HHSM: People do not know what time has come (and neither are SYs telling them)

February 28, 2004

Church 'shamed' over sex abuseMore than 4,000 Roman Catholic priests in the US have faced sexual abuse allegations in the last 50 years, a new report commissioned by the Church says.

The figure represents about 4% of clergymen in the US during that time.

More than 10,000 children - a large majority boys - were allegedly abused, but victims' representatives say this appears to be an underestimate.

A separate report described the church leaders' failure to act effectively as "shameful to the church".

The head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Wilton Gregory, repeated the church's apology to all those who had suffered abuse from members of the clergy and appealed for victims to come forward.

Many dysfunctional and psychosexually immature men were admitted into seminaries and later ordained in the priesthood

Robert BennettNational Review Board member

But, in a BBC interview, a spokeswoman of the survivors of church abuse accused the Church of continuing to protect the perpetrators and urged the bishops to release their names to the public so a database could be established.

Damning tally

The National Review Board - a lay watchdog panel formed by the bishops - issued two studies documenting the molestation problem from 1950 to 2002.

The first report details the scope of the "epidemic of child abuse" - 10,667 claims.

More than 80% of the alleged victims were male and over half said they were between the age of 11 and 14 when they were assaulted - with alcohol and drugs the single most usual enticement.

ABUSE FIGURES 1950-2002

10,667 children victimised by 4,392 priests

More than 80% male 11-14 years old

4% of US Catholic priests involved

More than 10% of claims could not be substantiated

About 20% not investigated because accused priest was dead or inactive when allegation received

40% of the abuse took place in rectories

97% of 195 dioceses, plus 142 religious communities filled out surveys

Abuse by clergy increased suddenly in the 1950s and 1960s and peaked in 1970 - one in 10 priests ordained in that year was accused of abuse.

The second report examined the causes - based on interviews with clergy, victims, and experts on sex offenders.

It blames US bishops for their failure to screen applicants to seminaries and for recycling abusive priests between parishes rather than dismissing them.

"These leadership failings have been shameful to the church," the report said.

"Many dysfunctional and psychosexually immature men were admitted into seminaries and later ordained in the priesthood," said Robert Bennett of the National Review Board.

More to come?

Some Roman Catholics will hope the report will help to close a painful and humiliating chapter in the Church's history, says the BBC's religious affairs correspondent Robert Piggott.

Victims' groups say the figures are much higher

But Barbara Blaine, president of SNAP - a network of survivors of abuse - dismissed the figures, which had been provided in "a voluntary self-survey" by the "same bishops who had shielded the perpetrators".

Bishops refused to disclose the names of perpetrators, instead of just numbers "which are useless", Ms Blaine told the BBC's Newshour programme.

She said that only 5-10% of victims of child sexual abuse reported the crime - far fewer did in the case of abuse by priests. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3491926.stm

“The coming of God's kingdom means the defeat of Satan's: "If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you." Jesus' exorcisms free some individuals from the domination of demons. They anticipate Jesus' great victory over "the ruler of this world."

J. C. Ratzinger, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994, p. 121.)

"People do not know what Time has come. It is the Last Chance. You won't get anymore chance. In Bible it has been described as the Last Judgment."

Shri Nirupama Shri Nirmala DeviDelhi, India — August 18, 1979

(Nirupama [389th]: Unequalled.)

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Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

"You do not judge God from the people who talk about God. Anybody can talk about God because they think there is no law that can catch them. They can talk for Him, against Him, or they can do what they like. They can even make money by talking against God and against all the Prophets. So, first of all, we have to be a little independent to be free."

Shri Mataji Shri Nirmala Devi First, Know Thyself, London, U.K. — August 1, 1989

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

"It’s a very serious thing they have done against Christ. And still going on. Still this Catholic Church, though being exposed so much, is still going on — in India also, all over. It’s stupid. This Protestant Church also is going on everywhere. What good name have they brought to Christ, one should see. The first and foremost thing He has said that you must enter into the Kingdom of God, that you must be born again.

So it’s all mental: You are born again. You have a certificate. We are born again. Finished. So this mental attitude of the West is responsible for killing the great Incarnation of Christ, so I think it’s another crucifixion. Mentally, you cannot understand spirituality."

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

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