Sad and staggering statistics

For those of you that know me well, i have a couple of pet peeves - one is drivers who think they own the road; another is building multi-million dollar places of worship when people in the community are homeless and struggling; and another is the way that we as a society deal with those damn diddling priests.

So I started to do some reading tonight, and came across this site: http://www.philvaz.com/apologetics/PriestAbuseScandal.htm

Did you know that 6% of all priests against whom allegations were made were convicted and about 2% received prison sentences to date. TWO PERCENT! that is 2 of every 100. That is disgusting and unacceptable!

A total of 10,667 individuals made allegations of child sexual abuse by priests. Of those who alleged abuse, the file contained information that 17.2% of them had siblings who were also allegedly abused.

I feel my blood start to boil, and my anger start to rise when i think of these people that were held in reverence, honoured and obeyed - they were the ones that were taking away the innocence of these victims.

Recently the pope apologized for all the indiscretions - is that supposed to make it all go away, and heal these broken victims? Why do they have protection from a pope, when the average Joe would be dealt with? Do you think that society would accept the police with a success rate of 2%? Damn right we wouldn't. Then why in the 'h-e-double hockey sticks' are these animals any different? A cassock and a cross should not protect them from the judicial processes of our society; a cassock and a cross should not allow a person to abuse another; a cassock and a cross should not ruin a child's life!

Today, one more on the east coast was charged - and the church didn't condemn him, but rather acknowledged and supported him (he pled guilty). Something is seriously wrong with this picture.

Perhaps I am unduly cynical, but I believe that the Roman Catholic church has had a higher opinion of itself than most, and thus a greater tendency to 'not deal' with, or acknowledge, these things. Because it is an extremely authoritarian institution at least within its own hierarchy, it is also one where there were few checks and balances on the misbehaviour of its members.

Well, that is my vent for the day - now I feel better - and I am sure that i have caused some angst, but I can only wish healing and self happiness to the poor victims of these monsters - because that is what they are, monsters. And they should be treated as such, and locked away from society.