Home Forums All Things Catholic Questions non-Catholics have asked you Reply To: Questions non-Catholics have asked you

#7801
Anonymous
Inactive

[quote:3gr8il0a]I think the Catholic Church postion is amplifyed cause they have the deepest pockets.
[/quote:3gr8il0a]

Deep pockets is indeed one factor, after surviving for 2000 years we would all have deep pockets. Most of all when the good done by the people in the Church has far outweighed the individuals who have turned against the moral teaching of the Church.

While the CS article points out that molestation is not a Catholic issue, but is universal, and many protestant sects are plauged by the problem as well as civil jurisdictions etc, (Just look at the school teahcers, and a couple of days ago a Juvinile Judge in Orange County Calif) The focus on the Catholic church, in my opinion and the opinion of a group of Protestant clergy and jewish rabbis that I know from my connection to clergy related associations I am involved in dating back to my father’s pulpit is this….
The Catholic Church, aside from being the largest religious orginization in the world and in history is centralized. If a minister or rabbi is caught doing something like molestation or rape, it is hushed up, because there is a feeling among the congregation that they don’t want bad publicity. The molester was employed by the individual congregation, so he can go to another congregation and apply for a job knowing that the old congregation will not tell of what they see as their shame for hiring him in the first place. With no centralized authority it is hard to find records of the deeds, and if the minister or rabbi has really burned his bridges within the denomination, it is easy enough to jump over to another denomination and become a “leader” there, even become a minister and rise through the ranks quickly if they show a potential to increase the sizes of congregations and pull in more money. Now many molesters have a bright personality and gain peoples trust very easily, you most of the time hear shock, “how could he be accused of that, he is so nice, and friendly” Making the molester a good candidate for a job and able to bring in bigger collections, giving them a far more exciting resume for the unaware new synagoge or congregations. People are people everywhere and will gravitate to someone who is charming and promises to build up their orginization rather than one who is willing to stick to what has always been done.