Pope compares Church sexual abuse, corruption to excrement, victims say

[rooster59]

Pope compares Church sexual abuse, corruption to excrement, victims say

By Philip Pullella and Padraic Halpin

 

Pope Francis attends a service inside St Mary's Pro Cathedral during his visit to Dublin, Ireland, August 25, 2018. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini/Pool

 

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Pope Francis vowed on Saturday to end the sexual exploitation of children by clergy during a highly-charged visit to once deeply Catholic Ireland and, according to victims, said the corruption and cover up of abuse amounted to human excrement.

 

On the first papal visit to the country in almost four decades, Francis used a speech at a state event that was also attended by some abuse survivors to acknowledge that it was to the Church's shame it had not addressed these "repugnant crimes" and said he sought a greater commitment to eliminating this "scourge".

 

He later met privately for 90 minutes at the Vatican embassy with eight victims of clerical, religious and institutional abuse.

 

In a statement, the representatives from the Survivors of Mother and Baby Homes group said Francis condemned corruption and cover up within the Church as "caca", an Italian and Spanish word for human excrement.

 

The statement said that after the pope used the word, his translator explained that it meant "literally filth as one sees in a toilet."

 

A Vatican spokesman had no comment on the details of what was said in the meeting. A Vatican official said he would not be surprised that the pope had used the word.

 

"Very powerful meeting. He listened with a genuine interest," said Clodagh Malone, who was born in one of the state-backed homes for unwed mothers and adopted at 10-weeks-old.

 

The pope earlier spoke publicly about abuse, saying he could not "fail to acknowledge the grave scandal caused in Ireland by the abuse of young people by members of the Church charged with responsibility for their protection and education."

 

Years of sexual abuse scandals have shattered the credibility of the Church as a moral leader in Ireland and driven many from the Church. In the past three years, Irish voters have approved abortion and gay marriage in referendums, defying its wishes.

 

"The failure of ecclesiastical authorities - bishops, religious superiors, priests and others - adequately to address these repugnant crimes has rightly given rise to outrage and remains a source of pain and shame for the Catholic community."

 

In unprepared remarks, Francis added a reference to a letter he addressed last Monday to all the world's Catholics on the abuse crisis, saying he wanted it to signal "a greater commitment to eliminating this scourge in the Church, at any cost". [L8N1VB2B6]

More than three-quarters of Ireland's population flocked to see Pope John Paul II in 1979 when divorce and contraception were illegal. Francis was greeted by far smaller numbers.

 

PROTESTS

 

Large images of abuse victims and the hashtag #Stand4Truth - promoting a gathering of survivors and supporters elsewhere in Dublin when the pope says mass on Sunday - were projected onto some of the capital's most recognised buildings on Friday night.

 

They included Dublin's Pro Cathedral, where on Saturday Francis prayed before a candle commemorating abuse victims that was first lit in 2011.

 

However, flag-waving supporters still gathered five or six deep along many parts of Francis's route by popemobile, although in other parts he was greeted by a more sparse turnout.

 

"I think it's absolutely marvellous. There are one or two objectors, but I think they should keep their objections to themselves and get into the spirit of the thing," said Christina O'Riordan, a 76-year-old retired teacher.

 

Despite changes in Irish society, Francis asked that Ireland would not forget "the powerful strains of the Christian message" that have sustained it in the past, and can continue to do so in the future.

 

About a quarter of the 2.7 million who greeted John Paul II were expected to turn out for Francis.

 

"The crowd is smaller than I thought. It's a good crowd, but wouldn't be near what you'd get for (Saint) Patrick's Day," said Christy Moore, 59, referring to Ireland's national holiday as he sold papal flags wearing an 'I love Pope Francis' hat .

 

"It was much much bigger (in 1979). There's not that much interest in it now."

 

A TIME FOR ACTION, NOT WORDS

 

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who last year became Ireland's first gay leader, told Francis that the wounds of clerical child abuse that stained the Irish state were still open and there was much to be done to bring about justice and healing for victims.

 

A damning report last week into abuse in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, which followed scandals in Australia and Chile, was all too tragically familiar in Ireland, Varadkar said, adding that the time had come for a very different Ireland to build a new relationship with the Church.

 

"Holy Father, I ask that you use your office and influence to ensure this is done here in Ireland and across the world," Varadkar said.

