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The Catholic Church and Sexual Abuse

Pennsylvania, 2018, The Catholic Church is rocked, once again, by allegations sexual abuse.  Except this time, it is a HUGE revealing that spanned over 70 YEARS! 1,000 plus victims! BY OVER 300 PRIESTS! Some of these Priests have been promoted AND their names even redacted (protected).  The reason why we added "once again" in the first sentence is because, well, this is not the first time.  And clearly, over the 70 years it was not.


Pope Francis accepted the resignation of retired Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., who is alleged to have sexually abused a minor 47 years ago (and never openly repented of it).  This man was a CARDINAL.  Yet, all the while abusing little boys.  An internal diocese memo from Erie in northwestern Pennsylvania, a priest admitted to being “aroused” while tutoring a boy, hugging him and sharing sexually suggestive text messages with multiple boys.  The priest’s bishop admonished him to “cease and desist,” but Catholic Church leaders didn’t pass that information along to authorities until six years later – and only then in response to a grand jury subpoena.  David Poulson resigned from the diocese this past February, three months before he was charged with sexually abusing two boys.  In March, a Vatican tribunal found the archbishop of Guam, Anthony Apuron, guilty of “certain accusations” involving the sexual abuse of minors. 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops adopted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002.  The Boston Globe reported on this way back in 2002 (https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/specials/clergy).  That was 16 years ago!  

The best-known study on sex abuse by Catholic priests was published in the US, by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Commissioned by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, its main findings were published in 2004.  Some 4% of American priests and deacons in active ministry were accused of abusing children in cases dating to the years between 1950 and 2002, the study found, with 75% of the abuses alleged to have taken place from 1960-1984. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8654789.stm)

It has been a fairly common (inappropriate and offensive to victims) joke about Catholic Priests and alter boys.  Have you even stopped to wonder WHY that became a "joke" or a "thing" in the first place?   Because it is more common that people are willing to admit.

What does all those reveal about the Catholic Church?

The leadership as a whole is to blame for the raging sin continually sweeping through this religious institution.  They do it, know about it, and or ignore it or hide it... The POPE himself spoke about climate change before speaking out against this... Days after knowing about how many lives were ruined by HIS Priests, he instead made sure he gave his all important climate change pep talk about the need to address climate issues.  Someone else from the Vatican made a press release regarding the issue.  The USCCB, stated they will make an investigation a top priority... Where were they over the past 70 years this was going on?  Didn't they say they would make changes to prevent this stuff back in 2002?  16 years ago?  What happened?  They may have even been part of promoting some of the Priest that got busted.  That leads to the next problem.  The Cardnial(s), Bishop(s), and Priests that have BEEN promoted... does the Catholic Church not know who they are promoting?  They praised these sick men as men of God, do they not know what a Man of God looks like?  

Its one thing to make a mistake.  It happens.  Pastors screw up, big time, some times, but the Holy Spirit convicts and changes the hearts and minds so that God is glorified.  Is the Holy Spirit absent in the Catholic Church?  Why do they have such a chronic sexual problem?  Why are these chronic sexual problems constantly with leadership of the Catholic Church?  Even if they are not the ones actually committing the sexual act, they sure are helping hide it and promoting those who do it.

What Does All This Mean?

  • The Pope is failing to oversea the Catholic Church
  • The Cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests are failing to oversea their local communities and instead commit sin and protect sin.
  • The Catholic Church, institutionally, protects those who commit sexual sin.
  • 2015 number of Priest was 37,192. Which is actually down 2,000 from 2010 and another 2,000 from 2005.  That means we can estimate that in 2018, there are around 34,000 Catholic Priests. If you do the math, that makes almost 1% of all Catholic Priests in America, named in the Pennsylvania sexual abuse scandal (give and take those who have resigned and recently joined the team).  THAT IS HUGE

Its bad either way:  Either the Catholic Church knowingly promotes pedophiles to high positions or they don't know who they are promoting to high positions. 

Its bad either way:  Either the Catholic Church admits they are infected with sexual sin and aren't rebuking it or they are blind to the fact they are infected by sexual sin and aren't rebuking it.

What Does All This REALLY MEAN?

Right now, in the Church and out of the Church, there are two kinds of people, Goats and Sheep.  When Jesus returns he will separate them.  Matthew 25:31-46 is speaking to them. The KING tells the sheep "The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"

But to the Goats he will say "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.

ALL THESE VICTIMS have been hungry for The Lord, eager to please God, and these disgusting Catholic Priests abused these people to satisfy their own selfish sexual desires.  All the disgusting Catholic leadership failed these people and did not fight for them or stand up for them against the sexual sin they were experiencing.  All these disgusting Catholic leadership now, staying quite, hiding, unwilling to speak against what is going on in the Catholic Church.  These are the Goats.

How can I say this?  Because God himself declares:  1 Cor 6:9-10 "do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."  Unless they repent and confess their sinful disgusting hearts and rebuke their sexual desires... they wont inherit the Kingdom of God.  

THIS IS NOT A CATHOLIC PROBLEM ONLY

Now don't think for a second that this is only a Catholic Church problem.  This is a HUMAN HEART problem and the Church is made up of SINNERS.  BUT, when sin rears its evil head, The Holy Spirit filled church CONVICTS the Sin, confronts the sin, rebukes the sin, and helps restore the person who seeks to turn away from the sin; or they cut fellowship with the person who would rather love their sin than the Lord.  

The problem for the Catholic Church, however, is they are not openly willing to convict, confront, and rebuke sexual immorality.  They, some times, try to do it quietly, behind the scenes and NOT how Jesus himself prescribed church discipline.  

Matthew 18:15-17  "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

Ephesians 5:11 "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."

1 Timothy 5:20 "As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear."

TO CATHOLICS:

Call on your leadership to ACT!  Hold leadership accountable for FAILING to protect children and all those who were sexually abused!  Rebuke your Church and this Leadership and SEEK THEIR REPENTANCE!  If they refuse to listen, than your church is nothing more than an unbelieving church and "a tax collector" (Matt 18:17).  Without this, the sexual abuse will just continue and your Catholic Church will continue to live in sexual immorality and victimize more people.  CONFRONT and EXPOSE Sin; or just worship with the goats.

Our Prayer

Pray for the victims who have keep this deep dark secret to themselves for all these years.  May the Lord give them peace from any guilt.  May the Lord shower them with GRACE so they can freely worship him.  Pray that the Lord bring pure Justice and purges this disgusting sin from the Church and from the Catholic Church.  Expose all those who think they are getting away with their sins and sharply rebuke all whose who claim to be a follower or Christ but are failing His flock.  We pray that the Gospel shines brighter as our disguising sinful nature is made open for the world to see.  May God be glorified and man be humbled; allow us to see the true Body of Christ from the goats.


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