Pope: Others Should Be Held To Same Abuse 'Standards'

By Francis X. Rocca
Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI told bishops from New York state that "all other institutions" in society should be held to the same "exacting standards" as the Roman Catholic Church in preventing and reporting sex abuse.

Benedict spoke on Saturday (Nov. 26), one day before New York's Syracuse University announced that it had fired its associate men's basketball coach, Bernie Fine, over charges that he had sexually abused young boys.

Speaking to a delegation led by New York Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, the pope praised the bishops' "honest efforts" at protecting children against sex abuse, and dealing "appropriately and transparently with allegations as they arise."

"It is my hope that the church's conscientious efforts to confront this reality will help the broader community" to understand and respond to sex abuse, Benedict said.

The pope also encouraged the bishops in their efforts to confront the "grave challenges ... presented by an increasingly secular society," including "attempts to still the church's voice in the public square."

U.S. Catholic bishops, concerned about Obama administration policies on birth control and gay rights that they say see as an unprecedented "assault" on the rights of religious groups, recently established a watchdog panel to combat threats to "religious liberty."

Comments

[Joe Someone]

09:11 AM on 01/15/2012

Before forming an oppinion, based on the lies and half truths in widely available media, do your research. Base oppion on fact not fiction. Public oppinion unfortunately has been largely formed by the half truths and inflammatory headlines of the media.

TRUTH, the Catholic church has an approximate 1% incidence of sexual abuse.

TRUTH, the Catholic church has always condemned such behaviour and followed the advice of Phychological experts in how to address abusers and victoms. In hindsight the handling of cases in decades past would be done differently today, but at the time the best available advice was sought and followed.

TRUTH, other major Christian and non-Christian religions have a 2-3% incidence of sexual abuse

TRUTH, non-religious institutions such as sports teams, schools, etc have a 2-4% incidence of sexual abuse

CONCLUSIONS, 1. No amount of sexual abuse is acceptable!
2. The incidence of sexual abuse is debased indecent and sinfull.
3. The incidence of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church is lower than any other organized institution and it does have a better reporting structure and higher standards.

[PhotoMaineAC]

09:09 AM on 01/08/2012

Priest's...

I'm sorry I raped those little boy's, please forgive me and except my apology.

And then everyone forgets??????

[SWesley Mcgranor]

03:57 PM on 12/30/2011

Pedophilia is not a perverse demonstraion of Papal piety among the 'others'.

[psnyder325]

10:10 AM on 12/30/2011

The same "exacting standards?" You mean that other institutions should cover up sexual abuse, not call the cops, and transfer the pedophile to another place where he or she can abuse DIFFERENT children? That's the "standard" of the Roman Church. And Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) is the architect of this policy.

As for "religious freedom," no one is telling Roman Catholics or other religious "leaders" what they may or may not believe. The desire of the churches is to force the rest of us to believe as they do and behave as they wish. We just want to be left alone by the superstitious. I don't want their dogma telling me what I may or may not do with reproduction, sexuality, or any other part of my life, and I don't want them telling those I love what to do, either. For the Roman Church, the "freedom" to dictate the behavior of others is what they mean by "religious freedom." And THAT, I do NOT support. Don't want an abortion? Don't have one. Don't like porn? Don't watch it. But don't tell OTHERS what they may or may not do. Live and let live.

[dgr]

07:48 AM on 12/15/2011

Of course he is right. Take for instance that recently a stunning 85 people have been arrested for child abuse in the New York Jewish Orthodox Community....and it doesn't even get a mention in Huffpost. Why? Because the abuse scandal is used as a stalking horse for all the anti-Catholic bigots who populate the the blogs here.

[dgr]

07:44 AM on 12/15/2011

The pope is right. For instance take the fact that recently 85 people have been recently arrested in the Jewish Orthodox Community in N.Y. for child abuse...and it doesn't even get a mention in the HuffPost.
The sex abuse scandal is used as a stalking horse by the ant-Catholic bigots on Huffpost.

[dbrett480]

02:17 PM on 12/11/2011

Most other institutions are held to even higher standards than the Catholic Church.

[Sally Tallywhacker]

11:01 AM on 12/05/2011

RCC = Raping Children Church

[Ethan Brockman]

03:57 AM on 01/04/2012

I'm not a Catholic, but even I find that a tad bit offensive.

[Sally Tallywhacker]

11:56 AM on 01/06/2012

..just think how the victims feel then....

[Sally Tallywhacker]

11:00 AM on 12/05/2011

My hypocrisy meter just went supernova....

[turfkiller]

04:23 PM on 12/04/2011

1.The only treat to anyone's religious liberties are other churches.

2. This is why even when the Pope says something you could agree with, recognize that he's not talking straight.

3. Others are being held to a much higher standard to such an extent that abuse in many other churches is only reported locally any more. These kinds of ideas are what happens because the pope is talking only to his choir. He proves again that like fox news it would be better if he didn't watch anything at all.

[Patrick Wm Connally]

03:06 PM on 12/04/2011

It is time to try Joseph Ratzinger for crimes against children.

[Asmondius]

05:41 PM on 12/04/2011

Got evidence to present?

[Patrick Wm Connally]

06:10 PM on 12/04/2011

Google Republic of Ireland and Vatican, you will read how Ireland has the cuts to stand up to this guy who hides child molestors and read his pathetic excuses.

[ThinkCreeps]

01:22 PM on 12/04/2011

Achtung! Achtung! Nicht Pope ignoren!

Hard Astern! Drop all standards! We need to match his standards immediately.

[Hillbilly49]

08:10 AM on 12/04/2011

If the Roman Catholic church were held to the same standard as every other organization there would be some Bishops and Cardinals doing serious jail time.

[psnyder325]

10:12 AM on 12/30/2011

So right you are. Instead, they PROMOTED one of the chief perps, Bernard Cardinal Law, to a major position in the Vatican! He should be sitting in jail as an accessory to child rape. Instead, until recently, he was the head of the Holy Office (of the Inquisition, though they leave off that last part now). Yeah. I really trust the Roman Church and the Roman Pontiff. Standards? Standards? They don't need no stinkin' standards!

[Riddley Walker]

08:08 AM on 12/04/2011

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/rally-presses-case-for-inquiry-on-priests-abuse-20111204-1odjv.html

Protestors in Melbourne trying to bring to light the suicides of victims of Priest abuse.

[MagicManDoneIt]

02:06 AM on 12/04/2011

I would like to see the oath of censorship that the moderators here are required to sign.

[ThinkCreeps]

01:23 PM on 12/04/2011

I promise to delete everything that's written to criticize superstitious old naz1s.

[ThinkCreeps]

01:23 PM on 12/04/2011

Ah ha! They must go off duty on sundays.

[MagicManDoneIt]

01:40 PM on 12/04/2011

What really irks me is that I don't have to scan more than ten comments down to find something nearly identical in tone and content to what I tried to post. Where is the consistency? They apparently have no sense of humor either since I have more comments deleted making a joke or ridiculing an idea than for any other reason.