OK, this just makes me sick!!!

[Lancer44]

Originally Posted by Klaus

Same here in Austria. If you are a priest, cardinal or what so ever, molesting a child is something you can do without getting punished. After all they are gods representatives on earth (at least that's what they claim). So putting one of those f**** behind bars spells eternal doom on everybody. Yep, that's a religion and a state I can really relate to.


PS: Before someone thinks: "This guy hates roman catholics". I am roman catholic myself. So I have earned the right to make sarcastic remarks about my religion.

Yep, me too

Few years ago there was a comedy with Billy Connolly: "The man who sued God".
He had his fishing boat destroyed by a thunder. Insurance company refused to pay "because this was an act of god".
So he sued god's reps on earth. He initiated class action against all churches, catholic, protestant and even sinagogue.
And he won!

Did you seen this comedy?

[Klaus]

I know Billy. Love him. But it is very tough to get a CD of an english speaking comedian in Austria. And my guess is in Germany as well.

[barrett.t]

God helps those who helps themselves

[sniper1shot]

An anonymous tip in June 2005 led police and the church to launch the investigation

Hmm, I can picture the Pope with a cloth over the phone.
"Hello, Police.....Did you know...."

The Priests are not getting away with this cr*p anymore. People are tired of this stuff and are standing up and saying something.

[Klaus]

Naaah. Not much changes here in Austria. Same old song. A catholic priest got married a few weeks ago. Before that he was expelled from the catholic church of course. But you can't imagine the trouble HE got. Molesting children seems fine with the roman-catholic church, but marrying the women you love must be the devil's work.

I thank god every day that he made me an atheist.

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by Klaus

I thank god every day thet he mad me an atheist.

[Roddoss72]

Originally Posted by Jim O

Cops: Priests fleeced Florida flock of millions

DELRAY BEACH, Florida (AP) -- Two Roman Catholic priests stole millions in offerings and gifts made to their parish as far back as 40 years ago, prosecutors said Thursday.

Monsignor John Skehan, who was pastor at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church for four decades, was arrested Wednesday night on charges that he stole $8.6 million from the church, using the money to buy property and other assets, investigators said.

The 79-year-old priest was arrested at Palm Beach International Airport as he returned from Ireland and was being held on $400,000 bond on grand theft charges.

The Rev. Francis Guinan, who succeeded Skehan three years ago, has disappeared and was being sought, city police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said. He is alleged to have stolen an unspecified amount of money to take gambling trips to Las Vegas and the Bahamas.

An anonymous tip in June 2005 led police and the church to launch the investigation.

A spokeswoman with the Diocese of Palm Beach did not immediately return calls seeking comment. It could not be immediately determined if Skehan has an attorney.


Source: CNN.com

Salutations Jim O

In the end nothing really be done, as the Christian say "God works in mystrious ways".

Regards

Roddoss72

[Aussie Dave]

Originally Posted by Klaus

Naaah. Not much changes here in Austria. Same old song. A catholic priest got married a few weeks ago. Before that he was expelled from the catholic church of course. But you can't imagine the trouble HE got. Molesting children seems fine with the roman-catholic church, but marrying the women you love must be the devil's work.

I thank god every day that he made me an atheist.

Well with stained glass windows like this one, it seems the catholic church doesn't hide actually what their priests do.
(At least not in that church.)

Jokes aside, its about time authorities did something about priests commiting these criminal acts, as the church itself can't be trusted to serve in the interests of fairness and justice over their own selfish interests.

IMO these individuals who commit terrible crimes whilst under the protection of the church, should be dealt with harsher punnishments than a Non-Priest would be.

My reasoning is that someone like a priest is in a "position of trust" to begin with and needs to be beyond reproach.
Abuse of the trust that is given to them, makes them worse than the "average" criminal and they should be dealt with accordingly because of this.

But in regards to child molestation, I think castration (Not the Chemical type.) should be the punnishment for the ALL guilty offenders, regardless of who or what they are.


Cheers,
Dave


BTW, I am a WASP but that doesn't stop me from critisizing the Catholic Church's practice of covering up all the nasty little acts its priests commit.
(Nor should it stop any of us doing so because we are not catholic ourselves.)

[Jim O]

I lived in Massachusetts for many years. The Archdiocese of Boston was one of the worst offenders in the US and had to sell much of its valuable assets to pay claims. Some of the notorious priests there included John Geoghan and James Porter.

Cardinal Law wanted to become the first American Pope and so to avoid scandal he kept moving these types of priests around and not warning parishioners about their new pastors. He was "recalled" to Rome by John Paul II after his forced resignation in 2002. He has never returned to the US in the subsequent years for fear of criminal action against him.