Pope Francis asks forgiveness for priests who sexually abused children

Mike Oxawopper

Mike Oxawopper

Verified User
Pope Francis made his strongest condemnation yet of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy on Friday, asking for forgiveness and pledging to impose penalties on "men of the church" who harm children.
"I feel compelled to personally take on all the evil which some priests -- quite a few in number, obviously not compared to the number of all the priests -- to personally ask for forgiveness for the damage they have done for having sexually abused children," the Pope said in remarks quoted by Vatican Radio.
"The church is aware of this damage, it is personal, moral damage carried out by men of the church, and we will not take one step backward with regards to how we will deal with this problem, and the sanctions that must be imposed," Francis continued.
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http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/11/world/europe/vatican-pope-sex-abuse/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

I was raised Catholic. I attended Catholic School. I escaped with my starfish intact. Some of my classmates weren't so lucky. My former 7th grade teacher who ultimately became principal preyed upon young Asian boys. The Archdiocese of Seattle settled a multimillion dollar lawsuit recently on this. Oddly enough he was not a priest.

But I saw things that now give me pause.

It is refreshing to see this happen. But the hypocrisy of it all leaves a stench that will never clear. The Catholic church's admission and new posture may help future generations, but their old sins cast long shadows.

When numerous US Archdioceses filed bankruptcy to avoid paying settlements to victims, I was livid. Still am. It is unconscionable. I want their tax exempt status revoked or suspended at least until such time those victims are properly compensated.

I'd prefer it be permanent.
 
It is too little too late, I try to forgive, but I lost a very dear friend to suicide because of the abuse by a priest who got to quietly live out his life. My only satisfaction, he was still alive and was aware of the deaths he caused by his selfish actions.
 
Francis isn't the first Pope or religious figure to apologize for the abusive priests. It's been ongoing ever since the crimes were made public. I think it's a small step in the right direction, to acknowledge the wrongs. But more important is to do something about it because talk is cheap. The offenders should be charged for their crimes and punished to the fullest extent of the law, not just sent away to some refuge and given "treatment" which we all know is virtually worthless. The Church needs to really listen to the victims and not dismiss their stories as lies or blackmail attempts. Victims should be compensated for the hell they were put through by those in a position of trust.

Mike Oxawopper I'm glad you came out of the Catholic school system unscathed and sympathize with your classmates who weren't so lucky. I agree with everything you wrote. I just hope that Francis takes this further than his predecessors and that he puts punishment of abusive priests at the top of his list of reforms.

April 15, 2000: Bishop John S. Cummins and other leaders of the Diocese of Oakland publicly apologize to victims of clergy sexual abuse.
November 22, 2001: Pope John Paul II issues an apology for sex abuse by priests. (Cf. 4/24/01.)
April 24, 2002: Pope John Paul II apologizes to victims of sexual abuse by priests. (Cf. 11/22/01.)
June 23, 2002: Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony apologizes to church members for sexual abuses by priests and asks for forgiveness.
October 8, 2002: Dublin Archbishop Cardinal Desmond Connell apologizes to people who were sexually abused as children by Church officials.
December 14, 2002: Boston archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law resigns, apologizes, and begs forgiveness for his mishandling of priests implicated in the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal.
September 18, 2010: Pope Benedict XVI apologizes for "unspeakable crimes of sexual abuse."
 
Who does he want forgivness from ? God ? Dont need radio to do that. People ingeneral ? He may be popular but hell never be that popular. He needs action not words and its probably a day late and a dollar short.
 
Celticguy said:
Who does he want forgivness from ? God ? Dont need radio to do that. People ingeneral ? He may be popular but hell never be that popular. He needs action not words and its probably a day late and a dollar short.
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Would it be better if he did what so many others have done for decades, ignore the topic? Of course it's a day late and a dollar short but at least he's making a start with reforming Vatican corruption.
 
As much damage as these priests and their negligent bishops have done - I'm not much in the mood for forgiveness. As averse as I naturally am to forgiveness, it's a lucky thing I am Catholic, for my sake. In addition to all of this, I have now known one priest who was wrongly accused. The archdiocese did nothing to help him, and when he had gotten law enforcement to investigate and clear him, his embarrassed superiors got him recalled to Rome and then retired. He can thank this mess for his misfortune.
 
Sardonic said:
It is too little too late, I try to forgive, but I lost a very dear friend to suicide because of the abuse by a priest who got to quietly live out his life. My only satisfaction, he was still alive and was aware of the deaths he caused by his selfish actions.
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I am sorry about your friend and I think the reality of all this is, apologies especially considering the countless stories by victims, may fall on deaf ears.
 
Threedee said:
I have now known one priest who was wrongly accused. The archdiocese did nothing to help him, and when he had gotten law enforcement to investigate and clear him, his embarrassed superiors got him recalled to Rome and then retired. He can thank this mess for his misfortune.
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That's sad. This sort of hysteria has carried over into other fields as well.

When I first started in the martial arts many years ago, the tradition was that you simply did not wear your dobok (gi) outside the school. But nowdays it is quite commonplace to see because instructors do not want kids changing their clothes inside the school for fear of allegations. I know one instructor who was convicted and went away for 10 years, rightfully so it seems. Martial arts, like a church hierarchy, has a main authority figure. A few years back it was fairly common to read stories on martial arts forums about instructors abusing this authority sexually with students.
 
Right said:
I would argue that she is a horrible person for failing her "very dear" friend, then refusing to accept personal responsibility.
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By nature no one but the victem is responsible for a suicide you evil beast. Didn't your savior teach compassion?
 
Rune said:
By nature no one but the victem is responsible for a suicide you evil beast. Didn't your savior teach compassion?
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My Savior teaches me to seek the truth, and that true compassion very often means being blunt.

Rana herself blamed the priest for the suicide, and by extension, The Church. Your ilk demonizes The Church in this sordid affair at every chance, when the real problem is individual homosexuals, homosexual pedophiles, their enablers, and some leadership in The Church that refuses to acknowledge the truth.
 
Even when the abuse wasn't sexual, the sheer violence used against pupils in RC schools was shattering. A friend of mine was already avoiding mass at eleven because of the way he'd been subjected to near-torture by frustrated nuns. At twelve he used to say, 'I haven't effin lapsed, I've effin LEFT!'
 
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