Why do Catholics deny the sexual abuse of their priests?

Question

I have often heard an argument from Catholics that they deny that Catholic priests sexually abused children. Their argument is that they personally never knew any priests who could not control their sexual urges, and because of this, they refuse to believe that any priests are capable of rape and sexual abuse.
The individual priests have been defrocked, sentenced, and some are in prison as I write this. Despite being tried in courts of law, testimony, evidence, DNA, many Catholics refuse to believe that an ordained Catholic priest, or God forbid, a nun could be capable of rape and sexual abuse.
The last time I checked, priests and nuns are human. Being human, they are mortal. They are born, they die, and they struggle with the same wants and desires as everyone else.
By nature, man and woman are designed to mate. Because the Catholic Church puts unnatural restrictions upon natural desires, people often seek other outlets for those desires. Its just like some people can drink alcohol and not become addicted. Some individuals can control their sexual desires and some cannot. But just as prisoners have sex with each other while incarcerated, the unnatural restrictions and demands made for Catholic clerics sometimes leads to harmful consequences, putting our society in danger.
The Church's handling of the abuse cases is, in many ways, worse than the sexual crimes themselves. It is a shame that Catholic priests were often treated in ways far different than secular teachers and ministers of other faiths. Priests who were teachers, accused or convicted of sexual abuse, were merely transferred from one parrish to another with the records of the perpetrators kept confidential.
In Boston, former Cardinal Bernard Law, who administered many Catholic priests accused and convicted of sexual abuse, now works in Rome for the Vatican.
There has been some discussion that if priests and nuns were allowed to marry that might help to alleviate the problems. If these men and women were allowed to live more natural adult lives, as protestant ministers are allowed to marry, that might help.
Why do Catholics deny that sexual abuse occurs among their priests? Why do they argue that "I have never known any priest that has acted this way" ?

Answer 1

Dangerous Ground.

"Their argument is that they personally never knew any priests who could not control their sexual urges, and because of this, they refuse to believe that any priests are capable of rape and sexual abuse. "

This same argument can be used to claim that God doesn't exist. I never personally knew God, and because of this I do not believe God exists.



Religion is about belief and faith IN SPITE of perceived proof. So, is it really all that surprising that members of a religion would refuse to recognize proof when it contradicts what they choose to believe? Think about that.



end of line

Answer 2

As a Catholic.. who also works with a lot of Catholics from the surrounding towns.. I have NEVER heard this from any Catholic. I'm not saying it is not possible. But I hardly think it is the norm.



Secondly, I'd like to challenge a FEW assumptions you make in this post:



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Actually, this has nothing to do with the sexual scandals. IF this were TRUE, then it would be easy enough to prove. We could simply look at any other demographic group which is allowed to have sex and/or marry and the rate of sexual assault should be dramatically lower, if you're assumption is true.



However, sadly, if you research sexual assault rates, you will find that the number of sexual predators in the general populace is actually HIGHER then that amongst Catholic Priests. Therefore this theory, although compelling and attractive because of its simplicity... it quite honestly, simply not true.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2489752/posts

http://www.americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?entry_id=2745



What is SAD is that the celibacy of the Priesthood has been latched onto by many non-Catholics as a primary reason for the abuse cases. And that often times, once a lie or misinformation is spread, it is VERY hard to reverse and combat.



http://pedophileophobia.com/10_myths_about_priestly_pedophil.htm



Secondly:

We have to be very careful to NOT judge how the church handled this based on a 21st century understanding of Sexual Predators. We have to at the very least, realize that this issue spanned 60 years adn during this time, societies understanding of how to treat pedophilia has dramatically changed.

For example.. prior to the 90s, many EXPERTS thought if you exposed a pedophile to embarrass them, then moved them away from their victims, you'd STOP their problem. A few months of therapy would seal the deal and the person would be fine.



We know NOW that this doesn't work.. but back when the Church was moving people around, it WAS following the recommendations of Psychologists. To this, the Church added its belief in Forgiveness and the Sacrament of confession. -Thinking that by Confessing they were admitting, which embarrassed them. By moving them, they got them away from their temptation AND kep the victim from having to continually see their predator, and by a few visits to the Psychologist.. they had a sure fire 3 pronged way to deal with it.



The only problem was... THAT DOESN'T WORK! -- but it took the Church the better part of the 2nd half of the 20th century to realize this.



Do we excuse the church entirely? -- NO, but do we need to look at things for how they were and not how they ARE, today.

Only then can we truly understand the ENTIRE scope of the problem and will it make sense.

________________________________________





Again, I doubt this will change your whole view, but I feel it is something that we should all take into account, instead of reaching for the easy answers.

Answer 3

Im born Catholic but not practising so that probably doesnt count.

I dotn deny it at all and i consider it hurtful or psych traumatising when people deny such things as this.

Of course,there can be sometimes peole make up things,but that doesnt take away that the majority are tell the truth and that horrible things happened to them.

I think the problem is more Catholics on this(and some other) websites and not Catholics as a whole.

You'll find in "real life" peoples perceptions are different from the few online that are in denial or will defend anything to the death not realising that the person that was abused is also a Catholic too.

Fact checking is important always,but some people from some emotional problem/reason refuse to believe that anything happened or point fingers towards other denoms like as if they changes what happened.Instead of being objective and rational its like they take personal about it and feel personally attacked etc.

Maybe it is a psychological issue,i dont know.Perhaps it is similar to how in the 60's etc when families were told by a member that someone abused them they refused to believe/deal with it cause they didnt have the inner skills,or were in denial or who knows what else.

I though all those ways of dealing with sexual abuses were left long ago and that we had progressed as a society and now dealt with and believed people who were abused and that stigmas,secrecy,shame etc was long gone but the evidence shows i was wrong.

