Yupik Eskimo village and the Catholic Church

[robtex]

Not really a debate but due to the topic I figure debates may erupt over it--so I am placing it here. It is an account of a Catholic sex ring by members of the clergy .

From the first paragraph:

In the Yupik Eskimo village where Tom Cheemuk lived as a child in the 1960s, there was no running water. Homes in the tiny community of St. Michael were lit with gas lamps and generators. The town shared a single telephone. As a boy Cheemuk picked berries and gathered goose eggs on the pockmarked Alaskan tundra and fished for tomcod on the windy shores of the Bering Strait. Like most other children, he also spent many days inside the weather-beaten little Catholic church, helping the Jesuit missionaries who held such powerful sway over Eskimo life. That meant doing what you were told—even if it was wrong—and staying silent about it.

Sex Abuse in Alaska Church | Newsweek National News | Newsweek.com

 

[astarath]

My prayers will be with the Eskimo people as the perversion of God's love can be eternally scarring!

 

[maggie2]

And the Pope is asking all Catholics to pray without ceasing that the church can rid itself of predators. As I said in a post about that topic, I believe in prayer, but I think we also have to take action. In this case, the church needs to ACT and deal with abusers and not just shuffle them around to a new parish.

I feel for these Eskimo people and what they have been through.

One of the things I've been learning about my personal relationships is that if I have a problem, I need to focus on what I can change about me, not the other person. I believe this is also a good practice in institutions as well. In this instance, I think the church needs to focus on what it can change about its policies surrounding priests who sexually abuse parishoners. They need to change how they respond to such abuses. They need to change their policies.

 

[Mister Emu]

They need to change their policies.

AFAIK, they have been changed...

Its a terrible thing when someone abuses their position in such a way... disgusting...

 

[GayAtheist]

My heart goes out to those poor Eskimos. They have to live with that experience for their rest of their lives. What a truly awful story. However, it is not unique. There are so many examples of this type of abuse at the hands of Catholics - its purely sickening.

They need to change their policies.

I hope they have changed their policies since that nasty little ex-Nazi Ratzinger designed the policy to move priests on, who had abused, instead of punishing them, as normal, decent institution would.

 

[robtex]

My heart goes out to those poor Eskimos. They have to live with that experience for their rest of their lives. What a truly awful story. However, it is not unique. There are so many examples of this type of abuse at the hands of Catholics - its purely sickening.

I posted this one because the news story, which is really well done, captures the pain of the situation instead of just saying, priests abuse members get sued..which is more par for the course when reporting Catholic sex offenses. I applaud Tony Hopfinger for getting his hands dirty in this story instead of skimming over it as if it is as casual as talking about the weather.

I hope they have changed their policies since that nasty little ex-Nazi Ratzinger designed the policy to move priests on, who had abused, instead of punishing them, as normal, decent institution would.

Probably for some other thread but John Paul wasn't any better at addressing the issue.

 

[GayAtheist]

Probably for some other thread but John Paul wasn't any better at addressing the issue.

Why does that not surprise me?! And yet these Popes are admired by billions of people, for doing what? Sweet F.A. in my opinion.

 

[rocka21]

LET PRIEST MARRY! LET PRIEST MARRY! LET PRIEST MARRY!

it won't stop all of it, but it would sure cut it down alot.

 

[robtex]

LET PRIEST MARRY! LET PRIEST MARRY! LET PRIEST MARRY!

it won't stop all of it, but it would sure cut it down alot.

"Should priest be allowed to marry" could be an interesting thread.