Sex abuse scandal. Guess the religion?

[Ben Kenobi]

I refuse to condemn those who aren't responsible. I'm perfectly willing to condemn the individuals who are responsible.

You want to paint across an entire organisation, irrespective of involvement or no.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Just to remind you, Ben, from the article:

Nearly every day since the end of January, people have come forward to report cases of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in the nation. News reports put the number of cases at about 170.

The scandal took a new turn Friday, when news broke that 30 years ago, Pope Benedict XVI -- who was an archbishop at the time -- approved providing a priest accused of child sex abuse church accommodations in his diocese so the priest could undergo therapy.

The German diocese of Munich and Freising said in a statement Fridat that the man who is today the pope was involved in the decision.

The priest, who was not identified in the statement, was let go from church service in 2008, the statement said.

That's a bunch of cases in less than 2 months, and a guilty priest was kept part of the Munich diocese until two years ago. This, on top of everything that happened in American churches, is indicative of an issue that the Catholic Church has as an organization. I don't damn the church, but to say this is just about a couple priests is ridiculous.

[Asher]

I refuse to condemn those who aren't responsible. I'm perfectly willing to condemn the individuals who are responsible.

So you condemn the Pope?
Cool.

[Ben Kenobi]

This, on top of everything that happened in American churches, is indicative of an issue that the Catholic Church has as an organization. I don't damn the church, but to say this is just about a couple priests is ridiculous.

One, he was no longer in charge of the diocese, he had left after this broke.

Two, where did I claim this was just one person?

Third, again, these are accusations.

[Ben Kenobi]

So you condemn the Pope?

No, I see nothing to indicate he was in charge of the diocese at the time.

[Asher]

So you refuse to condemn those responsible, and therefore support child rape. I'm just confirming. Thanks.

In other Catholics-rape-children news:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/03/16/spain.chile.sexual.abuse/index.html?hpt=T2

Ex-teacher arrested in Chile; child sex abuse in Spain alleged
March 16, 2010 3:51 p.m. EDT

Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- A man who used to teach at a Roman Catholic religious order's schools in Spain has been arrested in Chile on suspicion of sexually abusing children, police in Spain and Chile said Tuesday.

The suspect, Jose Angel Arregui Erana, was arrested in August 2009 in Chile, where he was teaching. He was held on suspicion of filming the abuse and possessing images of sexually abused boys, Jaime Jara, a Chilean cybercrime unit police commander, told CNN partner station CNN+ by telephone Tuesday.

Jara said that the suspected crime of possessing the illegal images occurred in Chile but that the alleged sexual abuse of the students and the filming of it apparently occurred in Spain.

Arregui, who is in his early 50s, was a physical education teacher in Spain and allegedly placed hidden cameras in gyms and bathrooms to film sexual abuse of the students, Jara told CNN+, a 24-hour Spanish language news channel based in Madrid.

The allegations come against a backdrop of allegations of child abuse by priests in Ireland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands in recent months. The suspect in the Spanish case does not appear to have been a priest, but a layman teaching in schools run by a Catholic order.

"The alleged events happened here, in Spain," a Spanish Civil Guard spokesman in Madrid told CNN.

The spokesman, who by custom is not identified, said that Civil Guard investigators have been working on the case in recent months and that there has been more than one complaint from an alleged victim.

But none of the alleged victims so far have been willing to go public about the events, which in some cases occurred years ago, the Civil Guard spokesman said.

The religious order for which Arregui worked in Spain reacted with surprise and indignation Tuesday. But spokesmen for the San Viator congregation said neither they nor other members of the order were aware of the alleged abuse and had received no complaints.

Ignacio Pelaez, a spokesman for the San Viator congregation in Madrid, said, "It's surprising and of concern. They knew nothing about this. If they knew about this situation, they would have raised the matter or taken all measures to avoid it."

The suspect taught at various San Viator schools, including one in Madrid and another in the town of Basauri, in Spain's northern Basque region.

