Pope and 2% paedophiles

[Dorjezigzag]

This is the main headline of the day and seems to continue the Pope's straight talking style.


Pope Francis has been quoted as saying that reliable data indicates that "about 2%" of clergy in the Catholic Church are paedophiles.

The Pope said that abuse of children was like "leprosy" infecting the Church, according to the Italian La Repubblica newspaper.

He vowed to "confront it with the severity it demands".

But a Vatican spokesman said the quotes in the newspaper did not correspond to Pope Francis's exact words.

The BBC's David Willey in Rome says there is often a studied ambiguity in Pope Francis' off-the-cuff statements.

He wants to show a more compassionate attitude towards Church teaching than his predecessors, but this can sometimes cause consternation among his media advisers, our correspondent adds.


In the interview, Pope Francis was quoted as saying that the 2% estimate came from advisers. It would represent around 8,000 priests out of a global number of about 414,000.

This is refreshing honesty but probably an underestimation, could there be some big stories due to break this year and the ground is being prepared?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28282050

[giovonni]

It's difficult to put a percentage to this problem, especially since there are no real records prior to the 1950's ...

Though i sense it is (was) much higher than the 2 percent Pope Francis is reportedly claiming now ... Note i have read claims it is (was) as high as 7 percent (across the board) amongst all Western religious institutions in recent history ...

The only study i am aware of is the infamous John Jay Report (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jay_Report) from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (John Jay College of Criminal Justice)in
New York.

Who really knows why Pope Francis is addressing this issue now, though perhaps he is trying to confront and thus avoid the harsh reality of the inevitable for the institution, he has served and is now leader of ?

[etheric underground]

To be honest.....1 priest pedophile out of 414,000 would be an issue.
The harnessing of pure children energy needs to stop.

[Cidersomerset]

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13 July 2014 Last updated at 14:52

Pope Francis: 'About 2%' of Catholic clergy paedophiles

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Pope Francis Earlier this month the Pope begged forgiveness from victims of child abusers within the Church
Continue reading the main story
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Forgive Church for abuse, begs Pope
Vatican's child abuse response
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Pope Francis has been quoted as saying that reliable data indicates that "about 2%"
of clergy in the Catholic Church are paedophiles.

The Pope said that abuse of children was like "leprosy" infecting the Church,
according to the Italian La Repubblica newspaper.

He vowed to "confront it with the severity it demands".

But a Vatican spokesman said the quotes in the newspaper did not correspond to
Pope Francis's exact words.

The BBC's David Willey in Rome says there is often a studied ambiguity in Pope
Francis' off-the-cuff statements.

He wants to show a more compassionate attitude towards Church teaching than his
predecessors, but this can sometimes cause consternation among his media
advisers, our correspondent adds.

Anger at Vatican

In the interview, Pope Francis was quoted as saying that the 2% estimate came
from advisers. It would represent around 8,000 priests out of a global number of
about 414,000.

While the incidence of paedophilia in the general population is not accurately
known, some estimates have put it at less than five percent.

"Among the 2% who are paedophiles are priests, bishops and cardinals. Others,
more numerous, know but keep quiet. They punish without giving the reason,"
Pope Francis was quoted as saying.

"I find this state of affairs intolerable," he went on.

Above the interview La Repubblica ran the headline: "Pope says: Like Jesus, I shall
use a stick against paedophile priests."

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi denied that Pope Francis had said
that there were cardinals who were paedophiles.

Last year Pope Francis strengthened the Vatican's laws against child abuse and
earlier this month begged forgiveness from the victims of sexual abuse by priests,
at his first meeting with victims since his election.

Many survivors of abuse by priests are angry at what they see as the Vatican's
failure to punish senior officials who have been accused of covering up scandals.

Asked in the same La Repubblica interview about the celibacy rule for priests, Pope
Francis recalled that it was adopted 900 years after the death of Jesus Christ and
pointed out that the Eastern Catholic Church allows its priests to marry.

"The problem certainly exists but it is not on a large scale. It will need time but the
solutions are there and I will find them."

Father Lombardi also denied that these were the Pope's exact words

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28282050

===================================================

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13 July 2014 Last updated at 13:46

CofE braced for new sex abuse claims Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of
media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke to Andrew Marr about Islamic extremism and
an inquiry into sex abuse
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
Pope: 1 in 50 clergy are paedophiles
Butler-Sloss criticism rejected
Victim: 'Butler-Sloss the wrong person' Watch

Fresh allegations of child sex abuse against the Church of England (CofE) are likely
to surface, the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned.The Most Rev Justin Welby
said he was braced for an abuse inquiry to reveal "bad stories" about the Church

vid on link...http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28283480

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that he dealt with the issue daily and that the
Church needed to be transparent.It comes after the Home Office backed Baroness
Butler-Sloss as the right person to lead that inquiry.Concerns have been raised
about her over a previous review role in which she is alleged to have told an
abused choirboy that she wanted to exclude some of his allegations in order to
protect the CofE.

She has said she never put institutions before victims.

Archbishop Welby said abuse survivors needed to be shown justice and called for
transparency from the Church in how it dealt with the issue.

Asked if he was prepared for more "bad stories" of child abuse within the
establishment, the archbishop told the BBC: "I would love to say there weren't, but
I expect there are. There are in almost every institution in this land.

Phil Johnson Phil Johnson was abused as a nine-year-old choirboy

"This is, it's something I deal with every day and it is becoming clearer and clearer
that for many, many years things were not dealt with as they should have been
dealt with."

He added that the Church needed to apologise and explain how "utterly devastated"
It was about the "terrible things" that were done in the past.

