 | Religious Morality: Bankrupt |
In today’s news: “The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops said Friday that over the last year they received 1,092 new allegations of sexual abuse against at least 756 Catholic priests and deacons.”
Victims of clergy assault are, justifiably, suing the Catholic Church’s apse off for its policy of deceit, denial and disdain. What is the the response of the Catholic Church? It is trying to literally disown the problem:
Last July the Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, became the first diocese to file bankruptcy. Mark Chopko, general counsel to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, explains, “Lots of questions have not yet been explored about how much authority and jurisdiction a bankruptcy court actually can exercise over a Church,†reports Catholic News Service (CNS). The Code of Canon Law states that a diocese holds schools and other property in trust for parishes (Canon #1256), but that may not hold up in civil court. Portland’s Archbishop John G. Vlazny unexpectedly filed bankruptcy just hours before two sex-abuse trials were to begin, with the plaintiffs seeking a total of $155 million.
And that’s just in Portland. Branches of the Catholic Church in Boston and Tucson have also considered bankruptcy as a way of getting out of the obligation to pay legal reparations to children raped by priests, then victimized again by a Church that preferred to hide the problem and expose more children to danger.
And it’s not just the official Catholic Church hierarchy. “Moral” Catholic parishoners in Tucson hounded boys who had been sexually assaulted by priests, calling them “faggots” and forcing them to switch schools just to be left alone.
After all this, the Catholic Church and its parishoners in Tucson, Boston and Portland evaded their accountability by moving toward bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy, let’s remind ourselves, involves the claim by the Catholic Church that it cannot raise the money to settle its obligations to the victims of Catholic assault. Bishop Gerald Kicanas of the Archdiocese of Tucson makes this assertion explicitly:
“There should be every effort made on the part of a diocese to try to compensate those who have been hurt, to seek their forgiveness. But sometimes the expectations of those who have been hurt are far beyond the assets or ability of the Church to respond to what they feel is needed in order to bring their healing about.”
“Far beyond the assets or ability of the Church?” The Church doesn’t have the assets? The Church can’t raise the money? It doesn’t have the ability to do so?
BULLSHIT.
The Catholic Church gets its money from its members every Sunday. It’s called a collection plate. As the National Council of Catholic Bishop succinctly puts it, “the laity are the Church in the heart of the world.” The laity are the Catholic Church. The laity funds the Catholic Church. Because it collectively establishes and maintains the Catholic Church, the laity is responsible for the abuses perpetrated by the Catholic Church.
American Catholics have for years been willing to pay for statues.
American Catholics have for years been willing to pay for golden robes.
American Catholics have for years been willing to pay for nice-smelling incense.
American Catholics have for years been willing to pay for pretty pretty stained glass.
American Catholics have for years been willing to pay for organs and choir directors.
American Catholics have for years been willing to pay for an extensive bureaucracy.
American Catholics have for years been willing to pay for opulent buildings.
American Catholics have for years bathed in the benefits and prettiness of these things.
But when thousands of kids have been victims of Catholic Church rape and have been secondarily victimized by a Catholic Church bureaucracy that covered for rapists and repeatedly set them loose to rape again, American Catholics say they just don’t have the wherewithal. They need to buy nice-smelling incense and golden robes instead. Priorities, you know.
The Catholic Church, with all its built-up, ornate, showy wealth, with loads of untapped financial resources in its sustaining laity, has been presented with a choice: will it do what it can to compensate those it has victimized?
The Catholic Church’s choice: no, we won’t do what we can.
Remember that the next time the Catholic Church tries to shove its “moral values” down your throat.
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Sorry, I was too busy eating a huge steak this Friday to see this one in the news. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Ah, the Catholic church. A pimple on the ass of religion, if you ask me.
Corruption, greed, and exorcism: We are the Catholic Church!
(a Fortune 500 Company)
Comment by Kevin — 2/18/2005 @ 11:04 pm
You know, the truth is that a lot of other churches have this trouble too, but they don’t have the publicity problems because they have a less elaborate hierarchy and so when the problems happen, they’re described as “local” instead of part of a problematic church culture across the country
Comment by Peregrin Wood — 2/19/2005 @ 6:57 am
Peregrin:
Please provide links for your observations. I’m interested to read.
