The Dutch Catholic Church and the Salesian order are under fire this week after it was disclosed that a priest not only served on the board of a pro-pedophilia organization but defended adult-child sex. To make matters worse, high ranking officials were apparently aware of the 73-year-old priest’s activities. The priest is known only as “Father Van B.” Moreover, Superior Jos Claes says that he does not believe that such activities would present a serious problem for the priest.
“Martijn” is a group that campaigns to end the Dutch ban on adult-child sex. Delegate Herman Spronck is also being investigated over his knowledge of the priest’s activity and his own reported statements that child-adult relations are not necessarily harmful. Spronck has been quoted as saying he was aware of Van B.’s pedophilia and at least two instances where the priest had been fined by police for exposing himself in public. Yet, he did not reportedly viewed that as a reason to ban the priest from the order.
What makes this story even more disturbing is that the order was founded to care for children during the Industrial Revolution. The Salesians of Don Bosco was founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco to care for the young and poor children. It states its mission as “the Christian perfection of its associates obtained by the exercise of spiritual and corporal works of charity towards the young, especially the poor, and the education of boys to the priesthood.”
This is clearly the type of case that begs for a lawsuit by any victims.
Source: Dutch News, as first seen on Reddit.
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“Our forefathers came to this country because they believed in an idea, an idea called freedom. They wanted to leave in a place where you couldn’t be prosecuted for your beliefs – where a person could live the way he chooses to live. You see us as being perverted because we’re different from you; people are afraid of us because they don’t understand, and sometimes it’s easier to persecute than to understand.” “Dude, you have sex with children.”
“Allow me to come on the little children, and hinder me not, for such is the kingdom of heaven.”
Luke 18:16
blhlls: “Suppose we take out the convictions for “overexposeure”, and make the employer a police department or school. Would an off-duty membership in an organization that supported changing the laws to permit child-adult sex be sufficient grounds for termination?”
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It probably could if their contracts or conditions of employment had provisions regarding termination for bringing bad publicity or behaviour that casts the employer in a bad light. If they required a security clearance they could have their clearence denied or revoked which could cost them their jobs. I know that first hand from working for the government for awhile and having just such a case at my agency- it even was the subject of a column in the local paper.
another horror:
http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20110520/NEWS01/110529991
the dutch catholic church or MAMBLA
Well said, Blouise.
Suppose we take out the convictions for “overexposeure”, and make the employer a police department or school. Would an off-duty membership in an organization that supported changing the laws to permit child-adult sex be sufficient grounds for termination?
Pedophilia was practiced with wild abandonment for decades within the Catholic Church … then the church spent decades trying to cover up the excesses … now they will spend decades paying off the victims .
Make no mistake, no one, not one single priest, bishop, cardinal, or pope will be able to restore the lost innocence of one single child-victim. Can’t buy your way out of soul-busting.
Even when I was much younger and not nearly so jaded I always did think that “ST” John Bosco was creepy he was so fixated on young boys….On a side note…the report for the US bishops done by the John Jay School is worth a read…some interesting statics and I’m sure the bishops were not happy with it..If they accept the report they can no longer blame the gays for the churches woes…worth a read..
“This is clearly the type of case that begs for a lawsuit by any victims.” -Jonathan Turley
Yes. It’s beyond disturbing…
Oh, but this is all the damn hippys fault what with their free love & everything.
“Superior Jos Claes says that he does not believe that such activities would present a serious problem for the priest.”
Yeah, because Jesus was so big on child abuse as long as it was done in His name.
Who’d have thunk it?
Claes . . . you need to turn in your thumbs today. Evolved or not, your status as a human being has been revoked. Or should I say “violated”?
Enabler scumbag.
This just leaves a bad taste in everyones mouth….WTF….