If The Church Wants To Defend Life It Must Show That It Cares For It After Birth

In a horrifying report, detailed in the "New York Times" today, we learned that tens of thousands of poor Irish children, taken into the care of religious institutions, were sexually, physically and emotionally abused by priests, nuns and other care-takers. As a baptized Catholic, who thinks the Church has much to offer in humanitarian causes, I've found it hard to support its efforts while it condones such behavior in its own institutions.

The study, undertaken by a state-appointed commission, looked at 60 years of church-run residential schools that were given charge of more than 30,000 children--many of whom were sent away because their parents couldn't afford them, couldn't care for them, or because they themselves had committed petty crimes. How can the church take such an unbending stance on abortion and birth control then subject unwanted children to such horror?

Many of these children were sent away from loving people because of social pressure if the child was born out of wedlock, or a result of adultery. If the church is going to impose strict moral standards on procreation and divorce, it has a responsibility to ably care for the children who are products of constituency that has no choice in preventing their birth. Instead the Catholic Church has systematically and institutionally abused children in the basest of ways for as long as we can remember.

This study reveals that Irish boys were subjected to:

"Punching, flogging, assault and bodily attacks, kicking, head shaving, beating on the soles of the feet, burning, scalding, stabbing, being made to kneel and stand in fixed positions for lengthy periods, hosed down with cold water before being beaten, beaten while hanging from hooks on the wall, being set upon by dogs, being restrained in order to be beaten, physical assaults by more than one person, and having objects thrown at them."

The Irish girls did not get off any easier. They were treated as slaves, laboring up to 7 hours a day. They were routinely sexually abused, often by more than one person at a time.

The sexual abuse that we hear about at home and abroad is the most sickening, not only because these children will be forever scarred by it, but because of the inexcusable hypocrisy of it all. The fact that the Catholic Church makes ad hoc rules assuming people can fight nature and live chaste lives of "perfection" while covering up the sexual crimes of its members.

If the Catholic Church hopes to survive the next century there are several things it should put into action right away, the first being a system of review outside of its own hierarchy. The religious group that ran these schools fought to keep the names of the abusers out of the report, so they couldn't be prosecuted. They succeeded, both in letting criminals remain at large and at further demoralizing the world view of its leaders. All powerful institutions need checks and balances, especially this one. It should work with governments (which are often complicit as the Irish one was in these crimes) to weed out pedophiles, and other criminals from its ranks.

The Church should make it clear that it's anti-abortion because it's pro-life in every way. Not just birth, but life, the sanctity of children should be protected not systematically removed and abused. That's the only way it can ever regain its standing.

Comments

[richdibo]

Imagine if we had written records of testimonials the victims of the inquisition. I would like to see a web site created to document the abuses of priests, nuns and other caretakers in the church. Many people from Catholic school backgrounds relay similar stories of physical abuse. If the church were prosecuted for these abuses of battery, like it was for some of the sexual transgressions, it would be financially ruined. These testimonials can include times, location, descriptions and names of the abusers. These abusers are dying off without ever having to confront their transgressions. This web site could be maintained indefinitely, documenting the details in cyberspace, so future generation could better understand the abuses perpetrated by the Catholic church.

I could post a few entries to this website; I went to a catholic grammar school and witnessed physical and mental abuses by some nuns who I believe in retrospection should have been jailed. I truly believe that some children were traumatized.

I remember a gay man saying that after Catholic grammar school and beating from nuns, he did not think that he could ever open up to a woman.

Sex crimes are a small part of the abuse. The brutal assault and battery of little children was considerably more prevalent, and in some cases very devastating.

[offred]

The Christian Brothers should be banned from Ireland and all their facilities closed, and I don't want to hear any crap about "all the good they do" and "it was just a few bad apples." The same with any orders of nuns whose members participated in this horror. Sometimes you just have to close bad places and organizations down, like Guantanamo.

[Bobrobert]

Being a member of the church as you are ... remember to promote the love of god.

Satan already has his members who support torture, insist that we can lock up anyone without a trial that might kill US citizens, and kill all those little babies with abortion.

Remember, the end always justifies the means in America!!!

