"These Problems Can't Be Hidden"

(Sex Abuse among Protestant & Catholic Clergy)

See: Previous Letter regarding Magdalene Sisters (And other anti-Catholic Pornography)

-----Original Message-----
From: Ben Grimm 
Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2003 9:28 PM
To: Father Phil Bloom
Subject: RE: Your Filthy Institution


The difference between you & I Phil is that I know
there are problems that exist in my "Protestant"
church.  But these problems can't be hidden by a
corrupt hiearchy and these problems are nil compared
to the WORLDWIDE abuse of 1000's for generations by
the hands of rapist priests and nuns.

The problems in the Protestant church are taken care
of as soon as any particular congregation is made
aware.  Why Phil?  Because our structure is Biblical. 
We give double honor to those leaders that deserve it
and for those that don't we have the power to release
them from their ministerial duties.  You see Phil,
your whole system is un-Biblical and to boot Rome
forces celibacy on its priests and nuns (another
un_biblical doctrine).  But although priests may not
marry and be able to get away with it, they sure have
found a way to release their sexual frustration isn't
that right Phil?

Another big difference Phil is that my "Protestant"
church does not mke the claims that your heretical
church does i.e., holy father?, vicar of Christ,
infallibility, sacrificial priesthood, one true
church, hierarchy etc. etc. etc and all the other
blasphemous and heretical teachings.

The movie (Magdalene Srs.)may not be the real thing
Phil as I do realize that the hollywood type will do
anything to draw an audience but if the film has "a
scene where the camera focuses on the girls' naked
breasts and pubic hair" I would say that that should
be given a "G" rating compared to what the nuns of
your church really did to those women (girls) and a
"GG" rating compared to what your fellow sodomite
priests have done to children.  Yes children Phil! 
The kind that your Bishops love to ignore the cries of
and put your sodomite priests among.

You look to Rome and it's blasphemous pope, I'll look
to Christ..

Ben


PS.  If you'd really like to go tit for tat on the
child abuse issue by bringing in the Protestant faith
(as if that makes your church's abuse any less) then
perhaps you need more prayers than I thought.  But
since you brought it up, these are only within the
past 24 hrs:

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/2003/05/25/news/news01.asp

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/1053854169228430.xml

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/5942028.htm

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5967_262001,001600060001.htm

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1053782202118180.xml

http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-nunsexsuit0524.artmay24,0,7517323.story?coll=hc-headlines-local

http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article_lc.asp?storyid=41222

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=4458DB11-F53B-475A-8199-AE4C159C24C7

http://www.cjonline.com/stories/052403/kan_priest.shtml

http://www.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0,1413,203~26127~1412017,00.html

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0524priest24.html

http://sfweekly.com/issues/2003-05-21/feature.html/1/index.html

Actually, just click on this everyday:

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=46

  I'm sure though that it's nothing new to you....Ben


**********
Dear Ben,

I do not want to go tit for tat. But as I have tried to point out to you, there is no evidence that the problem of sexual abuse of children is worse among Catholic clergy than among Protestant:

Christianity Today (a Protestant Evangelical magazine) noted that there were “70 child abuse allegations reported against American Protestant churches each week during the last ten years,” a quarter of which were against pastors. (“Go Figure” May 21, 2002)

Here in the Archdiocese of Seattle we have not had a new case in over fifteen years. Most of the accusations go back several decades.* The news articles "only within the past 24 hrs" also refer to quite old cases. Some of them are from other countries. I am sure that if you counted all the Protestant clergy throughout the world there would be more than 70 cases a week.

I agree with you that the main issue is not so much that an individual clergyman deviates (or is a deviant) but how the problem is handled. In that area both Protestant and Catholic structures have had failures and successes. As I noted, the Archdiocese of Seattle overall has been quite successful at identifying the problem and effectively dealing with it so that children are protected from that horrible type of abuse. Once again, no new cases in over fifteen years says something. During that time several thousand different priests have served here in Western Washington.

On a national level I am not proud of how many dioceses, especially Boston, handled this problem. But it is not true that Protestant congregations have always been more effective. I am sure you are aware that the largest known case of child sexual abuse involved a Pentecostal clergyman. That does not make the cases of Shanley and Geoghan any less horrible, but they were not the very worst. So let's not throw stones.

The bottom line of course is that we are all sinners, saved only by unmerited grace of Christ. And that all of our structures, whether apostolic or democratic, evidence the weakness of sinful human beings.

God bless,

Fr. Bloom

*P.S. One priest here in Seattle was removed from his parish on the basis of accusations going back over three decades. The accusations surfaced as "recovered memories" while a man was undergoing therapy. He had precise instances and dates which he stuck to vigorously. However it turned out the priest was in Europe at least during some of the time frame the man insisted on. Even though these are the only accusations against the priest - and he has the support of the people where he recently served for over a decade - he still continues to be suspended from all ministry.

**********

previous correspondence from Ben

Catholic Answers

Catholic Home Study Resources

Peter Kreeft

Homily on Boston Scandal

The Christian Conscience - Ecumenical Website

About Former Priests Who Attack Catholic Church

Pedophiles and Priests

Pedophilia or Pederasty?

Pedophilia and Teaching of Bible

Other Letter regarding Boston Scandal

Letter from Former Catholic

Is Peter Second Most Important Person in New Testament?

Catholicism is the Answer

Is Celibacy the Problem?

"you want Holy Priests, then we must adopt them..."

"I would still like to see him stay"

Homily on Local Scandal

A Satanic Temptation

What Jewish People Said About Pius XII

Historian Refutes Claims of "Hitler's Pope"

Mit Brennender Sorge Encyclical on the Church and the German Reich March 14, 1937

Letter to Brill's Content Was Pius XII Hitler's Pope?

Forgotten Holocaust

Nazi Policy and the Catholic Church by KAROL JOZEF GAJEWSKI

Germaine Greer on Birth Control

Human Cloning: A Catholic Perspective (How the Unthinkable Became Inevitable)

Other Questions

Home