Pope meets with victims of clergy sex abuse

This was one act of love that nobody expected. I heard someone just the other day say, he needs to meet the victoms and I thought how this would never happen.

I was totally surprised and awed at this meeting.

Has to be a good thing.

It's just a symbol. The Church still stonewalls victims and still protects pedophile priests. it doesn't mean squat.

Better than not meeting, Keech.

Nessie,

True, but, for hundreds of years, the Catholic Church has done little or nothing to protect its believers from the actions of the more loathsome members of its clergy. The records from the big trials in Massachusetts and California show that the Church officials were much more interested in protecting the Church's image than actually stopping these predators.Church officials did everything they could to delay the trials and to stop the plaintiffs from getting information about the accused and from getting information about the Church's handling of these priests. Being a former Catholic with many family members, including youngsters, still in the faith, I kind of take this problem to heart.There's a good book about this longstanding issue. http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Priests-Secret-Codes-Catholic/dp/1566252652/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208492305&sr=8-5

I see your point, but I truly believe that it is only window dressing.

the Catholic Church needs to stripped of all power it has held.

it`s a good step in the right direction compared to previously ignoring the issue. However the church still protects these filthy rockspiders.

It must be said that it's not the church itself who protects these scum, but cowards in positions of power within the church, like bishops, who simply sweep things under the carpet by transferring people rather than getting them arrested, as they should.

It must be said that it's not the church itself who protects these scum, but cowards in positions of power within the church,

Indeed, and I suspect some were placed in positions of power specifically to destroy the church. Jim Condit Jr has some interesting things to say about this. Seems we've had anti-popes since 1958, and the Catholic Church has gone downhill since.

I'm afraid you'r probably right, Keech.

placed in positions of power specifically to destroy the church" Oh come on Sabi, don't tell me there is a conspiracy here to.

Skip, check out Condit's stuff, there is a good interview of him with Eric Hufschmid, I'm sure you can find it somewhere. There was a time when priests that were found to be pedophiles were treated very severely. If those behind these recent cases were only interested in hushing things up, they would shift these pedophile priests around in different places where they would be with children.

Sorry, I meant to write: If those behind these recent cases were only interested in hushing things up, they would not shift these pedophile priests around in different places where they would be with children.

Muslim bombings, buddhist demonstrations, christian child abuse, and scientology advertisements.

Japan Today really has it all.

skipthesong - what "power" does the Roman Catholic Church have that it needs to be stripped of? The only power that I see it as having are the tithes and loyalty of its followers - which can then translate into political and social influence, and a degree of economic power through those collections and landholdings, but what real power do they have that can be taken away?

Peace

The fact is, there is much evidence indicating that the Catholic Church has since 1958 been in an eclipse, which will hopefully come to an end, with the restoration of the true Catholic Church.

sabiwabi - are you implying:

1) That clergy in the Catholic Church did not engage in child abuse prior to 1958, and/or

2) That Pope Benedict might not be God's human telephone hotline to earth?

If the "true" Catholic Church isn't whatever the hell the Pope says it is, then what is it?

Peace

Hikozaemon, 1) They also occurred before 1958. But there are at least a few documented cases where such priests were dealt with severely; not simply shifted to a fresh batch of kids. 2) Maybe not!

Pax

"No good has ever come, nor will ever come of the Papacy and its laws. No greater scandal has there ever been, than that which has happened by the ungodly imposition of celibacy, and the prohibition of marriage for the clergy." Dr. Martin Luther, "To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation" 1521. Go Marty, Go!

I suggest that all of you who point the finger at any religion's history do so across the board. Let's begin with Islam and continue forward. At least the Pope recognizes a sin when he sees one and is willing to begin the process of healing and conversion. A good lesson for all of the world especially those whose lives are rooted in selfishness and belong to "the church of what's happening now." Peace to all.

No religious leader should be welcomed by the US government.

I respect the Pope for meeting with these victims. It is the right step in starting to take serious responsibility for the crimes against these victims.

However, on the other hand, instead of providing relief to the victims of clergy sex abuse and finding the true root causes in the Catholic Church people like above mentioned Hufschmid and Jim Condit Jr. prefer to "believe that the Vatican has been infiltrated by Crypto Jews."

A terrible crime has been committed against these victims by the members of the Catholic Church and I think it does a terrible diservice to these victims for some people to use these crimes as another excuse to make up stories about "Jews" being to blame.