In France 200,000 Children Have Been Abused by Catholic Clergy


While child sexual abuse by Catholic (and other) clergy has become so well known we are not surprised anymore when we hear about it, the amount of abuse that has taken place in France is so astounding it grabs your attention. The only way such widespread abuse could have continued in the Catholic Church for so long is for senior clergy to ignore it and help avoid intervention by law enforcement.

The abuse apparently was well known among parishioners. They have left the church in droves. When I see the numbers I'm reminded of how much the Catholic Church as fallen in other countries like Ireland.

In the 1960's, 96% of the French identifies as Catholic. By 2018 the number was down to 32%. There were half as many baptisms and only 40% as many marriages. It seems like the term "freefall" is appropriate. 

One would think 200,000 abused children would set off shock waves inside the institution. Senior Catholic clergy, however, said they did not think the revelations would have much effect on either lay people or clergy. Apparently it is considered something back in time that has no importance today.

France society is known for keeping religion in its proper perspective. It resisted headscarves for young Muslim girls in public schools. 

I did not know the relationship of church and government in France was so different from that in Germany. In Germany the Catholic Church is quite wealthy because the government collects money that is given to religions. This is not the case in France.

That the French Catholic Church is not rolling in money as is the German church means French Catholics cannot not offer up big money to victims of clergy abuse. This further complicates coming to grips with the consequences of clergy sexual abuse. 

It is almost impossible to understand how senior clergy could have moved priests around to allow them to continue abusing children. We can only conclude there was much concern for the welfare of clergy and none for children. 

Comments

  1. Matt NoahOctober 11, 2021 at 9:43 PM

    For the sake of argument, let's agree that the ESTIMATES of sexual abuse is accurate, i.e. 210,000 over a 70-year period starting in 1950. That works out to 3000 abuse cases per year. ESTIMATES again state that about 2500-3000 clergy were abusers each year.

    The Church seems to have done an awful job of protecting kids during the last half of the 20th Century. I see 2 reasons for this problem. First, Catholic seminaries were infiltrated with unsuitable men during that time. They were ordained but a good many should not have been ordained. Second, once the abuse was known, the Church thought to conceal the problem from local civil authorities and internalize the problem through various means. Treating abuse solely as a forgivable sin did not cure the problem. Even today, the Church seems much better at dealing with the problem but less sure of the incubus of the problem. Reporting criminal matters to police and other civil authorities has been a good first step. Candidate selection for the Sacrament of Holy Orders seems much better. Identifying the satanic infiltration into the Church seems to be missing.

    The English Church split over who decided the criminal behavior involving the Catholic Church. Would priests be judged by English law and courts? Could Catholics and non-Catholics be judged by Church canon law? Archbishop Thomas Becket chose to excommunicate a high-ranking English noble for killing a priest. The King tried but failed to thwart Becket's excommunication but he did manage to have Saint Thomas Becket murdered by 4 members of his inner security force.

    As for the Irish and abortion, I'm afraid that Big Tech such as Facebook and Google used all their might to campaign both fairly and illegally to sway public opinion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jon LindgrenOctober 12, 2021 at 7:32 AM

      Matt -- Estimates of child abuse, mismanagement of personnel and the other scandals in the Catholic (and in some of the Protestant) Church leaves many in the public wondering if there really is some super natural force guiding things. History has shown the church loses when it holds itself to be superior to average citizens. Citizens believe whatever cultural values exist at any particular time. When the church cannot bring itself into line with the culture it loses ground. All of Christianity would do better if it would stop saying "We know the truth." Better if it would say, "We've been taught a version of the truth. Others have been taught something else. Here's to all of us searching together."

      Delete
    2. Matt NoahOctober 12, 2021 at 12:38 PM

      Your analytical skills are constantly biased from your hatred of God.

      Delete
  2. Matt NoahOctober 12, 2021 at 12:59 PM

    Tell me again how you liberals and atheists have no tolerance of serial abuse of minors, moving predators around and lying about it to the public...

    https://www.foxnews.com/politics/loudoun-county-father-school-cover-up-bathroom-assault-daughter

    ReplyDelete

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