Media exaggerated coverage of abuse cases in the Church, says Cardinal Hummes

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Comments: 18

Cardinal Claudio Hummes

, Feb 18, 2008 / 02:33 pm (CNA).- The prefect for the Congregation for the Clergy, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, said pedophilia is one of the gravest problems of sexual misconduct, but he asserted that the media exaggerated the number of priests involved in such cases, which in reality involved less than 1% of the clergy.

Speaking to some 450 participants at the 12th National Priests Meeting, the cardinal noted that worldwide the clergy numbers 406,000 priests, with 18,000 in Brazil.

Later on during his remarks, he called on priests to provide ministry to the divorced and then remarried, noting that their situation prevents them from receiving the Eucharist.

Asked about priestly celibacy, Cardinal Hummes said it is a gift from God that should not be seen as an imposition, but rather as something “we embrace in response as a gesture of love.” He recalled that the Church does not allow priests to marry and has no intention of “reinstating those who have married to the ministry,” even though some have expressed their desire to resume pastoral duties.

Comments: 18

Subscriber comments:

Published by: KMC
OREGON, USA 04/14/2009 02:01 PM EST

Only about 4-5% of the priests engaged in abusive acts, but what % of their superiors (Bishops & Abbots), etc) were involved in the cover-ups, over the past few decades??
THAT % is much higher & that is what the media has repeatedly brought to Catholics & others' attention...
THAT % of enablers & accomplices is the unwelcome truth, no matter what evasive whitewashing the Cardinal is trying to do!

Published by: James Gardner
United Kingdom 03/20/2009 10:20 AM EST

11,000 signatories of a petition the Pope refused to receive, in Australia alone, is not a "media exaggeration", it's affront to moral decency.

Published by: Robert Demers
Gardiner, Maine USA 03/07/2008 03:43 PM EST

The cardinal assures us that the sexual abuse of our children isn't all that bad; only 1% of clergy are sex abusers of children, not 4% as the media suggests. With 406,000 priests worldwide, the number of innocent children abused by clergy is not 16,420 (4%) as the press implies, but merely 4,060 (1%). Thanks for the correction, Cardinal. I feel much better now.

Published by: Dan in Calgary
Calgary Alberta Canada 02/20/2008 05:38 PM EST

The good Cardinal is correct in saying that the media has exaggerated the issue. However, the media has been excused by the public for this in part because of the attempts by the clergy to cover up what abuse there was.

While errors and wrongs happened on both sides here, there is simply no comparison between exaggerating reports of the abuses with the incidents of abuse themselves. One incident is one too many, and covering it up compounded the crime.

Does the clergy not always tell us to confess, repent and sin no more? The clergy could have ended the matter much more quickly by coming clean and putting solutions in place at once without trying to cover it up. Then, the media exaggerations would not have had a chance to occur.

Dan in Calgary

Published by: Fr. MArcelo
Miami. Florida. USA 02/20/2008 02:50 AM EST

As a Young Priest I am kind of surprise that many CAtholics go along with the media on the sex abuse. Of course that the bishops are too blame but why categorize me with the rest of them? There are many holy priests defending the Church and for Tomasz you said that Priests should marry but remember this, if I get married and with a family which comes first the church and the parishioners or my wife and kids? The Parishioners are my Family! I am in a Sabbatical but I pastor 4000 people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil all of them are my family. Marriage and the Vocations to the Religious Life Tomasz and Catherine, is a Cross, in marriage one has to be faithful to the spouse and for Priests and Sisters one must be faithful to the Church and the Vocations! Lets think logically here people! Cure of ARs Pray for US!

Published by: Nick
carroll ia usa 02/19/2008 11:22 PM EST

You all seem to be missing his main Point. He is talking about the crime of pedophilia, not homeasexual activity by the priests. The headline on the article is very miss leading. The Bishops covered up a lot of stuff but only the ones engaged in pedophilia are the ones that broke a law that needed to be reported to the authorities.

Published by: kendra
colorado springs,co,usa 02/19/2008 06:32 PM EST

Read Leon Poddles book about the cover up of all the sexual abuse of children, read Randy Engles book: The Rite of Sodomy, 1200 pages of research on our clergy who dared to abuse their power at the expense of killing the soul of a "little one." I think those "milstones" are going to be especially heavy to those perpetrators!

Published by: maranda
denver,co,usa 02/19/2008 06:24 PM EST

It is the most grevious offense of our time, that any child was sodomized by a priest, no matter what the percentages are. maranda

Published by: LE krch
Austin, TX USA 02/19/2008 05:39 PM EST

I pray that Rome and clergy refrain from making commennts that other professional pedophiles equal and exceed that of the catholic church. Such comments appear to minimize the evil of the scandal; it gives the impression "Gee, we are not so bad! Others are equally bad or worse!"

