tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post6892048397704271823..comments2024-03-23T12:05:23.537-05:00Comments on The Wild Reed: Weakland, the Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal, and HomophobiaMichael J. Baylyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03087458490602152648noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-34118997099784535532009-05-22T03:07:29.408-05:002009-05-22T03:07:29.408-05:00it was not necessary to worry about the effects on...<I>it was not necessary to worry about the effects on the youngsters: either they would not remember or they would ‘grow out of it.’</I>I was abused as a kid by my stepfather and at least in my case, the damage continues even now. <br /><br />There have been a few discussions here and there in blogdom about blaming the pedophile priest problem on homosexuality. That's unfair and non-factual, and all the psych stuff I've read on the subject makes it clear that there is no connection between same-sex attraction and pedophilia.crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05681674503952991492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-85181587893446170622009-05-21T16:43:31.432-05:002009-05-21T16:43:31.432-05:00Who is saying that the clerical culture of power a...Who is saying that the clerical culture of power and secrecy was a "demonstrable cause of pedophilia"?<br /><br />I think what's clear, however, is that Roman Catholicism's clerical culture exacerbates and greatly enables the all kinds of abusive attitudes and practices.<br /><br />In a previous <EM>Wild Reed</EM> <A HREF="http://thewildreed.blogspot.com/2006/11/authentic-catholicism-antidote-to.html" REL="nofollow">post</A> I shared the thoughts of Paul Collins and Diarmuid Ó Murchú on the "diseased system" of clericalism.<br /><br />Following is an excerpt:<br /><br />[Clericalism is] a system, writes Collins, “which has developed a kind of moral immunity over the centuries. While it existed before the time of Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085), it was he who imposed celibacy universally on the clergy of the Western Catholic Church, and the development of a distinct clerical caste can be roughly dated back to then. Over the centuries, clerics have gradually gained a kind of extraterritoriality by which some of them see themselves as exempt from the usual constraints that govern human behavior.”<br /><br />“What happens”, says Collins, himself a former priest, “is that everyone who works in the system, no matter how generous, saintly, and virtuous they are, has to struggle to avoid being inexorably caught up in a clericalism that misuses power and that is essentially deceitful and corrupt.”<br /><br />Collins is quick to point out that he doesn’t believe that priests themselves are necessarily corrupt. Many, he notes, are “men of considerable integrity”. Nevertheless, “they work in a diseased system and it is very difficult for them to avoid the consequences of clericalism.”<br /><br />Ó Murchú offers a similar analysis, observing that, “Innate to clericalism is a patriarchal, subconscious driving force which is much more about power in the name of religion, rather than about service in the name of spirituality.”<br /><br />Peace,<br /><br />MichaelMichael J. Baylyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03087458490602152648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-62885489678203766692009-05-21T15:33:57.804-05:002009-05-21T15:33:57.804-05:00If the so-called clerical culture of secrecy and p...If the so-called clerical culture of secrecy and power was a demonstrable cause of pedophilia I'd be the first to scrap it. However,<br /><br /> * Not all Catholics are pedophiles<br /> * Not all pedophiles are Catholics<br /> * Not all clerics are pedophiles<br /> * Not all pedophiles are clerics<br /><br />I am keenly interested in why this hideous, criminal abuse of children exists in the first place, and how it is "transmitted" (for lack of a better word) - perhaps in something I'll call a "family system?" I know just enough about family systems theory to be dangerous, so thanks in advance for a pointer to literature.<br /><br />Without making any excuses for abuse of any kind or criminal behavior, we can't hold pedophile priests at arms length, much as we'd like to and much as they deserve it.<br /><br />A question behind the gutless behavior of our bishops (what good is authority if it isn't used when necessary) is this: Where did these guys (pedophile priests) come from? Catholic families.