Tens of thousands of Irish children were regularly sexually and physically abused by nuns, priests and others over a period of decades in hundreds of residential institutions that housed the poor, the vulnerable and the unwanted, according to a report released in Dublin on Wednesday.
“A climate of fear, created by pervasive, excessive and arbitrary punishment, permeated most of the institutions and all those run for boys,” the report said, adding that sexual abuse was “endemic” in boys’ institutions.
The 2600 page report accuses over 800 priest & nuns (anonymously) of abuse between the 1930s and 1990s. The report was delayed because the "Christian" Brothers, the order many of the accused belonged to, successful sued to keep the priest and nuns (to clarify: who raped and terrorized kids) names private.
The church has paid out more money to cover-up child abuse than Michael Jackson.
In 2002, the Catholic Church in Ireland agreed to pay $175 million to compensate victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy. A separate group has paid out some $1.5 billion so far to more than 10,000 people who have claimed they were abused in state and church-run institutions.
Wikipedia lists other bribes payed by the church:
January 15, 2007 Diocese of Charleston Bishop Robert J. Baker agreed to pay $12 million to settle numerous cases concerning abuse by priests.
In December 2006 the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (its archbishop was Roger Cardinal Mahony) agreed to a payout of $60 million to settle 45 of the over 500 pending cases concerning abuse by priests.[75] In July 2007 the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to pay a $660 million settlement to hundreds of people who claimed to have been abused by clergy.
In September 2003 the Archdiocese of Boston agreed to pay out $85 million to 552 victims.
In 1997 the Diocese of Dallas negotiated a $31 million settlement with victims.
In June 2003 the Archdiocese of Louisville made a $25.7 million settlement involving 240 victims of sexual abuse.
On January 3, 2005 Bishop Tod Brown of the Diocese of Orange apologized to 87 alleged victims of sexual abuse and announced a settlement of $100 million following two years of mediation.
In December 2006 the Diocese of Phoenix agreed to pay $100,000 to William Cesolini, who claimed he was sexually assaulted as a teenager by a priest.
In Canada the Christian Brothers have paid out approximately $35 million (Canadian) in compensation.
In May 1994 the Diocese of Lincoln (Nebraska) agreed to pay Rob Butler, FKA Adam Butler, $40,000 after he claimed he was abused weekly for two years.
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And this doesn't even touch on the indentured servitude of the thousands of girls sent to the Magdalene Laundries!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Michael Sean. These women were completely left out of the redress scheme and investigations. Mr Justice Ryan claimed in 2003 that they were 'adult women' (yet we have solid evidence that girls as young as 12 were sent to Laundries) and that they were there 'voluntarily' (again, mountains of evidence of girls being dragged back by Gardai when they tried to escape -- voluntary?!). So they were excluded from any justice whatsoever. This is a travesty, considering many of them suffered some of the most horrific abuse, especially since many of their 'carers' saw them as sub-human, the 'lowliest of the low.' Make noise about this and let's try to achieve some measure of justice for these survivors (www.magdalenelaundries.com).
ReplyDeleteDidn't know anything about this! Will certainly look into it.
ReplyDeleteRyan
What furthers my disgust is that the relatively new arch bishop feels that this report will cause people to forget 'all the good' that the abusing or neglectful groups did during that time.
ReplyDeleteInteresting take. I suppose using that logic the excellent roads and the Volkswagon etc. should be taken as a sign that Hitler and the nazi party were not so bad either?
Catholic guilt and shame must only be for the masses.
Sorry, one other point.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one that is not amazed that the congregations still attend church? My ex was toying with becoming a deacon in the Catholic Church when all this started to break in North America and he's a rather angry lapsed Catholic these days.
His take, and I really can't say that he is wrong, that unless you have been living in a cave you have seen the evidence and by choosing to still attend the R.C. Church you are now showing support for their past and present actions. While it may not be your fist, belt or penis that abuses you are choosing to fund what, tragically, is still going on today. It's very hard to find fault with that logic.
These revelations demonstrate what we all know deep inside ourselves: all power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. And remember that the "soldiers of Christ" (doesn't that description make you sick?) held and hold that the end justifies the means!!!
ReplyDeleteIt’s a simple question taking in the Church’s history since its official formation in its present form by Emperor Constantine how can a civilized world continue to let this institution create the illusion that they represent the faithful believers of “Jesus Christ”. Does the Vatican and its many branches represent the teachings of our Lord” The answer is simple “No” The Pope and the Catholic Church as an institution should be renounced and all official recognition from every nation should be revoked. Let the priest and true believers in the teachings of “Jesus Christ” leave the “Church” and go out in the same fashion as did our “Lord” and preach the gospel to its people as free men without the burden or restraints of the “Official Doctrine of The Pope and the Vatican. Let the institution of the “Vatican” and all it represents be denied any legitimacy by the people of the world and may it be done in our time
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