On Saturday, the Home Office gave its "unreserved" backing for Baroness Butler-
Sloss to lead an inquiry into allegations of historical child abuse linked to public
institutions in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Phil Johnson, who was abused as a choirboy, claimed she excluded allegations in a
2011 report and told him that she "cared very much about the Church".

The former High Court judge - who was appointed by the home secretary last week
to head a wide-ranging inquiry- insisted she had never put institutions before
victims.

Home Office minister James Brokenshire has pledged his support, saying
her "integrity shines through".

He also told the Murnaghan show on Sky News that a panel of experts would sit
alongside the baroness in the investigation, but he did not reveal if they would have
equal powers.

Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or
tab to continue.

vid on link...http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28283480

Esther Rantzen set up the helpline in 1986

Meanwhile, ChildLine founder Esther Rantzen said Baroness Butler-Sloss
was "possibly the wrong person" to lead the inquiry.

This, she said, was because of her close links with the judiciary, her previous report
and the connection with her late brother, the former attorney general Sir Michael
Havers, who tried to prevent ex-MP Geoffrey Dickens airing claims about a diplomat
in Parliament in the 1980s.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper failed to give Baroness Butler-Sloss her
unequivocal backing.

Asked on Sky News if the former judge was the right person for the job, Ms Cooper
said: "I think she is an extremely experienced person who will be very good to do
this job, but… she needs the Home Office to take action to make sure they can
address these concerns.

"If they can't they will need to make changes and rethink the whole thing. I think
the ball should be in the Home Office's court now to set this [inquiry] up in the right
way and make sure they can do that, because I do think she has immense
expertise that should be drawn."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28283480

[Cidersomerset]

‘I find it intolerable’ Pope Francis warns THOUSANDS of priests are paedophiles

new Monday 14th July 2014 at 10:12 By david-icke


http://www.davidicke.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Pope-protest-paedophile.jpg


‘The Pontif allegedly said it was infecting the “house” of Catholicism and that
reliable data showed one in every 50 clergy members are paedophiles.

The Pope also vowed to confront child abuse within the church “with the severity it
demands”, according to the Italian La Repubblica newspaper.

He was quoted as saying: “Among the two per cent who are paedophiles are
priests, bishops and cardinals.’

Read more: 'I find it intolerable' Pope Francis warns THOUSANDS of priests are paedophiles


http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/page/express_logo.png


'I find it intolerable' Pope Francis warns THOUSANDS of priests are paedophiles

POPE Francis has reportedly said today that thousands of priests in the Catholic
Church are paedophiles and described the child abuse as "leprosy".

http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/78/590x/450801098-488569.jpg


The Pontif allegedly said it was infecting the "house" of Catholicism and that reliable
data showed one in every 50 clergy members are paedophiles.

The Pope also vowed to confront child abuse within the church "with the severity it
demands", according to the Italian La Repubblica newspaper.

He was quoted as saying: "Among the two per cent who are paedophiles are
priests, bishops and cardinals.

"Others, more numerous, know but keep quiet.

"They punish without giving the reason.

"I find this state of affairs intolerable."


The Pontif allegedly said chlild abuse was like "leprosy" and it was infecting Catholicism [GETTY]



I find this state of affairs intolerable

Pope Francis on child abuse within the church

http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/78/590x/secondary/180499.jpg


The figures the Pope allegedly referred to would represent 8,000 priests out of a
global number of around 414,000 being paedophiles.

Accompanying the interview the Italian paper ran the headline "Pope says: Like
Jesus, I shall use a stick against paedophile priests."

The 77-year-old was quoted as warning the figures could be even higher because
some abuse victims had stayed silent through corruption of fear.

A Vatican spokesman said the quotes did not mirror exactly what the Pope said.

Father Federico Lombardi denied that the Pope had said there were cardinals who
were paedophiles.


The figures would represent 8,000 priests out of a global number of around 414,000 being paedophiles [GETTY]

http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/78/590x/secondary/180500.jpg


The reports come after the Pope met victims of the clerical paedophile scandal
during a private mass at the Vatican.

He met six abuse survivors last Monday July 7 who were British, Irish and German
and apologised for "the sins of omission on the part of Church leaders".

He said: "Before God and his people I express my sorrow for the sins and grave
crimes of clerical sexual abuse committed against you.

"And I humbly ask forgiveness."

By: Dion Dassanayake
Published: Sun, July 13, 2014



http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/488569/Pope-Francis-Two-per-cent-of-Catholic-clergy-are-paedophiles

http://www.davidicke.com/headlines/

[Ellisa]

In our newspaper this morning this news was reported along with the fact that the Pope seemed to be suggesting that Roman Catholic priests ought to be able to marry. Certain sections of the Faith that acknowledge the Pontiff as head do allow their priest to marry and have a family. The Pope was recorded as pointing out the the rule of celibacy is not one of the foundations of belief having only been started some 900 years after Jesus' death, and then only in the Roman Catholic division.

It seems to me that the Pope is quite right to explore this. 2% is far too many. Of course there are married pedophiles, however having their own families may cause them to reflect that the nature of childhood is to be a child, not a sexual plaything for a previously revered adult. Historically priests would also sexually assault females who are adults, as well as assaulting children, and often the women would have have no one to turn to. Maybe marriage would help these men, certainly tortured celibacy won't. It's just silly and turns human sexual behaviour into sin and unnecessary suffering.

It seems this Pope will stop at nothing when he has a mind to turn over the stones to find what is lurking underneath. I admire him for it and wonder what is next.