Comment by Kevin — 2/20/2005 @ 12:36 am
it’s not just the Catholic Church, it’s the Abrahamic style of religion, which kills humanity
“It is possible that mankind is on the threshold of a golden age; but, if so, it will be necessary first to slay the dragon that guards the door, and this dragon is religion.” - Bertrand Russell
Comment by Ute — 2/20/2005 @ 6:44 am
Are there not as many (or more) secular pedophiles than religous pedophiles?
I don’t think it is entirely fair to blame religion as a whole for the misdeeds of a few- and yes, when one takes into account the number of confirmed incidents versus the MILLIONS of Christians in this country, it is a few. It’s no more horrible coming from a secular source, nor is it any less horrible.
There are bad apples in every bunch. It’s when broad, sweeping generalizations are formed that a problem begins to develop. When one equates religion as a whole to corruption, problems can and do arise.
What if we did that with every group- Liberals? ? Harley enthusiasts? Where do we stop?
Comment by Kevin — 2/20/2005 @ 6:40 pm
Kevin -
Explain to me what organization of liberals, or Harley enthusiasts, has ever instituted a nationwide conspiracy to cover up the sexual abuse of children?
What secular organization in America has ever done anything to children on the order of what the Roman Catholic Church has done?
It’s not about there being a few bad apples. It’s about the apple farmer finding a whole bunch of bad apples, and sticking them back into the bushels that he’s sending to market to sell.
There is no secular equivalent, Kevin. It’s not about a few individual priests. It’s about a huge system that helped the priests rape and molest children.
How can you miss this difference?
It was the Catholic Church as a whole that was corrupt. How the heck are we supposed to respond - just by criticizing the individuals who did the actual raping?
It is entirely fair to blame religion, precisely because religion makes the outrageous claim to be morally superior to secular humanity. When they claim to be morally superior, and then organize to commit mass, organized abuse of our children, I say that criticizing the system of religion is the most appropriate response.
The fact that the Catholic Church is now getting federal government funds to make up for the budgetary shortfall resulting from the hundreds of billions of dollars paid to keep the victims quiet makes it my business.
Comment by Peregrin Wood — 2/20/2005 @ 7:55 pm
Sticking up for paedophiles, here…
The majority of child molesters AREN’T paedophiles, and the OVERWHELMING majority of paedophiles NEVER molest any children.
I, personally, have it put down with the other “~philias”; as a fetish. Nothing against most fetishes (most of them are just plain funny), but this is one that obviously requires the people to get help for dealing with.
The thing with all the child molesting priests is that the church is supposed to be helping people with things like that anyway, and institutions like religion should be the first to admit when their members need medical help if they can’t deal with it themselves (because, despite all the evidence we see against it, they’re supposed to have the health and sanity of their members above their own personal take on the matter).
Comment by HareTrinity — 2/21/2005 @ 5:02 am
And sticking up for paedophiles there as if they were the victims because they ARE; no one WANTS to be a child molester, and the paedophiles go through hell dealing with it.
Most child molesters go through hell beforehand like most murders/rapists, and then pick on the weakest targets (often prostitutes), with age not being an issue.
Comment by HareTrinity — 2/21/2005 @ 5:04 am
Peregrin:
You have missed my point entirely. By saying it is okay to blame religion for the mistakes of a few, you are saying it is okay to blame Homosexuals for AIDS, Mexicans for taking American jobs, Blacks for perpetuating welfare, etc.
You are generilizing, Peregrin. Like it or not, that is what you are doing.
Since you don’t appear to have any religious affiliation, it might be a little difficult for you to form a sound opinion on the intricacies of what it means to be devoted to the belief of God. That’s your perogative, and I don’t care one bit whether you believe in a higher power or not. What I DO care about is that it is seemingly okay for you to assume, because of the acts of a few, that religion as a whole condones this. You are totally wrong on all accounts with that assumption.
