Ballarat bishop says confession is sacred
BY TOM MCILROY
BALLARAT’S Catholic bishop has rejected calls to force priests to report admissions of child sexual abuse taken during confession, to police.
South Australian independent senator Nick Xenophon this week called for priests to be required to report all admissions of child abuse to police, breaching the confidence of a priest and his parishioner.
Bishop Peter Connors called on law makers to respect the sacrament of confession...
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You may also read the letters being written in Ireland about this orchestrated dog and pony show, thanks to Father Levi, who doesn't approve of everything we're about here, but provided us with the link, thank you very much. Here's a sample:
Sir, – In the maelstrom of criticism directed at the Catholic Church and some of its hierarchy, we should not forget that it is the State that has ultimate responsibility for the protection of our children. It is right to criticise the shortcomings of the church and set to rights the appalling wrongs that have been perpetrated by some clerics against children. We must not forget, however, that the problem of child sexual and physical abuse is as big (in fact, bigger) in the lay community than it is in the clerical community.
I am no apologist for the shortcomings of the church, but the almost exclusive focus on those shortcomings fails to address the overall problem. I would now like to see an equally powerful light shone on the issue of state protection of children. I have very little doubt that another appalling vista of inadequate procedures, dereliction of duty, protection of self-interest and inadequate resources will be revealed.
No doubt our politicians feel a certain sense of moral gratification in wrapping the knuckles of the Vatican and basking in the political dividends of doing so. The overall problem will not be solved,however, until our politicians are prepared to examine the failures of the State in this area with a similar intensity. – Yours, etc,
FELIX McTIERNAN,
Fitzwilliam Place,
Dublin 2.
Abuse hysteria?
ReplyDeleteWow.
Catholic priests raped tens of thousands of children, and their bishops hid it, moved them to areas with more children, and lied about it. There ought to be hysteria, and all of them should be prosecuted regardless of the statute of limitations.
Its amazing how Catholics have forgotten all of the rules of God, and now believe their bishops, who make them think child rape is ok, lying is ok, ignoring the victims is ok, and saving money is the most important thing on earth.
There should be much more hysteria.
As I've told you before. Your children are far safer in the supervision and on the grounds of the Catholic Church property than they are in the Society around.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I don't know any Bishops who think this is ok, but there are plenty of Labor, Democratic, Green Party politicians out there that do think minors should have sex legally with adults.