Belgian Government find ridiculously wide-spread abuse in Catholic Church

[Miles Teg]

Soo, the Belgian Government has just released the results of their inquiry, with reports of horrific child abuse from nearly every diocese and Church-run school. We're talking nearly 500 cases, with at least 31 victims aged 7 and below, with one 2 year old among the molested. At least 16 suicides were committed by victims of the abuse, and more were attempted.

For the record, the report didn't find any evidence that the Catholic Church in Belgium intentionally plotted to cover the abuse up, just that most bishops independently came to the conclusion that exposing a particular pedophile priest would be bad publicity.

The Church has so far yet to comment on this report, but they did object to raids by the Belgian Government earlier this year that secured some of the documents that were used in the formulation of the commission's report

Presumably, the Catholic Church was too busy being picked on by big, bad Belgium to deal with the whole "a significant number of our priests have had sexual relations with children" issue.

NY Times
BBC

 

[Birdjaguar]

Moderator Action: Much improved. Thanks.

 

[Moonbat]

Belgium has a government?

 

[holy king]

it's good it's documented and all, but is anyone honestly surprised?

 

[gangleri2001]

Belgium has a government?

WHAT?! UNBELIEVABLE!

 

[philippe]

Belgium sux

 

[Cheetah]

it's good it's documented and all, but is anyone honestly surprised?

Not in the least.

 

[philippe]

dude that pedophile bishop was the one who did my communion, dude thats gross when u think about it...

 

[Cato the Elder]

The big problem is that most of the discussion regarding the Catholic Church sexual abuse is that it's polarised between the two sides. On one hand you have the church itself and its adherents, who are doing their absolute best to downplay the situation as much as possible, on the other hand you have the rabid anti-clericalists who would prefer nothing less than the complete dissolution of the Catholic Church. Especially the latter group got into some trouble after claims that there was pornography on Cardinal Daneels's computer, when it turned out it was simply a nude photograph featured in an art collection published by one of Belgium's largest media channels.

I don't know how this is going to end up but the entire situation is pretty damn disgusting imo.

PS: we don't have a government, the previous officially-dissolved one is simply handling day-to-day and pressing matters. Like this one. = P

 

[Masada]

i'm all for dissolving belgium.

 

[Lord Baal]

i'm all for dissolving belgium.

All for dissolving Belgium, the Catholic Church, and the New York Times. Good afternoon's work.

 

[Luckymoose]

The church can do no wrong. God says so.

 

[Lord Baal]

Let's dissolve him too. He's a trouble-maker.

 

[Masada]

I'll accept the first offer!

 

[Lord Baal]

I'll accept the first offer!

Umm, I'll give you a cheeseburger to dissolve Belgium, the Catholic Church, the New York Times and God?

 

[Brian Shanahan]

Umm, I'll give you a cheeseburger to dissolve Belgium, the Catholic Church, the New York Times and God?

I'll do it for free *runs of to price a 2,000 gallon barrel of battery acid*.

@ Cato over here in Ireland the discussion isn't between the church and anti-clericalists. It is in fact between much of the hierarchy and everbody else. The hierarchy are taking the Benedictine line that the whole scandal is basically romours and lies spread by the godless media to disrupt the one true faith and bring about the rule of satan.

The rest of us (which actually includes quite a few people who've taken holy orders) think the hierarchy should grow up, admit their faults, resign if neccessary and generally co-operate in bringing this shameful episode to the best possible conclusion possible. Also a lot of us think the church as an institution should shed it's 16th Century outlook and build on Vatican II which would have gone a long way to modernising the church if allowed.

 

[Shekwan]

I would find it ridiculous if it wasn't widespead. I firmly believe that The Catholic Church is the evil organisation that movies and comics have warned us about.

Obligatory funnily dressed pope joke compared to supervillain joke.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Moderator Action: Hate and spam. a lethal combination. Closed.
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