Published by: lekrch
Austin, TX USA 02/19/2008 05:35 PM EST

I disagree! I thank the media. If it had not been for the media the hierarchy would have continued sweeping the scandal under the rug. I can only pray for my little brother, 4 cousins and other boys in our parish who are irreparably harmed.

Published by: Ronnie
NY, NY, USA 02/19/2008 04:35 PM EST

While we must not underestimate the damage, it was an abomination, I believe the Cardinal might be right as to the percentage of Priests involved. Where I do disagree is on the issue of pedophilia. Over 80% in the US involved homosexual abuse of post-pubescent boys and young men. And I disagree with Tomasz, I believe celibacy will remain. Many of the estimated married Priests, if you go by their articles and groups they belong to, are dissenters and reject the Church's teachings, therefore these men would not be happy returning to a Church they disagree with, Christ's church.

Published by: Bro. Ignatius Mary
Ottumwa, IA USA 02/19/2008 02:11 PM EST

I am amased at the ignorance of the responses to the Cardinal's accurate accounting.

Goes to show how powerful the media is to brainwash the public.

Published by: Hattie
milwaukee 02/19/2008 01:31 PM EST

The cardinal was merely stating that in terms of actual pedophilia, that the percentage is less than the average in society. This is not welcome news, because the media and others who deny abuse in any other group or denomination do not want to deal with facts, but with sensationalism and the reality that in the USA, teacher sexual abuse of minors numbers 1000 times the amoung to abuse from Catholic clergy and that is only in the past 10 years. So, it is easy to snipe at church leaders, but much more honest to deal with the real and deeper issues of sexuality and abuse in our society at large. Thank you

Published by: James
Washington, USA 02/19/2008 12:52 PM EST

Actually the Cardinals numbers are correct. Inflating the numbers with no basis in fact has been the media practice. Now if we can only face up to the elephant in the room ie. that homosexuality is the real problem. Homosexuals are the main abusers. Married clergy would not solve anything. You read about married clergy abusing children too. In fact most abusers are NOT celibate priests. Propaganda seems to be the order of the day. The bigots are using this to attack Catholicism and they don't care about the kids a bit.

Published by: Deacon
Montesano WA. USA 02/19/2008 12:46 PM EST

Our Cardinal should read Catechism, Canon Law, and above all Bible.
ccc1867, 1868, 1869,
canons 1395, 1+2
Romans 1:18-32
It is amazing how Spiritually illiterate our Church Leaders have become.

Deacon

Published by: Catherine Mary Henry
Havertown, Pennsylvania in the Archdiocese of Phil 02/19/2008 12:18 PM EST

Rate: Good

One wonders, sometimes, no, make that most of the time, where prelates, cardinals like Claudio Hummes, have been especially since 1985 when the Doyle-Mouton-Peterson Report was given to every single bishop-member of the USCCB to be so much in denial of the reality of the rampant sexual abuse problems in the Roman Catholic Church.

It is truly unbelievable and sad. Don't they realize that the church is literally treding water, its credibility and authority shot, until it acknowledges this reality?

"He asserted that the media exaggerated the number of priests involved in such cases, which in reality involved less than 1% of the clergy."

Published by: Thomas Barnes
Alexandria, VA, USA 02/19/2008 07:44 AM EST

Rate: Regular

The Cardinal is quite frankly, mistaken. By any count provided by the Churdh when forced in any particular American diocese the abusers number 4.5% of the clergy and by independent accounts, they number close to 6.5% of the clergy. The Cardinal is simply wrong.

Published by: Tomasz
Clinton, Ma USA 02/18/2008 06:08 PM EST

Rate: Very Good

The cardinal should be more careful with his remarks. Because I am not sure that his data is so acurate and what he based his conclusion on. One percent is certainly way too many, but less than it appears to be in the society at large. I would suspect that there are many cases that have not been revealed and will never be. But I am happy to hear that it might be less than we thought. The big issue, the Cardinal needs to remember was not simply abuse as such, but more importantly the cover-up by his brothers bishops. That somehow has not been mentioned in his remarks.

As to the question of celibacy as a mendatory requirement -my suspicion is that eventually it will become optional. Which does not negate the virtue of celibacy at all. There is aleady estimated 300 married priests in United States (notably converts from Protestant traditions). The fact is that the rule has aleady been relax. It is just a matter of time. I do see many wonderful married man who would make great priests if that option was available to them. And ask why not?

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