The Independent News Source
NCR on Kindle - NCR classifieds - YouTube - Twitter - Facebook - Email Alerts - RSS
Printer-friendly version
PDF versionJohn Jay never assessed 'arrogant clericalism'
by Thomas P. Doyle on May. 21, 2011
In the last few days I have carefully read the entire 143-page John Jay report on the causes of clergy sex abuse in the United States and have again reviewed the executive summaries and conclusions of 17 of the 27 reports on clergy sexual abuse that have been published between 1989 and 2011.
Most of these are from official sources such as the U.S. grand juries, the three Irish reports (Ferns, Ryan, Murphy) or the two Canadian reports that resulted from the Mt. Cashel debacle of the eighties. Others are from Church sources such as the National Review Board Report of 2004, The Bernardin Report of 1992 or Church sponsored reports such as the Defenbaugh Report (Chicago, 2006) or the first John Jay Report from 2004. Most of the reports contained a section on causality.
None of the reports said anything about the effect of the culture of the sixties or seventies as a factor of causality but every one of them pointed to the various kinds and levels of failure by the bishops as the essential cause of the phenomenon of sexual abuse of children and minors by clerics.
Read the full commentary: 'Arrogant clericalism' never assessed in John Jay report
I notice you mention the Ryan
I notice you mention the Ryan Report undertaken here by Judge Sean Ryan, but let that not cloud your judgement Tom, lots of 'searing' documents never made it to the Report. I am in possession of a document where the Dept. of Education in Ireland in 1945 is threatening one of the congregations with a cessation of funds if 'Sodomy is not kept to a minimum@. The letter also states that this indelicate matter had also been broached back in the 1930's. So who's being royally screwed here (if you'll pardon the pun?).
This only came to light when a cop came across some of the former inmates of these child prisons selling their bodies for sex along the quays in Dublin. Just how did that cop do his duty? He rang the Archbishop!!!!!
Screwed every which way. That mindset has not gone away you know!!
one need not read far between
one need not read far between the lines of Mr. James Joyce to discover the unmentionable in his writings.
except to replace the exised description of the voice of the "priest(?)" in Ivy Day in the Committee Room, which is quite direct.
In fact from the first story of Dubliners, The Sisters, the earliest published work form Mr. Joyce, this theme lies rank upon the page.
and when was this written again?
Try discussing the Murphy
Try discussing the Murphy Report with Diarmuid Martin and out will come his handkerchief. Maureen Dowd was completely fooled by him from the New York Times and she ought to know better; whereas I was of the Pay, Pray and Obey brigade as a youngster, but now have the blinders removed!
Hanora, have you read the
Hanora, have you read the latest from your home country? The Diocese of Cloyne has been revealed as covering up cases of abuse up until recently.
I am a Canadian of French background but am fortunate to have had one Irish grandparent. I love Ireland and have visited there many times. I fear the faith there will whither and fade just as it has in Quebec. One can blame modern secularism and consumerism, and certainly these have had a have had an effect on faith in both countries. But so has the arrogance and clericalism among too many of their ordained.
The essential failure of the
The essential failure of the bishops was not in being careful in how candidates for the priesthood were selected. The next step should have been a rigorous training & monitoring of candidiates in the seminary. Compare this standard to what happened with the flourishing of "lavendar" seminaries. How many seminaries had to be shut down because they were in fact "lavendar"? The John Jay report says that homosexuality was not an issue in the crisis? Har-dee har, har!!
paulte writes: "The John Jay
paulte writes: "The John Jay report says that homosexuality was not an issue in the crisis?"
Perhaps I have misread the article, and ask Mr. T to indicate patiently where he found this.
Mr Scanlon is correct. THe
Mr Scanlon is correct. THe abuse was 4:1 same sex, basically the polar opposite of society as a whole.
To say that homosexuality was not an issue belies the data.
The 4 : 1 ratio may be a
The 4 : 1 ratio may be a close reflection of the gay/straight ratio of those who are priests. If that is the case, then it would be wrong to conclude, as some have that this 4:1 ratio is proof (evidence, actually) that gays are more likely to molest.
I don't think it means that
I don't think it means that gays are more likely to molest in general but I do think that it means they are more likely to go after teenage boys than straights are likely to go after teenage girls. There is something in the gay psyche about a fascination with youth & beauty in the male. I think that there is evidence that gay teens in the Church & gay priests found each other & the rest is history.
I am sick and tired of
I am sick and tired of reading articles. over and over and over again about reports on the failures of our arrogant, pompus , self centered selfish, uncaring, unaccountable,two-faced bishops. There are more adjectives, but I'm sure you know how I feel about them.
I want to hear what we're going to do to get rid of them. I don't want to wait for them to die, retire, get promoted or resign. I want to hear that bishops are not above the law and they should be prosecuted. I want to hear more parishioners speak up. I want to hear that the bishops all over the country are being held responsible for rheir crimes.
How can anyone contine to bow down to these guys after all the problems they have been responsible for. How can parishioners continue to serve on any council, committee, board of directors when they know that they have no vote whatsoever. They are just puppets. Where is their pride. their integrity. Their brains????
Give me a break. MO MORE REPORTS ON REPORTS. I WANT TO HEAR HOW WE AGE GOING TO GET Bishops OUT OF CONTROLING THE cATHOLIC cHURCH. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE cATHOLIC cHURCH. Read my lips. IT'S THE PRESENT CRIMINAL UNACCOUNTABLE, ABOVE THE LAW bISHOPS. pLEASE, DON'T FOLLOW THIS COMMENT UP WITH A PROBLEM ABOUT WHICH MISSAL WE SHOULD USE OR I'M GOING TO THROW UP. yES, I AM MAD AS HELL.
TomassoTucson, some people
TomassoTucson, some people are working on it. It takes time and money. We want to take the material power away from them. But not better spill the beans.
At the end of the day, the
At the end of the day, the catholic church is an autocracy where membership is voluntary. I dont know of any legal way to force big changes in the way a private orgainization with voluntary membership is led.
Sure, if enough people were to "vote with their feet", the system would collapse. Over the years, both progressive and conservative members have voted with their feet. But... nobody has left for any motivation in any where near sufficient numbers to collapse the system.
The largest number of those leaving seem to be those who are simply secualrizing. These people dont really have an interest in what the role of a bishop is or is not. Nor do they really care who the SSPX is or what the NCR is.
If you are interested in
If you are interested in balancing the power in the church, join one of the progressive organizations. Give your time and money.
ain't seen too many little
ain't seen too many little bald squallers VOLUNTEERING for this army
maybe out in TExas, but not the rest of the world, tex.
mostly godparents standing in as proxy for the involuntaries
"ain't seen too many little
"ain't seen too many little bald squallers VOLUNTEERING for this army
maybe out in TExas, but not the rest of the world, tex.
mostly godparents standing in as proxy for the involuntaries"
You are splitting hairs and doing it badly. OK, past the age of 18, membership in the orgainization is totally voluntary. There is no secret computer chip implanted at baptism with a program of "baptized as infant = forced life time membership as an adult".
the report also doesn't
the report also doesn't discuss that same sex abuse ratio was 4:1, while in society it is 1:4
These days I'm more concerned
These days I'm more concerned about an arrogant laity than an arrogant clergy.
Post new comment