Who would believe this?

Recently here in the Pacific NW another lawsuit was filed representing over 500 people.

1. Since 1985 abuse cases by clergy in the US declined sharply in 1985 and has continued to decline (though it rose in the 60
s and 70′s).

2. Moreover, as I claimed before this is not a “Catholic” problem: “the incidence of abuse cases by clergy matches the rising and falling trend in the number of cases reported outside the Church.” In fact, national trends in deviant sexual behavior in society match the patterns of other societal behavioral problems between 1960 and 1990, such as crime, drug use and divorce. (ie they rose and fell together) – so clearly we need to address whatever societal problem arose in the 60′s that caused this…. hmmmm “free love” movement come to mind anyone?

3. Encouragingly, in the last 50 years (ie as more has become known of the problem ie both psychologically and statistically) there has been “a significant change in the diocesan response to charges of abuse over 50 years, including more administrative leave being given to abusers, and less cases of reinstatement.”

4. The study claims that no other organisation has put as much effort into keeping children safe. In response to a question as to why many cases seem to involve accusations against clegy in particular, one of the researchers responded that: “there is a difference between what the media is reporting and what is actually happening.” This has actually been my main contention throughout this debate here.

5. The study will also seek to “understand more fully the problem of clergy sexual abuse and what needs to be done to keep children safe in the Church’s care”, but hopefully you will be pleased to note that: “While 80% of the cases involved boys, the researchers are evaluating sexual identity separately from sexual behaviour.” So this is not an attempt to “blame it on the gays” but to come to a real understanding of what is actually happening.

6. As might be expected, those seminarians (student priests) who received human formation were less likely to abuse later in life.

7. The information already received from the study has already been used to implement training and improve safety measures, and the Bishops will address the recommendations that the researchers will make when the report is published.

8. The bishops plan to undergo an audit every year to ensure that the Church is compliant with the safe environment program they have instituted.

9. At the meeting of the USSCB (Catholic Bishop’s Conference) the Bishops pledged also to remain close to victims of abuse and to offer what help they can to those who are still resolving problems from the past.

It seems that Bishop Cupish (the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ conference Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People) has got good reason to argue that because “no [other] organisation has undertaken such a comprehensive study on the issue … nor taken such measures to protect minors … there is no safer place today for children than the Catholic Church.“

http://www.examiner.ie/home/praise-for-church-over-child-protection-policies-104091.html