"We are more than surprised. We are upset, and we want this to be solved as soon as possible," said Juan Antonio Elgoibar, principal of the San Jose School in Basauri. "And we want it solved in the best way possible."

The principal said his congregation has "given all the facilities and help needed to all the members of the investigation team."

The Civil Guard spokesman said the small number of complaints from alleged victims had gone to police, not necessarily to church officials.

A woman who lives in Basauri told CNN+ there on Tuesday, "This is outrageous. ... So many times the Vatican says so many things ... but the reality is that they hardly talk about it and condemn it. ... It is outrageous."

The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that Arregui worked at various San Viator order schools in Spain from 1979 through 2007, and that in addition to physical education, he taught language.

He later moved to Chile to teach at the University of St. Thomas, in the capital city, Santiago, El Pais reported.

The case is under investigation in a Madrid court, El Pais reported.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Ben, he was still kept as part of the church until 2008. I'm not blaming the Pope himself, but the church kept a child predator as a priest for 30 years, even after the American news broke. That's an issue.

[Ben Kenobi]

Ben, he was still kept as part of the church until 2008. I'm not blaming the Pope himself, but the church kept a child predator as a priest for 30 years, even after the American news broke. That's an issue.

Your quote is very uninformative. Yes, of course he would be kept on. You can't de-ordain someone, just as you cannot de-baptise someone. What were his responsibilities? The article doesn't tell me anything. He, btw, still is a part of the Church. It says he was put in therapy, etc, so it's not as if they simply did nothing.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Asher, that story has nothing to do with this thread. That was bad hiring by the CC. Now you're attacking all Catholics. That, we differ on.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Your quote is very uninformative. Yes, of course he would be kept on. You can't de-ordain someone, just as you cannot de-baptise someone. What were his responsibilities? The article doesn't tell me anything. He, btw, still is a part of the Church.

The article tells you he was let go from "church service in 2008". Meaning he was still involved and associated, and in fact welcome, as an active player within the organization.

My uncle currently lobbies the UN on behalf of the Catholic Church to provide food and water to third world countries. Which is fantastic, necessary work. However, had he been a child predator, and still did that same job, I would have an issue with the Church as an organization keeping him on in this role. I would have an issue if he was even just the janitor.

[Asher]

Asher, that story has nothing to do with this thread. That was bad hiring by the CC. Now you're attacking all Catholics. That, we differ on.

Not all Catholics, just the ones who rape children and pretend there's nothing wrong.

Aren't all pedophile priests bad hires?

The guy was a teacher at a Roman Catholic educational institution (as I understand it, affiliated with the RCC). He was in a position of power, just like the priests.

What I think we need is some kind of Protest Christian faith religion...

[Ecofarm]

I guessed Unitarian Universalist.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

What I think we need is some kind of Protest Christian faith religion...

I'm UCC. Our minister is a lesbian. I never was taught that God hated anyone. Does that count?

edit: Ah, I get it.

[Ben Kenobi]

The article tells you he was let go from "church service in 2008".

What exactly does that mean though? Was he still celebrating masses? Was he restricted to work within the diocese, etc? That I don't know.

Meaning he was still involved and associated, and in fact welcome, as an active player within the organization.

Again, all priests have a function within the church, but not all priests are performing the same role. I'd have to see what exactly were the duties of this priest. With the information you've cited, I have no idea what precisely were the responsibilities of this priest.

My uncle currently lobbies the UN on behalf of the Catholic Church to provide food and water to third world countries. Which is fantastic, necessary work. However, had he been a child predator, and still did that same job, I would have an issue with the Church as an organization.

Well, sure, but suppose he were simply an administrator shuffling papers? The important part to me is whether or not he had any contact with children in the work that he was doing. This, the article fails to assert. Why would you have an issue with him as a janitor?

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Well now it sounds like you don't want to even hold Pedo Priests accountable, just to shuffle them to make sure they aren't around children.