Pedophilia among the Catholic Clergy: Some Questions and Answers
This article summarizes major elements of the recent scandal of sexual misconduct by Roman Catholic priests and brothers: the phenomenon of child and adolescent abuse as engaged in by the Catholic clergy; whether the promise of lifetime celibacy is at the root of the problem; the adequacy of seminar...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage Publ.
2003
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| In: |
Theology today
Year: 2003, Volume: 60, Issue: 2, Pages: 154-169 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | This article summarizes major elements of the recent scandal of sexual misconduct by Roman Catholic priests and brothers: the phenomenon of child and adolescent abuse as engaged in by the Catholic clergy; whether the promise of lifetime celibacy is at the root of the problem; the adequacy of seminary education about sexuality and its exercise; and the vigilance of seminary faculties in identifying and dismissing unworthy candidates. The article also examines certain bishops' repeated assignments of offenders to parish duties (whether or not based on ignorance of the deep-seatedness of the pedophiliac tendency), their failure to respond properly to molestation charges by victims' families or victims themselves, lawsuits for adequate compensation brought by abused persons, and diocesan responses through legal counsel. Finally, it reports actions by the U.S. bishops and Roman See, new Catholic lay organizations offering administrative assistance to bishops, and other remedies apart from the alteration of church structures. |
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| ISSN: | 2044-2556 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Theology today
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/004057360306000202 |