Can you reconcile remaining Catholic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These crimes happen in every church - the abuse and the cover up. It's horrible and inexcusable, and has no influence on my ability to reconcile with the decision to remain Catholic.

Tell me more about that. Here and there? Or on a grand scale like the Catholics?

I'm not defending the Catholics but MCPS for one has been moving oedophokes around for decades . Obviously not on a large scale since so few men work there. Montgomery county prosecutors arrested an employee from RM who was raping a student, released him with no bond, refused a restraining order for his step daughter and raped the same girl the day he was released.

Yes, creeps can turn up anywhere -- but it's institutionalized in the Catholic church.

About how many MCPS pedophile teachers were moved around? A few or hundreds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These crimes happen in every church - the abuse and the cover up. It's horrible and inexcusable, and has no influence on my ability to reconcile with the decision to remain Catholic.

Tell me more about that. Here and there? Or on a grand scale like the Catholics?

+1. Nothing like this has happened in other churches. It's the celibate priesthood and the power structure that encourages the abuse.

Agreed

[Anonymous]

The Church just needs to be shut down. It’s Medieval and out of step, even with a left leaning, albeit moronic pope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These crimes happen in every church - the abuse and the cover up. It's horrible and inexcusable, and has no influence on my ability to reconcile with the decision to remain Catholic.

Tell me more about that. Here and there? Or on a grand scale like the Catholics?

I'm not defending the Catholics but MCPS for one has been moving oedophokes around for decades . Obviously not on a large scale since so few men work there. Montgomery county prosecutors arrested an employee from RM who was raping a student, released him with no bond, refused a restraining order for his step daughter and raped the same girl the day he was released.

Yes, creeps can turn up anywhere -- but it's institutionalized in the Catholic church.

About how many MCPS pedophile teachers were moved around? A few or hundreds?

I went to MCPS. There were a few teachers that we knew to stay away from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Celibate clergy” = sex perv haven
I met so many strange men studying for the priesthood at CUA. SMH

No one says that about Buddhist monks and nuns.

Are Buddhist monks interacting with children in parish-type communities?

No, because they don’t have parishes, but thousands of children live in Buddhist monasteries either as novices or as orphans.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Sort of. My faith is intact. I still believe in God, and Jesus, and Mary and the saints and being a good person and loving all, etc. But I've long disagreed with many official holdings of the church - birth control, homosexuality, women can't be ordained, priests can't marry, etc. And of course, I'm disgusted by the decades (probably centuries) of sexual crimes and cover-ups. So basically, I dont consider the church any type of moral authority. The church leaders are just people, as flawed as anyone else. Certainly the church does some good in the world, and most priests are good people, but I don't see how it can hold itself out as a voice for justice and human rights and morality until it makes a LOT of big changes.

So yes, I can still be Catholic inasmuch as my faith guides my personal life. But I feel no loyalty to the institution of the Catholic Church. I hope one day the church can live up to it's potnential and promise.

I feel much the same, PP. Having been raised Catholic, I will always be a “cultural” Catholic, but I left the church years ago when I realized I couldn’t look my daughter in the eye and say I was taking her to a church that valued her brother more than her. As a human-made institution, the church, like all others, is inherently flawed. I never expected it to be perfect but it had all gone too far way before yesterday’s news. Makes me sad and angry.

I'm catholic and one of the reasons I like the catholic church is that it honors women both current and saints. I don't see an issue with the Catholic church for honoring men over woman at all. I've never considered a priest the only respectable vocation. I love how the catholic church both honors women and asks that we all pick a vocation. For years most of the schools had nuns, so I can't see how the church didn't respect women for teaching the congregation.

I do not like that other Christian religions allow divorce. I think they are going against Jesus's teachings. I also don't like how many of them change with time in their beliefs. Whether I agree personally or not, it makes me feel like they don't stand for anything.

I don't want to be harsh, PP, but SPARE ME the line that the Catholic Church doesn't allow divorce. If you have money and power, you can pay for an annulment. Did you not read about the Archdiocese of Boston's annulment of Joe (son of Bobby) Kennedy's 12- year marriage to his first wife Sheila? The annulment would have made his 2 sons illegitimate in the eyes of the Church. What an a$$ to do that to his first wife and children. He wanted to marry again in the Catholic Church -- this shows Catholic Church and Kennedy corruption at its worst. Good for his ex-wife for fighting that corruption and getting the Vatican to overturn the ruling:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-463631/Vatican-overturns-Kennedy-wifes-annulment-10-year-battle.html

My father-in-law did this. It's was so hurtful to his family after 40 year of marriage and 4 kids.

