Bishop Nicholas A. DiMarzio of Brooklyn is reportedly threatening dire consequences for both legislators and the Church if New York lifts the statute of limitations to allow victims of child sex-abuse to sue. The one-year suspension will, according to the Bishop, bankrupt the Church and lead to social and political backlash for legislators.
The controversy in New York is filled with political intrigue, with some accusing Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez of cutting a deal with the Church to remove a meddlesome priest on a Brooklyn community group in exchange for his effort to stop the legislative effort to give victims an opportunity to sue.
Absent the change, victims have only five years after turning 18 to sue for abuse during their childhood. Current proposals would extend this to ten years, but the Church is most concerned with the proposed one-year grace period allowed to any victim.
The Bishop has suggested that, if forced to bear the cost of all of its abuse of children in the past, the Church would have to close parishes, suspend social programs, and risk bankruptcy. I am not sure what is more scary, but I would go with the notion that the potential scope of abused children is so high that the Church could not handle the costs.
For the full story, click here.
BATSHEVA:
“Mistake number one was assuming once the Church followed 2358, that the gay community would abide by 2359.Now the Church pays the financial penalty for that mistake and you handful of liberal whiners bitch and moan when the VICTIMS are the Children and the Church.”
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And the Soviet Constitution guaranteed free speech; it’s not what you say publicly, it’s what you do or condone. Equating the perpetrator with its victim should have been my first clue that your real thought is to have the victims of sexual abuse apologize to their rapists and then slink away. What manner of man are you who would deny relief to trusting, vulnerable, broken children? That’s what happens when you forget human institutions are the work of man–not God–and have no right to everlasting life.
Yes, the Vatican should have a garage sale and give up a few of its Titians and Tiepelos. It brought this entire catastrophe on itself by, among other things, its sordid history of torture and misery in the name of God. The biblically questionable requirement of priestly celibacy (how did the entire church forget that St Peter was married???)is just one of these elements.
The defenders of the faith would have us believe that the works and ways of God are set in stone and apparent only to them. The church must either admit the grievous error of such dogmatic delusions and repent of the damage done to millions over the centuries,or batten down the hatches and fight to the end. As long as backward thinkers such as Karol Wotyla and Cardinal Ratzinger wind up being made popes, we know which direction the church has chosen. Gee, it suddenly reminds me of the Republican Party, hopelessly adrift in a mess of its own creation.
After all the discussion of damages, etc. the bottom line is that the RCC has protected pedophiles for a good long time and that goes directly against their teachings and leads one to the conclusion of hypocrisy. Pedophilia causes very serious problems for children and as Mike A stated has nothing to do with homosexuality. That the RCC does not have the compassion to reach out to those whom its agents have harmed is the really disturbing aspect of all of this.
Jew,
As a real Jew I doubt that you are one, since a real Jew would not choose such a nom de plume.
What does the RCC’s stand on homosexuality have to do with pedophiles? Homosexuality has no more to do with pedophilia than does heterosexuality – it’s an equal opportunity crime.
Does the RCC have an official position on pedophilia? If so, why isn’t the church enforcing its own rule and punishing these men? And if the church takes no “official position” on such acts, why not? Priests who sexually abuse anyone should be turned over to the mercies of the state’s legal system – surely they’ve forfeited the right to be protected by the church.
Batsheva, the Church’s teaching on homosexuality has nothing whatsoever to do with the issue of liability for sexual abuse of children. If you understood pedophilia, you would not have attempted to make such an ignorant connection. When any institution, whether a church or a corporation, is faced with liability claims which threaten to result in insolvency, the appropriate course of action is to file bankruptcy. Second, the question of the propriety of opening of a “window” to permit the prosecution of what would otherwise be barred by various statutes of limitation involves a legislative determination of public policy. Due to the nature of the trust traditionally reposed by parents and children alike in parish priests, it is hardly surprising that many instances of abuse were never disclosed by the victims at the time they occurred. Permitting those individuals a limited period of time in which to come forward may be a wise and just proposition. Although Bishop DiMarzio’s concerns are understandable, the fact is that the Church has made the liability potential much worse by ignoring the problem for decades. In sum, this is not a matter of Church bashing or anti-Catholicism. It is a matter of justice.