So yeah,society still has long way to go.

Answer 4

I was raised Catholic and although I no longer follow this, I have never heard anyone deny the abuse. Where I live there was a priest who was defrocked and also a suspect in one of the kids murder.



The reason that they stopped allowing priests to marry do not apply to modern times and should be changed. it is the fact that this occurred as well as many other abuses in orphanages in American and Ireland that I have left the church, as well as the many man made rules they follow. It is disgusting that these things happened and that they seemed so wide spread and accepted. It has been said that there was an acceptance of homosexuals in the seminary's long ago, which is why so many of these predators joined the priesthood.



I will say though, that it was not just Catholic priests that abused children. It seems it was many in the church that covered it up, but other religions have also been guilty of this atrocity.

Answer 5

It's wrong for those to deny it. I don't. But I can say that I do not know of a priest who abused any children in a way to show that no, not EVERY single Catholic priest is a child molester.



But I would also recommend not blanketing Catholics with such an accusation. You don't like that they argue "I have never known any priest that has acted this way", but at the same time you are deciding that all Catholic act this way because those are the ones you know.



The Catholic Church as a whole does not deny the horrendous actions by some Catholic priests, it is unfortunate, it is saddening, it is sickening and it is very hurtful to all of us. We are all hurt by this.



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Unfortunately, that is not the case. The number one pedophile in the world--Biological fathers. Men who have access to sex with their wives/girlfriends or whoever because they didn't take a vow of celibacy. Number two: Step-fathers, close family friends. Number three: Teachers and coaches. WAAAAAAY down the list is clergy--this includes all religious clergy and it's less than 1% of all pedophiles. In the 1% bracket, less than 1% of them are Catholic clergy. We actually have the LOWEST rates of peophilia, but because of the vow of celibacy, the media has made it into a "sexual repression" problem instead of a what is really is: A mental sickness.



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Yes, this did happen, but during those times, that's what everyone did. There were no laws in place to protect the children from such monsters. In almost all cases, the police were contacted and the police, the victims and the employers would come to an agreement to move the person to a new location. It was believed this would cure them of the problem, it was proven wrong and therefore changes were made. But laws come into being because of such crimes, not before. It is sad how it worked, but EVERYONE--not just the Catholic Church who 99% of the time was following the directions of the authorities--did this. It was the recommended way of dealing with the problem. Very ineffective, but we see that now...not then.



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We certainly do not put unnatural restrictions upon natural desires. Yes, man and woman were made for each other and were made to multiply, but within the Sacrament of Marriage. All unmarried people are to remain celibate. And yes, some people can control themselves and some cannot, it is why St. Paul states that those who can control themselves should remain celibate and those who cannot should marry. But only each individual person knows if they can or not--the Catholic Church cannot look at a person and say "You can't control your urges". We are not animals, we are above animals and self-control is something that is necessary and needs to be learned by everyone.



My husband slept around before meeting me. He met me and I told him no sex until marriage. Three years he waited until we were married. He learned to control himself.



Also, there are 26 rites within the Catholic Church, only one rite follows the Pauline discipline of celibacy. Those who wish to be a Catholic priest and be married only need to join one of the other rites that are still in line with the Catholic Church. It is a choice, not a restriction or a demand.



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I'm sure some do. Just as many, many, MANY people refuse to believe that this isn't a Catholic problem, it's a world problem. Did you know that they just busted the largest pedophile ring in the world? 70,000 members--no mention of any of them being priests. They were police officers, teachers, day care and summer camp workers...And all over the world.



I certainly do not blind myself to the fact that there were, and most likely still are, men who joined the priesthood to get close to their prey--young children--but I also do not blind myself to the statistics and facts regarding sexual abuse and sexual misconduct.

Answer 6

Catholics don't deny that some priests are guilty of sexual abuse. I'm not sure where you get your information, well, actually I'd guess the internet, and probably some atheist run site. But the priests who are guilty of such actions are fairly rare if you look at the overall number of clergy, so chances are most Catholics would be correct in saying they've never known any priest that has acted that way. I don't think they deny the fact that there are priests guilty of such despicable acts though, or that they should be punished. But anyone who claims the Catholic church and all its clergy are perfect is certainly in denial.

Answer 7

For the ones saying no Catholic "ever" denied this

https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20110314004900AAdEk89



Everybody should learn to speak for themselves as you have enough on your own

plate, don't put your hand in the fire for other people you do NOT know

Let it be a lesson to all

(Btw I even received personal e-mail from a Catholic fundie trying to convince

me the celibacy thingy is needed and ok, yeah right)

Edit and the "low number" strategy doesn't work anymore

because everybody knows how these cases are handled by the church.

And everybody with just marginal brain-function knows, this to be probably

only the tip off the iceberg. Sticking your head in a hole doesn't cut it anymore



Peace



Edit Oh boy I have enough material for my soon upcoming question about

the celibacy thingy, there will be teeth gnashing again, I said people should be

aware what they say and not forget, mistakes will always come back to haunt us

be prepared. (the mouth defiles the body.......)



Peace

Answer 8

I have never known any priest that acted this way. You apparently are suggesting that, since some have, all therefore must be guilty.



Thank you also for your opinion on celibacy. Since, however, you provide no research to back up your opinion, it is judged to be as worthless as the rest of your self-indulgent little rant.

Answer 9

Why do Catholics deny that sexual abuse occurs among their priests? Why do they argue that "I have never known any priest that has acted this way" ?



I have never heard anyone argue that it did not happen.

Answer 10

I've not heard a single catholic denying it.

Answer 11

"I have often heard an argument from Catholics that they deny....."

Answer 12

We don't

Answer 13

It would undermine their religion if they thought their clergy was fallible