Talk:Catholicism/temp
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[edit] Sexual abuse of children
In recent years, Catholic churches in a number of nations around the globe have been rocked by child sexual abuse scandals. In particular, these have centered on the sexual molestation of children (mostly boys) by members of the church. The bulk of the evidence aired so far suggests that it has been perpetrated by only a relatively small number of clergymen, but that it had been both widespread and persistent. The Catholic Church has faced a great deal of criticism; not so much for the actions of priests, but for the relative inaction by their superiors who, according to critics, have frequently not taken accusations seriously, and been neither sufficiently prompt nor sufficiently firm in dealing with even well-attested cases of abuse. In several prominent instances, known offenders have been retained in the service of the church, usually in a different town, long after it became clear that offences had taken place.
These same issues have arisen in many social institutions (churches, schools, youth groups, etc.) in the late 20th century in response to changing social attitudes towards child sexual abuse. Victims are now more likely to publicize the crime than in the past, and the general public demands more severe punishment for offenders. Adapting to these new conditions has been especially difficult for the Catholic Church; although it has had a heavy doctrinal emphasis on morality, particularly sexual morality, in the past it attempted to handle such offenses quietly and internally. Its rigid authority structure makes it slow to make any kind of change of this sort.
See also Catholic priests' sex abuse scandal.
Previous versions below this line
- As has been the case with several other major social institutions in recent years, Catholic churches in a number of nations around the globe have been rocked by sex scandals. In particular, these have centred on the sexual molestation of children by priests. The bulk of the evidence aired so far suggests that it been perpetrated by only a relatively small minority of clergymen, but that it had been both widespread and persistent. Like other churches, the Catholic church has faced a great deal of criticism; not so much for the actions of a small percentage of pedophile priests, but for relative inaction by their superiors who, according to critics, have frequently not taken accusations sufficiently seriously, and been neither sufficiently prompt not sufficiently firm in dealing with even well-attested cases of abuse. In several prominent instances, known offenders have been retained in the service of the church, usually in a different town, long after it became clear that offences had taken place.
- These same issues have arisen in many social institutions in the late 20th century in response to changing social atitudes—other churches, schools, youth groups, and so on. The process of adapting to these new conditions has been especially difficult for the Catholic church, which has traditionally had a rigid authority structure and a heavy doctrinal emphasis on morality in general and sexual morality in particular.
- These same issues have arisen in many social institutions (churches, schools, youth groups, etc.) in the late 20th century in response to changing social attitudes towards child sexual abuse. Victims are now more likely to publicize the crime than in the past, and the general public demands more severe punishment for offenders. Adapting to these new conditions has been especially difficult for the Catholic church; although it has had a heavy doctrinal emphasis on morality, particularly sexual morality, in the past it attempted to handle such offenses quietly and internally. Its rigid authority structure makes it slow to make any kind of change of this sort.
[edit] Catholic Clashes
In the past 2000 years, it is believed that the different sects of Christianity have been competing against each other. Many people in such competition claim they castigate the group that has lesser dedication and rules, rules that are not as strict as the ladder. (Rules that are not as strict as the ladder? What does that mean in english?) Many believe this internal conflict has caused the divergence of the ideals of Christianity and subsequently, the degradation of its once powerful unity. (Christianity has been divided for 2000 years. What once powerful unity?) This degradation could be supported through the change of the puritan ways, as seen in the history of America. (which means in english?) One could look at the branching and creation of different ideals such as Christianity, BAPTIST, BRETHREN, Byzantine, Catholic Apostolic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Disciples of Christ, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Anglican, Episcopal, Evangelical, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, Apostolic, REFORMED-PRESBYTERIAN, and so on. These divergences in the religion have support the belief that Christianity has divided into a group of sects. [1], [2] Although these different groups of Catholicism (Baptists, Evangelicals, Lutherans, etc. aren't Catholic either.) exist, due to the heavy moral nature of these religions, one must entertain the possibility that this separation is a mere personal choice. (Ever heard of theology, doctrine, liturgical beliefs, etc etc?) This could also mean that these religions are really not in conflict, but are simply exploring other interpretations of faith.
[edit] Paedophilia in Catholicism
There is much evidence to show the Catholic church has had sexual offenders as its heads. Some believe this is so because the Catholic church paid $4 million dollars to 4 families during a trial regarding the molestation of 4 children.[3] Many would describe this as evidence toward abuse in the church although the fact that these families ceased their lawsuits could also be interpreted as adding falsehood toward their argument. (Try rewriting this paragraph in english.)
The higher percentages of molestation were reported in places like the Boston Archdiocese (where the New York Times reports 5.3 percent of priests overall accused) or Manchester, New Hampshire (where the New York Times says that 7.7 percent of priests overall were accused). [4] [5]
Recently people that have accused the church of such molestation have reached settlements with the Church out of court. There have been an estimated 1,400 sexual abuse lawsuits launched against American priests since 1985. In 1997 a jury awarded $120 million to victims in a sex abuse case against the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, which finally agreed to a $30 million settlement. The diocese declared bankruptcy and closed many of its agencies and schools. Current settlements in the Boston suits could reach up to $100 million. In some cases insurance companies have played skeptical at meeting the cost of large settlements, claiming the actions were deliberate and not covered by insurance. [6] These accusations made by the insurance companies are merely speculation and claim no legal bearing.
The Catholic Church has experienced a steep decline in its worldwide influence in society in the late 20th century. Western society has been turning away from religion in general and especially highly structured religious systems such as Catholicism. In places where it once played a primary role, such as Quebec, Ireland, and Spain, its influence is a fraction of what it was in the past.
In the United States, the Catholic church is suffering from declining participation and has been rocked by a number of sexual abuse scandals in recent years. By far the most significant was the Catholic priests' sex abuse scandal in the 1990s and 2000s, not only because of its scale, but because it revealed a complacency by members of the hierarchy. This has futher undermined the church's credibility in the US, and has opened it up to widesperd criticism of its policy on priestly celibacy and its "corporate culture". Similar scandals have occured on a smaller scale in many other countries, including Ireland where Father Brendan Smyth raped hundreds of children over a forty year period.