The Catholic Church has become enablers for pedophiles. I am confused how Cardinal Law can hide from the authorities at the Vatican? Don’t we have extradition agreements with the Vatican? How can the Catholic Church tell its followers to follow the law of God and Man and then violate both when it hides pedophiles from the authorities.
Maybe the Church can make some more money for its coffers by increasing it’s Bingo games.
The Catholic Church’s official position on homosexuality can be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2358. The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.
2359. Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.
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:
Mistake number one was assuming once the Church followed 2358, that the gay community would abide by 2359.
Now the Church pays the financial penalty for that mistake and you handful of liberal whiners bitch and moan when the VICTIMS are the Children and the Church.
Years ago, the American Catholic bishops could have stopped the pedophile priests.
Instead the Bishops transferred the pedophile priests and blamed the victims.
The Catholic bishops denied their responsiblity to the victims in order to protect the Church and its money. It is only fitting that the Catholic Bishops now pay the price for the criminal misconduct.
I only wonder why the Bishops were indicted as well as the pedophile priests who they allowed to continue to prey upon the children. Except for Cardinal Law who ran away to Rome when it appeared that he would be indicted by the civil authorities. The Pope certainly takes care of his own.
And for my favorite quote in the article:
“In financial terms, however, headquarters in Rome points out the relative modesty of its resources. According to the Vatican’s recently released 2006 budget, annual expenses and revenues are just over $300 million, which includes operations of Vatican City and of the Church’s diplomatic corps.” Righhhhhttttt!
Lottakatz,
Check out this article in Time Magizne. It shows how the church tried to limit it to the archdioceses but victims are going after the Vatican itself. Someone should help me out on this, but originally I believe the church claimed only the parrishes could be held responsible, then it moved to, only the archdioceses, but this may not work out for the church as planned. Grab the candlesticks and run!!!!
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1644599,00.html
Budha,
I will have you know that I read that the art pieces that the church has have no balance sheet value. I think that they ought to be forced to open the locked vaults and give back the stuff stolen in the 20’s through the 40′. Heck I think it would be just a ideal to give any stuff deemed stolen back. Kinda anticlimactic for a church to keep stolen stuff.
Jill: Nooooooooo….not the hat. They’ve set up the shell game of saying each parrish is independent.
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I’m not sure that ‘independent’ thing is quite right but I don’t pay much attention either.
There is an ongoing battle being fought over just that issue here, being based on parish assets and purpose, and the church bureaucracy and Vatican are winning. I haven’t heard any news beyond the reversal of the excommunication of some of the excommunicated lay persons. The Priest is out of luck. I really don’t know the status of any ‘independence’ doctrine that might be in play.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Stanislaus_Kostka_Church_(Saint_Louis)
“All your assets are belong to us” Pope Benedict XVI
BuelahMan: Will the Pope have to sell his big gold hat?
🙂 Dude, how do you manage to keep that sharp tongue so firmly in your cheek without hurting yourself? LOL
C.Everett Kook
1, June 7, 2009 at 3:18 pm
I believe a group of atheists are called, as are alligators, a congregation
boy that’s ironic huh?
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The folks gathering at the Westboro Babtist Church would also be called a congregation. I’ll take Athiests and alligators any day.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=westboro+baptist+church&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g10
JEW:
who said anything about atheism?
I believe a group of atheists are called, as are alligators, a congregation
boy that’s ironic huh?
Nothing sicker than a flock of atheists.
Why doesn’t he just bring down the wrath of God on the bishops and turn them into crispy critters and save the good people of the church some bucks?
mespo727272:
the rich are the same, when one is pious fear of divine retribution can be motivation for reluctance.