"We must now ensure that from words flow actions."

 

In other protests, gay rights activists hung rainbow umbrellas from a nearby bridge while a silent vigil will be held on Sunday at the site of a former "Mother and Baby Home" where an unmarked grave with the remains of hundreds of babies was found in 2014.

 

The pope, who travelled through Dublin in a blue Skoda in keeping with his shunning of limousines and bulletproof cars, said Church leaders needed to remedy past mistakes and adopt stringent norms to ensure they do not happen again.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-08-26

[Samui Bodoh]

"...Pope Francis vowed on Saturday to end the sexual exploitation of children by clergy..."

 

We have all heard the Catholic Church make the same statement before. Many times. Many, many times.

 

Actions, not words, are what is needed.

 

 

 

[bluesofa]

4 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Pope compares Church sexual abuse, corruption to excrement

If the holy father ever visits Thailand, he'll be up to his revered neck in it.

 

[zzaa09]

9 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"...Pope Francis vowed on Saturday to end the sexual exploitation of children by clergy..."

 

We have all heard the Catholic Church make the same statement before. Many times. Many, many times.

 

Actions, not words, are what is needed.

 

 

 

On top of that, rarely are these Catholic perverts ever criminally charged or prosecuted by the respective authorities - just censured by the church and their protection racket.

Lovely.

 

Actions. We might start by severely punishing this scum - long prison sentences [in real prisons] or just put them to death. 

 

 

[zzaa09]

10 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

If the holy father ever visits Thailand, he'll be up to his revered neck in it.

 

Doesn't even come close to the brutalities and atrocities that Christianity/Occidentalism has put upon the world for centuries....up to present day.

Western apologists need not apply.

[Hayduke]

 

Market share is down, revenues are off and legal bills are through the roof. Watch as the CEO of “Pedophiles R Us” desperately tries to shore up the brand. It’s... all...about the money.

 

 

[connda]

It's been happening for decades and like excrement it is simply covered up. 

When it came to the Church, thank God my parents were overly-protective.  Having my head snapped-back by a bishop during Confirmation was the beginning of the end.  Catechism corporal punishment was the final nail.  Sexual abuse was probably around the corner as the son's of friends of my parents found out.  Even back in the 1950s.  They all dropped out of church and in retrospect I can only thank them.  This has been happening unimpeded for way, way, way too long. 

[dick dasterdly]

It would be interesting to learn how many Catholics still believe in "Papal infallibility"?

[Stupooey]

Catholic priest has always been the dream job for paedophiles, especially homosexual ones. Access to vulnerable young boys (and to a lesser extent girls), no questions asked. One easy solution - allow priests to marry, or at least pursue an adult relationship (heterosexual or homosexual). Those that didn't would immediately be under suspicion. Allow women to be priests as well. But would any Pope have the guts to implement this?

Incidentally, we have heard quite a lot recently about physical abuse by Buddhist monks here in Thailand. I would not be surprised if a lot of sexual abuse went on as well. Mental scars are not as obvious as physical ones.

[fotunate]

Classic example of this organization preaching one thing to the 'flock' and pushing for the opposite behind closed doors. Example: in my home state of Pennsylvania, even after the release of the Statewide Grand Jury report of the massive abuses the church committed against thousands of innocent victims, the catholic church still is resisting reform and change. Several State legislators have moved to eliminate the State statute of limitations on historical sexual abuse charges at which the catholic hierarchy in Pennsylvania have launched, as reported by several news organizations , an aggressive behind the scenes lobbying campaign to suppress these attempts. They want to change nothing! Pander to the flock and carry on as before. There are no adequate words to describe the church's duplicity and complicity in cover up and suppression.

[canthai55]

15 hours ago, rooster59 said:

said the corruption and cover up of abuse amounted to human excrement.

And so is this - still another - face saving pack of lies by an organization which should - by any countries laws - be listed as a Terrorist Organization for the targeting of children by its members.

Put every guilty priest  in Gen Pop - and that would be justice.

[bluesofa]

*Deleted post edited out*

 

It looks like the church of Rome banned priests from marrying  in 1139 AD.

 

I love the name of the sect that liked celibacy:

"American Protestants in the 17th century, fearful of radical religious sects like the Shakers that celebrated celibacy, came out foursquare against the practice."

 

source: https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/696