You obviously don't understand Catholic doctrine. The children would not be illegitimate.

This. No illegitimacy in Catholicism. Sins of the parents don’t stain the child. Not true of all religions, including Judaism and many Protestant denominations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t reconcile it. I won’t send my children to parochial school. I won’t attend weekly mass anymore and I am looking at switching over to the Lutheran Church. To be honest- I hope thousands of Catholics do this. I do not trust the church one bit.

My husband and I both decided to leave the Catholic faith this year. I'm a child advocate. I have worked in social services and counseled many abused children over the years. There is no way in Hell that I can support an institution that covers up the abuse of children. I feel so sick to my stomach! My heart aches for anyone who has been abused by the Catholic Church. I am beyond disgusted by these recent cases!

I have been a devoted Catholic all my life. When I visit other Christian churches I don't feel like it is home. I'm in the process of searching for another faith. The only one that I feel comfortable at is the Episcopal faith. I should have left Catholicism long time ago along with my siblings. My other siblings are atheists and they don't want anything to do with religion. I don't blame them at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These crimes happen in every church - the abuse and the cover up. It's horrible and inexcusable, and has no influence on my ability to reconcile with the decision to remain Catholic.

Tell me more about that. Here and there? Or on a grand scale like the Catholics?

I'm not defending the Catholics but MCPS for one has been moving oedophokes around for decades . Obviously not on a large scale since so few men work there. Montgomery county prosecutors arrested an employee from RM who was raping a student, released him with no bond, refused a restraining order for his step daughter and raped the same girl the day he was released.

Yes, creeps can turn up anywhere -- but it's institutionalized in the Catholic church.

About how many MCPS pedophile teachers were moved around? A few or hundreds?

Since 1940?

At least 20 that I know of just from the news in the last 5-7 years.

My neighbor married her teacher the summer after graduation. He cheated on her with a student. Then he quit, but MCPS didn't ask him to quit his child wife did.

[Anonymous]

I left the Catholic Church 10 years ago in fairly large part because of this issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I left the Catholic Church 10 years ago in fairly large part because of this issue.

I drifted away from the Catholic church decades ago, unrelated to any scandal. I'm so glad I didn't have to deal with all that. I'm not religious but still love the familiar Catholic liturgy. I used to go occasionally to a high Latin mass and throw a few dollars in the basket.

From now on, if I go, I won't give any money. If the church dies out, I'll pay to go to concerts of the numerous beautiful Catholic masses composed by some of the world's greatest composers.

[Anonymous]

So this is a weird place to be in as a catholic. But I am more of a forced lapped catholic since I don't want to pay or have the money to pay for an annulment. I am married to an agnostic and we have kids and I am damned ir whatever in the churches eyes. I don't really care. I think the church has been fairly messed up for a very long time and unless they figure things out, they will shut their doors in the next 100 years or so. I have done a lot of grieving about the church. I am appalled it has come to this.

[Anonymous]

I’m staying with the Church. While I’m appalled by the abuse, I am hopeful that the Church has put procedures in place to stop the abuse and cover up and attempt to make amends.

I have no intention of leaving my faith. While I disagree with some of the teachings of the church, I am a strong believer in the basic tenets of Catholicism. I am Catholic and attending a Christian church of another denomination would not be sufficient.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know how people switch churches so casually. Clearly you must not have been truly faithful is you can suddenly just not believe things you used to claim or start believing new things. I love the Mass and I have a strong faith in the beliefs of the Catholic Church. I will continue going to Mass for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I left the Catholic Church 10 years ago in fairly large part because of this issue.

I drifted away from the Catholic church decades ago, unrelated to any scandal. I'm so glad I didn't have to deal with all that. I'm not religious but still love the familiar Catholic liturgy. I used to go occasionally to a high Latin mass and throw a few dollars in the basket.

From now on, if I go, I won't give any money. If the church dies out, I'll pay to go to concerts of the numerous beautiful Catholic masses composed by some of the world's greatest composers.

I adore a good portion of the religious works written by these greatest composers, and I absolutely loathe the church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know how people switch churches so casually. Clearly you must not have been truly faithful is you can suddenly just not believe things you used to claim or start believing new things. I love the Mass and I have a strong faith in the beliefs of the Catholic Church. I will continue going to Mass for me.

Why do you think this is a casual decision? For many, this is a heart wrenching decision reached after much introspection. Do you count yourself “truly faithful,” above others? Humility before God is part of the faith, I hear.