My point with bringing up Harley enthusiasts was this: What if we assume that all Harley enthusiasts are violent drug-addicted miscreants who only live to ride, fight, and get wasted? Is that fair to assume because of the reputation of Hell’s Angels and other notorious motorcycle groups? Why not, if we use your way of thinking.
The same applies to Liberals. What if we all thought of Liberals as wimpy, pot-smoking weirdos? Would that be a fair assumption, based on the history of Hippie culture, who are resoundingly Liberal? Is that fair?
Pererin, Christians ARE NOT PERFECT. I REPEAT, CHRISTIANS ARE NOT PERFECT. And for you, or anyone else, to hold them to a higher standard simply because they are Christians, is unfair and unrealistic. It’s not an excuse for sin; it’s simply a reality. Christians sin just as much (or more) as anyone else. Anyone who says differently is a liar.
Comment by Kevin — 2/21/2005 @ 9:46 am
Kevin,
The issue is that the Roman Catholic Church actively and knowingly engaged in activities which allowed sexual assaulters to continue to sexually assault, which denied the truth of victims’ claims of sexual assault, and which hid the truth from the public.
…all while they continued to push their “morality” on others.
The Roman Catholic Church is culpable, both morally and legally.
The Roman Catholic Church has the wherewithal to make morally and legally required restitution.
The Roman Catholic Church, both as an institution and as the set of individuals who comprise it and sustain it, has decided not to.
Comment by J. Matthew — 2/21/2005 @ 10:10 am
Hare Trinity,
A pedophile who never touches another has my sympathy.
A pedophile who harms a child has earned my ire.
Comment by J. Matthew — 2/21/2005 @ 10:12 am
Spammed us — comment deleted [ed.]
Comment by Mike Palecek — 2/21/2005 @ 10:31 am
J.Matthew: I am not arguing that the Catholic Church is not liable, but it IS important to separate the higher-ups from the parishoners. Surely we can’t hold the members of the Church liable for the actions of the hierarchy?
Comment by Kevin — 2/21/2005 @ 10:39 am
The Catholic Church defines “the church” as consisting of the people within it, and gains its income from its parishoners. The church acts in the name of the parishoners, and the parishoners explicitly give the church that authority. That’s the relationship. The church acted in parishoners’ name, under authority granted by parishoners, with the financial support of parishoners.
When the parishoners will shell out for pretty stained glass, for incense and robes, for statues and bureaucrats’ salaries, but won’t shell out to fulfill the moral and legal responsibilities of the church that they are responsible for, well… that just speaks volumes about the “religious morality” we keep hearing about, doesn’t it?
Comment by J. Matthew Cook — 2/21/2005 @ 2:16 pm
I’m with J. Matthew. This is hardly an issue of the mistakes of a “few”. This is an issue of the mistakes of an immense system, and many, many people contributing to those mistakes in the system. One study I’ve read - by a Catholic group - suggested that something like 10 or 12 percent of priests from one graduating seminary class turned out to be sexual abusers. The number of people who did nothing in spite of knowing about what the priests were doing is also immense - and it’s not just priests and bishops.
There’s a culture of preying upon children in the American Catholic Church that was not just tolerated, but encouraged by the Church for generations.
Kevin, you try to throw out distracting little flares, like suggesting that secular people or “Harley enthusiasts” have some similar institutional, nationwide conspiracy to perpetuate the rape and molestation of children, but the fact is that it just isn’t so, and you can’t possible point to any example of such a thing.
For the Republicans to be giving so much taxpayers’ money to such an organization, and to give such an organization so much political power, is mindbogglingly crass.
That anybody suffers the Catholic Church to lecture to the rest of us about the virtues of sexual abstinence is laughable. The Catholic Church has such a long history of abusing humanity that it ought to have disappeared long ago. Pretending that it’s abuses are few and far between is a symptom of severe denial.
Comment by Peregrin Wood — 2/21/2005 @ 3:10 pm
“Kevin, you try to throw out distracting little flares, like suggesting that secular people or “Harley enthusiasts†have some similar institutional, nationwide conspiracy to perpetuate the rape and molestation of children, but the fact is that it just isn’t so, and you can’t possible point to any example of such a thing.”