God bless you and keep you.

[LindaWarnke]

Yes, the Catholic Church sure is pro-life...Why, just last week we heard Raymond Arroyo rant on about how shocking it was to allow Obama to speak at Notre Dame, complete with the sanctimonious smirk he seems to wear at times like that, because Obama is pro-choice, which violates Catholic teaching.
But, funny, I seem to have missed it when Arroyo made his complaint about Bush speaking there because Bush was pro death penalty despite Catholic teachings on that issue.
Oh wait, that's right...I missed it because IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!

[Epiphany2b]

"The fact that the Catholic Church makes ad hoc rules assuming people can fight nature and live chaste lives of "perfection" while covering up the sexual crimes of its members."

The important thing is that those guilty were not only members, but those whom the church had put into a position of responsibility and trust, and who should have had some oversight. Where were those in a position of supervision of these institutions, and why did they not see the children bruised? With the shift of focus from torture of enemy soldiers to "who knew and when did they know" and Nancy Pelosi being urged to resign because she knew, does it not seem that those who knew in this situation should also be held responsible when they did nothing to stop it?

I'm still waiting for an official comment, a statement of outrage and a public apology, and offering up of those guilty to receive their just punishment. Did I miss it? Has it already happened and I didn't happen to see it?

[greyhound2]

Good point. It is amazing that so much concern is given to a child prior to birth and so little is given to adults being blown out the barrel of a canon.

[posttheist]

...if the church REALLY cared about people and life (and consequently civilization) it would finally have that news conference admitting the whole thing is made up, that the jig is up and apologize for scamming human civilization out of realizing their full potential. Our civilization depends on putting down childish things as believing in ghosts from other places that speak to us. Organized religion "may" have had a place at one time but grow up people and put it down and start thinking about the real world and not your fantasy one...

[SonofLiberty1]

I guess Alex that you go under the assumption that since some priests (not many) are bad then all Catholic Priests are just as bad? Well, if you follow that assumption then all Catholics and Christians are just as bad too? And then you could, logically, extend that to every single human being.

The fact is ( and Catholic Bashers don't like this ) is that The Church ( being that The Roman Catholic Church is the first Christian Church) is made up of human beings and human beings sometimes are bad. This is not, as some might want it to be, a Catholics only club.

PRACTICING CATHOLICS ARE SICK AND TIRED OF THESE BAD PRIESTS TO THE POINT WHERE MANY DO NOT GIVE TO THE CHURCH.

NON CATHOLICS, ESPECIALLY CATHOLIC BASHERS (WHO COULD CARE LESS AND KNOW LESS ABOUT OUR CHURCH) HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHAT WE ARE DOING AND THE PRESSURE WE ARE PUTTING ON THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS, ARCHBISHOPS AND POPE.

[bluerthanblue15]

"The fact is ( and Catholic Bashers don't like this ) is that The Church ( being that The Roman Catholic Church is the first Christian Church) is made up of human beings and human beings sometimes are bad. This is not, as some might want it to be, a Catholics only club."

Here's the problem: Catholics priests and the hierarchy involved with the raping, pillaging and coverups refer to themselves and the situation in general in terms of 'flaws', 'bad' (interesting choice of words....instead of 'evil'), imperfect, just 'human', etc ad nauseum thereby absolutely minimizing the psychopathic nature and henious deeds committed toward others as mere imperfections.

That's the problem. And couple this with the church's absolute condemnation of a married couple's taking the mature responsibility they do when engaged in ----effective----- birth control to limit their families and being condemned to hell for same, well you do get the picture of the gross inequities here, I assume.

The blatant denial of and minimilist characterization of the crimes committed against children is sick and evil beyond belief and to embellish that with 'oh well the church will survive' speaks volumes for itself.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely ... Lord Acton

[JohnFromCensornati]

Actually, I could *not* care less what you are "doing". Those people that have stopped giving their money to that corrupt organization have the right idea.

[posttheist]

...No, the problem is, when you get a bunch of loners who believe in ghosts (aka gods or voices in their heads) and don't live in the real world of humans, you get mass hysteria...and instituionalized abuse, obfuscation of the facts, and those poor people that drink the kool-aid.

