Said It, Meant It, Forget It
So it is not celibacy that compels frustrated males to seek sexual diversions where they may. Actually, on some U.S. radio station just recently it was revealed by a poll that a Catholic priest undertook on his own, that roughly 6% of Catholic clergy have honoured their celibacy pledge. If that same number, 6%, dishonoured their humanity by becoming sexual predators there may be a kind of corrupted balance in the equation.The balance representing as normal, human and humane, and decently devout and caring priests. That would be the presumed 88% who managed somehow to avoid raping children while still disobeying celibacy orders and having alliances with presumably willing females.
Of that potential 6% who might represent those who preyed on adult female parishioners, they certainly sinned. Within that 6% a smaller proportion for whom children were the attraction, the hard-core pedophiles. Pedophilia is a human condition that assails those adults who have never matured psychically, socially, sexually; hence their attraction to children.
And, presumably, their lack of conscience in harming and despoiling children, leaving them with a lifetime of anguished grief. The pedophiliac's psychosis aided and abetted by psychopathy. Those who commit these atrocities against children can be heterosexual or homosexual; has anyone collected statistics to determine whether one group weighs more heavily in the balance of miserable predation than the other?
The Vatican seems to stagger from one serious defence-mechanistic-claim of innocent intent to another. Each declaration bringing down a greater hailstorm of angered denunciations from the public, inclusive of their own followers, and more quietly, some of their priests and bishops. Not bad enough that Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone's assertion that homosexuality is responsible for pedophilia, in defence of celibacy.
This, from Pope Benedict's most trusted, closest adviser. Which has brought condemnation from politicians all over Europe and North America. And, in an effort to stem that tide, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi issued a "clarification" of the earlier assessment of Cardinal Bertone's claim respecting the "problem" that results in the molestation of children by priests.
Except, unfortunately, the problem appears to be that the clarification, was a meek attempt at diluting the fresh storm of hail pounding down on the heads of Holy See's hierarchy which does not, and should not be seen as "distancing" itself from the original statement. And they still don't get it. Does it really matter whether a gay or a straight priest was a serial child rapist?
It does really, truly matter that that gay or straight priest who violated all social normatives in preying on children and destroying children's lives - whether they were pre-pubescent, pubescent, adolescent, young adults - were shielded, protected, sent elsewhere to continue their depredations anew.
Labels: Human Relations, Human Rights, Justice, Religion
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, April 15, 2010
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