Earth to Peregrin: I wasn’t saying or even insuating that those groups have anything to do with pedophilia. Either you didn’t read my post, or, well, you didn’t read my post. My point is, and I’ll say this real slow for ya, is that LUMPING MILLIONS OF INNOCENT CHURCH-GOERS WITH THE ACTIONS OF A FEW PERVERTED INDIVIDUALS IS STUPID AND WRONG, just as saying all blacks are stupid, welfare-mooching imbeciles, and all bikers are tattooed, drunken brawlers.
And considering that almost 80% of America’s population identifies with some form of Christianity, that’s a lot of people to explain your stereotypical view to. Hope you’re not busy for a while.
J. Matthew: “The church acted in parishoners’ name, under authority granted by parishoners, with the financial support of parishoners.”
So, the employees of Enron, WorldCom, TYCO, etc. are guilty by association as well???
Comment by Kevin — 2/21/2005 @ 4:24 pm
Kevin, I don’t think that criticizing the Catholic Church as an institution, and the people who aided and abetted the many many sexual predators in the Catholic Church, is anything at all like saying that “all blacks are stupid welfare-mooching imbiciles”.
For one thing, Kevin, you ought to be aware that in drawing this comparison, you are suggesting that the black community has a pervasive, institutional problem with stupidity, welfare-mooching, and imbecility. Is this what you meant to say?
Well, Kevin, the fact is that the Catholic Church has a pervasive, institutional problem with using children as sex toys. It’s a fact, Kevin, and that’s all that Peregin Wood and J. Matthew are saying.
Comment by Patricia — 2/21/2005 @ 5:09 pm
Kevin, the correct analogy would be that the STOCKHOLDERS of Enron, WorldCom, TYCO, et al are financially responsible for the failings of those corporations. They are indeed financially responsible, and they’ve paid for the illegalities of the execs of the corporation they own by losing the value of their assets.
The Catholic Church is created and maintained through the donations and collective support of parishoners. When the collectivity they’ve created does wrong, there are three choices: 1) Parishoners can choose to remain part of that collectivity and own up to their collective responsibility; 2) Parishoners can leave the collectivity and stop providing support to it as a protest against what the collectivity has done (many have done so and should be commended for it, though the Catholic Church still doesn’t really get why); 3) Parishoners can remain in the collectivity, keep putting money in the kitty for nice-smelling incense and pretty robes, but deny that they have any responsibility whatsoever for what the collectivity has done.
The collectivity of the Catholic Church in America has chosen Option #3. What a typical example of “religious morality” in action.
We should remember that the next time Catholics and the Catholic Church try to claim some kind of moral pulpit to shove something down everybody else’s throats.
Comment by J. Matthew — 2/21/2005 @ 8:18 pm
No, J. Matthew, I meant the employees of those corporations. After all, they performed the labor that made the money that allowed the goons in charge to lie, cheat, and steal that lives in the house that Ken built. I see what you mean about stockholders, however.
Patricia: No, in no way shape or form am I saying that blacks, by virtue of their skin color, are stupid and lazy, etc. But correct me if I am wrong: A popular stereotype among idiots is that they, as a whole, are. My point was to illustrate the dangers of accepting stereotypes/broadly drawn conclusions as fact about the group entire. That’s all. Nothing more, nothing less.
Stupid and lazy comes in all colors, shapes, and sizes. It does not discriminate. I am proof of that.
Back to the “collection plate…”
J. Matthew, what you don’t understand is that most of the money from a collection plate goes to the actual church where the parishoners attend service, not to some big collection plate in God Land. To cut off that funding would bankrupt that particular church, a church that, more than likely, has no members or elders guilty of any crimes against children, etc. In my church, most of the donations go to paying for and upkeep of the building itself. Next, salaries are paid to the office staff, custodial staff, etc. Finally, the rest of the money is allocated to missions, charities, and other services within the church (day care, Sunday school, choir, etc.)
Funding for Catholic Churches may be slightly different, but for most churches this is how it works.