[Epiphany2b]

Yes, every church has those who use Christianity (and other religions) as a blind to hide behind. But no other religion holds that the head of their church is infallible, or that their leadership cannot sin or make a mistake. Many of the priests, by extension, think this applies to them as well. It's the superior tone and the judgmental attitude of the leadership of the church that angers people. The "I'm right and if you don't agree with me you're going to hell" mind-set. I don't think anyone blames the general membership of the church for the deeds of the priests, brothers and nuns, and I know it can shameful and humiliating.

The guilty have to be identified and punished, and kept away from other vulnerable people, but instead are sent off to another town or district to continue the behavior. The attitude is, our priests are just misguided for abusing children, but you are a hell-bent sinner for being pro-choice. It's a mockery.

[richdibo]

Where was all this activity when vulnerable, young innocent children were physically abused violent battery? These people were already traumatized.

I am not addressing the sexual abuse that I would concur occurred with less, albeit devastating, frequency. Speak to anyone who went to a Catholic grammar or high school and you will find out that assault and physical and mental torture was not uncommon. I received and witnessed it.

Some nuns thought that since they "gave up their life for Christ," as I recall being told, they were impervious to our suffering.

I'll accept your premise that we HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND THE PRESSURE YOU ARE PUTTING ON THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS, ARCHBISHOPS AND POPE. Please inform us. I assume that your effort is substantial and earnest. If you wish to flaunt it it CAPS, please tell us about, sparing no details.

[PatA]

When my sisters rail against abortion, I always ask how many unwanted children are they helping care for.

[superstition]

The Vatican has the nerve to suggest gay people should be quarantined from children based on its fictitious science.

The Vatican uses gay-baiting to distract from its protection of abusive clergy.

The Vatican vilifies the loving relationships of gay people and supports its insane policy of forced celibacy.

[rf dude]

Let's see, today's happenings:

1) Bear crapped in the woods - check
2) Can't push a rope - check
3) Pope still Catholic - check

Yep - nothin' new today...
(Recovering Catholic)
--

[naschkatze]

Too bad Charles Dickens is not alive today.

[enriquecaliente]

I'm a baptized Catholic myself and it surprises me that anyone Catholic or otherwise is surprised at this report. The history of the Church is littered with the blood and lives of innocents, who were abused, tortured and killed in the name of GOD, by this very church. Rome (ie: The Church) has a lot of accounting to do.

[waitforme]

The title of this article should include the word 'Catholic' -- this, I suppose, is due to the editors. You should not refer to 'The Catholic Church' as 'The Church'. There are many, many Protestant churches, also known as churches. The Catholics don't have any quarter on the word 'church'. Radio announcers and other media make this mistake, referring to the Catholic Church as 'The Church' and giving the Catholic Pope great play whenever he goes anywhere -- without critique! Is this because many or most media personnel are Catholic or grew up Catholic and can't see the forest for the trees? The Catholic teachings -- about going to hell if you don't behave, about god knowing what you are thinking and will punish you -- you are always sinning, bad -- all of which leaves adults who can barely walk across the street without feeling guilty -- make for a media and part of society which doesn't critique what should be critiqued*, doesn't name injustice and abuse, but glosses over terrible acts which should be aired -- and not only aired but criminals should be named and arrests made.

*If, as I've observed, many media announcers or writers are Catholic, is this the reason we didn't have sharp, incisive critiques of the makers of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars? Journalists must grasp that it's OK to criticize leaders (which is discouraged by Catholic schools, I gather). Media personnel must shake off their oppressive inner rules against confrontation and become

[SonofLiberty1]

Why is it that everyone talks about the "Fire and Brimstone" but very few talk about the

REDEMPTIVE QUALITIES

of the Catholic Church?

[oldgeek1]

Better yet, send it to Notre Dame.

[mediamarv]

I hope you get the opportunity to ask Sarah Palin that very question, face to face.

I'm sending this post on to the Vatican. Can't hurt and if they ever stop ranting about "Angels and Demons" maybe they'll check their email.