Do clergy positions attract pedophiles?
While there are no more pedophiles in the RCC than there are in any other occupation, the real issue of offense is two-fold. First, priests are expected to be trustworthy because they are priests. The molestations are the worst possible violation of that trust. It is made worse by the active attempts by the RCC to hide and protect violators. Previously it was policy to quietly move the offenders from one diocese and another…with no apologies to victims or efforts to counsel them. In fact no small number of victims’ families were called liars and some were even threatened with excommunication. Only recently has the hypocritical abuse come to light…and only very recently has the RCC church actually started to take any kind of action.
Actually, i believe that clergy credentials attract all kinds of nutcases. Why else would it be so easy to get credentials on line? But for those who jump through the hoops, get the proper education and recognize their godly calling, those who take a proper course to becoming clergy go through some rather rigorous scrutiny along the way. Doesn’t mean an occasional nut job doesn’t make it through the screening process. Believe me – they are making it harder to become clergy, and that’s a good thing. So to answer your question, it is my opinion that clergy positions do attract all kinds – pedophiles being just one example, and i agree with you as to the reason. They want someone else to bless them with power over others instead of gaining power over their own weaknesses. Pedophiles, sex abusers, adulterers – we’ve seen it all in the news the last several years – no need to pick on just one group. The thing is, do we get these folks the help they need to deal with their problems and prote
I think there some truth to what you say. It seems to me that if lack of sex was the issue then priests would be getting caught with paramours, nuns, hookers, etc. Lack of sex doesn’t make one a pedophile. It also seems likely, particularly before all the scandals, that the priesthood would attract a pedophile simply because it was a position in which the faithful put tremendous trust. I know my grandmother still thinks the pedophilia stuff is bs. It just seems so unspeakable and unlikely to her that a priest could do such a thing.