I’m not defending the people whose job it is to see that justice is served and chose to look the other way; I’m defending the everyday parishioner who simply wants to go to church every Sunday and lead a decent life. The guilty- not the innocent- should pay for their silence and/or indifference.
As for anyone who tries to shove anything down your throat, gag and then tell ‘em to buzz off.
Comment by Kevin — 2/22/2005 @ 9:40 am
Kevin,
There are no isolated catholic churches. There is one Catholic Church. That’s the system.
I’d like to be able to just tell religious zealots to buzz off, Kevin, but the sad truth is that under George W. Bush, my taxpayer money is being shoved into religious proselytization programs. Cramming Christianity down my throat is becoming the law.
Comment by J. Matthew Cook — 2/22/2005 @ 11:37 am
Starting to think you’re arguing for the sake of arguing, there…
http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/porter/index_1.html
Here’s a link about the story of the most famous child molesting priest.
Covered up by those around him, he possibly molested over 200 children.
Much as this was a horrible thing for those who knew to allow to happen; they obviously don’t represent the majority of Catholics, and Kevin’s right to say that you can’t blame those who didn’t know.
The institution of the church can’t be treated as a single group when it didn’t act as a single group.
That would be like blaming the American citizens for the war in Iraq.
Comment by HareTrinity — 2/22/2005 @ 2:31 pm
But Hare, the entire American Catholic Church, as a single group, had an official policy to cover these things up and protect the priests who used children for their sexual pleasure - and to move them to new churches when the rumors got to be trouble, without telling anyone at all, much less parents, at the predators’ new churches, that their children were likely to become the sexual playthings of the priests!
This was an official written policy of the entire American Catholic Church - and the Vatican supported it! How in the world can you say that the institution of the Catholic Church cannot be treated as a single group as far as its responsibility for the rape of generations of children by a very large number of Catholic priests????
Comment by Neal — 2/22/2005 @ 2:41 pm
J. Matthew: If you still feel that religion is being crammed down the throats of Americans, I challenge you to walk into any public school and take notes of how many sanctioned prayers are being conducted. (’Rally ’round The Flag,’ etc. doesn’t count– an administrator is only there for security reasons. They are not allowed to conduct the ceremony or condone anything said by the students.)
Also, not too long ago, the 10 Commandments were removed from the Harris County (Houston area) Courthouse by order of the court. There are other examples of this, J. Matthew.
As an educator in a public school, I just don’t see any examples of your accusation. I see quite the opposite happening, actually.
Comment by Kevin — 2/22/2005 @ 2:50 pm
“That would be like blaming the American citizens for the war in Iraq.”
Why yes, yes it would, now that you mention it. When you hold a stake or cast a vote, you take responsibility.
Kevin, we’ve danced the dance of #23 so many times I’m getting really tired of it. Read old threads for my multiple links to instances of government funding of religious proselytization, in the schools and elsewhere.
Comment by J. Matthew Cook — 2/22/2005 @ 3:51 pm
Indeed. How about the case, recently discussed on NPR, in which prisoners were required by a federally-funded “faith-based” (RELIGIOUS!) initiative to give their lives over to Jesus before they could participate?
Participation in this program was a really good way for these prisoners to gain earlier release, so basically, the federal government was using taxpayer money to say:
1. If you want to get job training so that you can have work after being released from prison, you’ve got to give your life to Jesus.
2. If you want to get an early release, you ought to give your life to Jesus.
This stuff is happening all over the country, Kevin! It’s religious Welfare! How can you Republican Christians stand to put Jesus the big government dole?
Comment by Patricia — 2/22/2005 @ 5:14 pm
I know it was the Catholic priest leaders… And they SHOULD be blamed.
Think I’m saying the Catholic church should be taken out of the care of people who obviously consider themselves above the law and instead handed over to its members.
Following stereotypes, that would be like giving flock control to a bunch of aimless sheep… Still, I’m sure some of the proper Catholics out there must have their morals better placed that those aiding child molesters. It’s not difficult to have better morals than that, really.
Comment by HareTrinity — 2/23/2005 @ 4:19 am