Religion
Related: About this forum'Weaponization of faith': Examples from clergy abuse report
Source: Associated Press
By MARK SCOLFORO
1 hour ago
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) A landmark grand jury report on clergy abuse in six Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania detailed how priests often used religious rituals, symbols of the faith and the threat of eternity in hell to groom, molest and rape children.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro called it the weaponization of faith.
Some of the examples cited in the report, released Tuesday, of how over 300 predator priests, dating back to the 1940s, used the childrens own religious faith and trust in them as religious leaders to victimize and silence them:
CONFESSION, AND CROSSES
One priest tied up a victim with rope in the confessional in a praying position. When the victim refused to perform sex, the angered priest used a 7-inch crucifix to sexually assault him.
Another victim said a priest used a metal cross to beat him.
-snip-
Read more: https://apnews.com/8d0245fd14924dbdb1c2d28366efb896/'Weaponization-of-faith':-Examples-from-clergy-abuse-report
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)I know this isn't unheard of with protestants and other religions, but it seems to be pretty much universal with catholics. I've known several catholics who tell stories of severe beatings both at home, in the church, and at parochial schools. My parents took me to a catholic day care once where I was beaten to bruises and had my mouth washed out with soap on the first day for very minor infractions. I never went back. My parents never used corporal punishment on us ever.
It doesn't seem surprising they'd use the same methods to rape children.
MineralMan
(146,317 posts)I've sure heard a lot of stories about nuns whacking kids hands with rulers. It seems like everyone who went to a Catholic school has one of those stories.
Gives new meaning to "suffer the little children," doesn't it?
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Thanks, Jesus!
MineralMan
(146,317 posts)That's what it always sounded like to me. Nothing like that in the public schools I attended.
trotsky
(49,533 posts)Nuns whacking hands with rulers, etc.
Damn that church has problems.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Raping children might be the worst of it, but it's far from where the problems end.
marylandblue
(12,344 posts)They are Catholic because their parents are Catholic. They became priests because their parents wanted them to. They were beaten in Catholic school, so now they beat children. And so on, back through the centuries.