Visit the Photo Place

Pervert priests wrongly influenced by immoral American standards, not the Roman Catholic Church

Pervert priests wrongly influenced by immoral American standards, not the Roman Catholic Church

Date published: 8/15/2003

James Amsbaugh's ad hominem attack against the Roman Catholic Church's standing in the light of recent scandals is a great example of poor reasoning ["Church lacks the moral authority to comment," Aug. 11].

First, Amsbaugh misrepresents the Massachusetts attorney general's report, leaving out the fact that the 789 allegations dated back to 1940.

Next, he criticizes the pope for "allowing" this to go on. The pope is the spiritual foster father of approximately two billion Catholics worldwide. It is impossible for the Vatican to micromanage the entire church.

It is quite another matter to question the credibility of the U.S. bishops, who have long been in subtle or open defiance of Rome on a number of issues.

For example, in 1994, the pope exercised his charism of infallibility in stating that the church has no power to ordain women, and forbade faithful Catholics from even discussing the issue. Yet a number of priests, nuns, and theologians still go around promoting women's ordination, without censure from their bishops.

Yet Catholicism is not just about condemning sin; it is about offering Christ's forgiveness to sinners. For centuries, the church has been maligned for using the Inquisition to root out and discipline wayward Catholics. Now the hierarchy has gone to the other extreme, giving hardened sinners and heretics too many opportunities to reform.

The same leniency that allowed priests to abuse children has allowed the likes of Ted Kennedy and John Kerry to call themselves Catholic while supporting the slaughter of innocent babies.

Even in the 19th century, popes warned against the "heresy of Americanism," with its pluralism, materialism, and assimilationism. Sadly, many American Catholics, bishops and priests alike, have ignored them.

Catholicism says that sex is a self-sacrificing union between man and woman in marriage, aimed at procreation. America says sex is for self-gratification. Catholicism preaches modesty. America puts little girls in string bikinis. Catholicism preaches repentance. America preaches psychotherapy. Catholicism tells people to pursue poverty. America tells people to pursue wealth. Catholicism preaches humility. America preaches upward mobility.

Which philosophy, therefore, is to blame for priests indulging their most perverse sexual impulses?

John C. Hathaway

Fredericksburg

Follow us on

Date published: 8/15/2003