live. The difference is that universities, large public ones, do not say they as an institution receive guidance from God on moral matters. In one of the many stories coming out of Pennsylvania a priest told his girlfriend, "God wants you to get an abortion." When a priest or preacher uses that line on a believer its a different dynamic than when a professor uses it.
The biggest problems with clergy sexual abuse is (1) the homosexual nature of the vast majority of cases, and (2) the ineptitude of those above the priests in meting out punishment in the form of reporting certain acts us suspicions as crimes.
ReplyDeleteMatt "The biggest problems with sexual abuse is (1) the homosexual nature of the vast majority of cases, and (2) the ineptitude of those above the priests..."
DeleteThere are plenty of university bases per reviewed studies which show child sexual abuse is different than homosexuality. Most abusers of children are attracted to the opposite sex adults. If you doubt that, I'd encourage you to look at material is the psychology departments of Catholic research universities. Or, simple write them and share with us here what response you receive. I've already posted references about this so I've done my part.
As to the "ineptitude" of Bishops, that may be. I think it comes from the culture inside church (every institution has a culture) that places a lot of emphasis on a regale clergy. Of course, most clergy handle this well but some feel encouraged to internal protection over the safety of those in the pews.
Jon, I am having trouble understanding your writing. In your second comment, "university bases per reviewed" hurts my brain. Can you choose different words that make sense?
ReplyDeleteAll the authorities I mentioned in my first comment base their moral authority on some policy, rule or politically correct notion of supreme good. Many universities push a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer, etc agenda that is based on their view of public morality. That is flies in the face of people with other viewpoints matters not. Other so-called moral authorities will have signs stating "Guns Not Permitted on These Premises", in opposition to both logic and the morals of others. And now we even have restaurants and coffee shops that will kick you out and shout at you if you show up in a MAGA, pro-conservative, Republican-themed hat, t-shirt, purse, smartphone case, etc.
And here I thought you would approve of a minister of any faith telling a woman that God wants her to get an abortion.
Make no mistake, the overwhelming clergy sexual abuse cases are homosexual, not pedophile issues. Priests making sexual advances on seminarians and other adults is more common than pedophilia. Both are wrong. Both are sins. Both are worthy of action by the Catholic authorities and by the civil authorities.
Matt "Make no mistake, the overwhelming clergy sexual abuse cases are homosexual, not pedophile issues."
DeletePlease clarify, is "sin" the same as sexual abuse? So, when a priest or two priests as consenting adults have a relationship is this always sexual abuse, or, is it just a sin? Outside the religious world the term "abuse" refers to one person imposing his/her desires on someone not an equal or unable to stop it.
Sin is not the same as sexual abuse. If I steal something, it is a sin, not sexual abuse.
DeleteTwo priests can have a relationship, i.e. be friends. You imply a sexual relationship which is not only sinful it is cause for discipline by the Bishop or other authority. Outside the religious world, the term "abuse" means many things. You seem to be working on the definition of sexual harassment as well as sexual abuse.
I'm just testing a theory to see if my comments actually cause the Forum to print one of your bigoted blog posts. You don't get much response to your posts anymore.
ReplyDeleteMatt "I'm just testing a theory to see if my comments actually cause the Forum to print one of your bigoted blog posts."
DeleteI would guess if I sent one of my current blog posts to the Forum and asked them to please, please post it it would get posted. However, I agreed to only request periodic and infrequent posts while the staff there works on their new upgraded software. Thus, except for individuals Forum staff who regularly read this and have for years, the editorial staff do not see it--so far as I know. When the new software is ready my blog may or may not have a regular place in the line up. I've appreciated the relationship I've had with the Forum and will not complain either way.
I enjoyed reading this post from another website:
ReplyDeleteCommunist Party activist Bella Dodd, under orders from Josef Stalin, in the 1930's, recruited about 1,200 Communist men, many homosexual, per Stalin, to inflitrate Catholic Church seminaries throughout Europe, as the the Catholic Church was known to be the greatest obstacle to the designs of the the Bolsheviks' evil designs for the world.
Those 1,200 men indoctrinated thousands of future priests, who indoctrinated tens of thousands of future priests, etc. etc. etc. The perennial doctrines of Catholicism, Her beautiful devotions, and her ancient, sacred Liturgy were being shredded as the years went on, particularly at Vatican II. Homosexuality became rampant, pederasty, and general sexual morality were everywhere, and here we are in 2018, witnessing the evil fruits of Atheistic Communism infecting the Church from within.
Bella Dodd testified before the U.S. Congress about her time in the Party (she had renounced Communism, and was brought into the Church by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, candidate for sainthood), and her activities regarding the Catholic Church.
So there is the stench of diabolical evil even up to the highest levels of the Church, but Jesus strengthens us to be faithful, and not bail out when the Church needs us most.
"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."