"As America’s Catholic bishops gather in Dallas June 13 to debate whether to institute a zero tolerance policy for priests who sexually abuse minors, they need to face a devastating truth," David McGrath writes. "I am not referring to the odds that the offender will prey again; nor to the severity or duration of his offense; nor even to the measurable harm inflicted upon the victim. I am asking them to consider the egregious betrayal of a Catholic family’s unquestioning trust in a man of God."

Click here to read the full article, or read McGrath's previous article, The Devil Behind the Pulpit, which dicusses religion as a sanctuary for the sexually ill.

Reply to this post to continue the discussion on the priest scandal and the Catholic Church.

In all likelihood the priesthood serves as a refuge for people suffering all sorts of demons and not only sexual ones such as pedophilia.Given the current restrictions on who can enter the priesthood I am not optimistic that the Church's problems will be effectively resolved soon.The Church must allow married men and women as priests in order to insure a sufficient pool of applicants so that those with serious problems can be screened out.
The Church must also remove the veil of secrecy surrrounding its decisions.A more diverse and more transparent Church are essential for its survival as a viable institution capable of exercising moral authority and worthy of respect.

Not to be insensitive here -- I'm coming from an athiestic perspective -- but isn't covering up what religion is all about? Sure, it's not always about something so tragic and sick as pedophilia but the whole idea of religion is to give believers a way to deal with the inexplicable and confusing aspects of life. While the concept of "God" seems like a neutral concept, there are many other real-world ills that cause believers to seek help. Unfortunately, many forms of religion allow people to avoid confronting these issues directly -- be they sexual desire or simply self-doubt. We need, instead, to deal honestly with our feelings and not lose them in denial or deference to a "higher power." That only causes represssion and suffering.

I think there is a real difference between relying on religious teachings to the extent that your own identity or values becomes a source of confusion and grief, and incorporating religion into your life in a way that is healthy spiritually and emotionally. Most people are able to strike a balance. I've always looked negatively upon those who insist on "sharing" their religion with me; though it obviously seems to stem from a superiority complex (my road to salvation is better than yours), I've also wondered if there isn't an inferiority complex at work as well, a need to persuade others to join the cause because if they don't, the cause may not be worth joining. Perhaps that is what the student in this article was feeling -- he wanted to believe that an all-powerful God could save him from acting out his pedophilia urges, but he needed to convince others of that God in order to really believe himself.

Very compelling story and excellent topic.

I reread this article in light of the cardinals' meeting in Rome -- and I felt to need to spark this thread again ...

What arrogance! What idiocy!

First -- and I think the media is complicit in this -- the cardinals expect us to see this meeting as some profound discussion and thank them for it? Uh, that would be 20-30 years too late and misdirected (this has nothing to do with homosexuality). Where is the vaunted Christian humility? Yes, there is finally an official apology but it's in the context of a PR event.

How about some genuine, spontaneous shame?

And how is it that the cardinals cannot come to a consensus on a zero-tolerance policy? Because, they say, it seems to go against the Christian teaching of forgiveness and the ability to change. No, it doesn't. We're not saying -- at least I'm not saying -- dehumanize or utterly condemn the perpetrators of sexual abuse. I recognize that are still humans and can redeem themselves. But that doesn't mean that they should remain in positions of leadership or ever be allowed to be alone with youth for a long, long time! That doesn't mean they shouldn't be sent to jail! Let them redeem themselves someplace else -- they owe society at least that.

I have a hard time understanding how the Catholic Church, or any religious institution, remains exempt from laws requiring organizations such as child care agencies or schools to report any accusation of sexual abuse. Clearly Church officials cannot be trusted to make the right decision concerning a priest's future, but why should they be? What gives these men the authority, moral or legal, to determine that a priest is "safe," he just needs relocating? I am sickened by the whole matter and sincerely hope the issue of zero tolerance will be resolved soon. Affirming a zero tolerance doctrine is, at this point, the least they can do.

It's tragic that a young man in Baltimore shot the priest he accused of molesting him -- and it's tragic that his anger was so great he felt compelled to do so. Understand that I have utter contempt for the priests who engaged in sexual behavior with young boys and/or girls, but I can't help but think that their lives are ruined as well by the church's willful ignorance and deliberate secrecy. These men should have been immediately removed from their posts and forced to seek treatment. Not cast about to destroy others while also destroying themselves.

I have one question in this whole Roman Catholic "crisis" what does the bible say? These cardinarls, priests, and catholic believers all claim the label of christian, but do not follow anything that Jesus Christ taught. What a radical person Jesus Christ was, claiming to be the son of the living God and the only road to salvation and heaven. And these people who claim to believe these radical statements don't listen to His word one bit. True christianity in it's purest form is not a religion. It is a relationship based on what Jesus Christ did and nothing that we do. No form of good works will get us closer to God or force Him to allow us into heaven, only by his grace. And these proud men of Catholicism refuse to grasp that. They think that by their works they will find what they are looking for and achieve it on their own steam, which is not what Christ teaches. So thus, they look for something else to fulfill their desires, and unfortunately this has fallen on innocent children. So if these men want to overcome this disgusting pride, they must turn to the one thing they never have before, Jesus Christ. And ask Him to regenerate them through his lovingkindness and grace. And only in Him is anything fulfilled, anything.