<br /><br />Abusive behavior has its roots (I'm speculating) in the early family life of the oldest known perpetrator, now long dead. But that suggests a start date in the late 19th century. While our awareness of this evil is new, it is an old problem. So why aren't we looking at where this comes from, in and out of the Church?Mark Andrewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01258953474190833657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-35116478048284073042009-05-21T08:32:41.604-05:002009-05-21T08:32:41.604-05:00Great analysis Michael. The real culprit is the c...Great analysis Michael. The real culprit is the clerical culture and it's need to appear pure.<br /><br />Kevin, the uncle Arthurs of the world are also being turned in far more frequently. Usually because a professional of some sort has reported the abuse under mandatory reporting laws. In many respects the 'all in the family' mentality is as hard to penetrate as the Catholic clerical culture, but mandatoty reporting has helped innumerable children.colkochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03432916690101599393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-54202628449959487832009-05-20T19:10:30.231-05:002009-05-20T19:10:30.231-05:00There is no doubt that priests have been thrown un...There is no doubt that priests have been thrown under the bus by their bishops. They have borne the full brunt of retribution, both canonical and legal, for pedophile acts...and all-too-often, even utterly unsubstantiated whisperings about illicit conduct. Whereas, the bishops have not been removed from ministry, have not had their faculties revoked, etc. for many times egregious failures to protect the tiniest of the flock.<br /><br />That acknowledged, Weakland is correct...and, dare I be politically incorrect, it's what most of society thought of sexual abuse of children. Let's be honest...up until very recently, and even today very frequently, families do not deal with their "Uncle Arthurs" who take advantage of nieces or nephews.kevin57https://www.blogger.com/profile/01681985465980196347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-61891081722404079442009-05-20T15:52:30.121-05:002009-05-20T15:52:30.121-05:00Paraphilia is often the consequence of sexual repr...Paraphilia is often the consequence of sexual repression and suppression, and an environment in which human sexuality is taught to be "naughty, nasty, filthy," and similar appellations.<br /><br />The official teaching of the Church is guilty of precisely these charges. It regards the "only licit" sexuality is opposite-sex and penile-vaginal. Even oral sexuality is a grave moral evil, because, in the Church's teaching, it "spills the seed" outside natural law theory's final end, procreation. Ergo, contraception is illicit, and so is masturbation and homophilia, because each form of sexuality prevents the one and only final end of sperm and ovum's conjugation, and according to the Natural Law, predicated on the Divine Law, the only moral use of our sexual anatomy.<br /><br />Let me also NOT confuse abortion with ANY of the foregoing.<br /><br />And these teachings all arose from celibate men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- from Abraham to Benedict XVI. And so, when these same pontiffs encounter their celibate priests sexually molesting children, they cannot see that act as materially different from any of the other "prohibited" acts. Likewise, rape, bondage and discipline, and other forms of "violence as sex."<br /><br />This grave error permeates the Church's episcopal college, regarding the HARMS done by non-consensual children as not materially different from the ?HARMS? done by consenting adults. The violation is "essentially" the same, they surmise, since most of them "have to hide their own sexual peccadillos away from the light of day." The parish pastor and the woman and child he keeps on the parish dole.<br /><br />The Church has long been the greatest impediment to human knowledge, responsible freedom, and sexual liberty, because mentally-constipated celibates "think up this stuff" in choir. The obsessive-compulsive disorders are rampant among those who have been taught their bodies should not "feel good to them." So, as far as the Church is concerned, the "material" aspect of the sin is the SAME, even though most of us would beg to differ that consenting adults is significantly distinguished from authority/adult and child exploitation. But, then that requires knowledge, discussion, education, and critical thinking skills -- none of which the Catholic Church -- or Christianity -- possess in abundance.<br /><br />Oh, and everyone knew Weakland was gay, as are many Benedictine monks. If he could not be "out" and "honest," do you think his underling pedophiles did not take advantage of that "inconvenient truth?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27612445.post-9375739058230946072009-05-20T15:28:41.640-05:002009-05-20T15:28:41.640-05:00Excellent analysis, Michael.Excellent analysis, Michael.Tchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13388784325608457371noreply@blogger.com