The Altoona-johnstown roman catholic child abuse

[konjo78]

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/03/al ... river_home


As a catholic myself this is very sad news. Its also troubling because i know so many people, including family, who are involved in this diocese. If you ever see anything like this happen, take it to the police because we cant always trust people in the church to take care of thesw issues.

[12HankQB]

Yeah, this is a real shame. We're gonna get hassled more than normal now

[old school]

What sickens me is the parents who accepted the money to cover up this mess and not report it to the proper authorities. They are as guilty as the priest who committed these horrible crimes.

[Manfred]

Boy am I glad my 14 yr. old pregnant Catholic Mother decided to raise me Protestant.

[GetitRight]

I would love to comment on this, but this little guy on my left shoulder keeps whispering "Only say nice things!"---- My heart goes out to those affected in one way or another. May you have the strength to overcome!

[223113]

Boy am I glad my 14 yr. old pregnant Catholic Mother decided to raise me Protestant.

There's nothing wrong w/ the Catholic faith. It's the sick individuals that committed the horrible crimes, and the people that covered it up. They should  (should've, if they're already dead) be Fried. I often thank God that nobody hurt one of my kids (Priest, or anybody). I would've ended up getting sent to jail, coz that person wouldn't have been on this side of the sod very long. Only one punishment fits the crime for what they did,...death. And, the Law thinks, fines, settlements, and/or a few years in our cushy prisons fills the bill.  NOT!

[Manfred]

Love the sinner, hate the sin, right?  What scares me about the faith, is this particular scandal encompasses a few counties and several dozen sicko's over the past 5 or 6 decades, and this is just blowing up now???  It's too much to swallow to believe that this has never, or is currently not, happening in any other diocese throughout the world.  If I were a Catholic, I'd be in serious self-examination and look to find my spirituality elsewhere.

[12HankQB]

And that's your Protestant belief. Like 223113 said, it's not Catholicism that is the problem. It's the system that is the problem. The church has to allow priest to be married men. There a lots of pedophiles around the world. If you were an outcast and had a special interest, society might not want you so the church looks to be a nice place to hide these interests, gain power and control. Most of the priests named on the list were ordained in the 60's and 70's. There was definitely a rise in priests during that period. With today's society the church is struggling to find men to join the clergy. I think if you open things up to married men, you'll see a huge change in these cases.
Catholics shouldn't change religion because of this. There are a lot of good priests that this casts a bad shadow over. 

[abpk2903]

As someone who is not a Catholic or even understands all that much about their practice of faith, I sympathize for the victims and all those that are suffering due to these acts. I also feel for the thousands of local Catholics that now have to defend their faith because the acts of these horrible people. 

[Manfred]

As someone who is not a Catholic or even understands all that much about their practice of faith, I sympathize for the victims and all those that are suffering due to these acts. I also feel for the thousands of local Catholics that now have to defend their faith because the acts of these horrible people. 

I have no problem with priests marrying. I have a problem with a culture that has been in denial and covering it up with hush money for decades or longer.  It does give good Catholics 2 black eyes.