Cardinal O'Brien Admits Inappropriate Sexual Conduct

[Guest fountainhall]

The Cardinal Archbishop of Durban has come out today with the most extraordinary statement during a radio interview. This man claims that paedophilia is not a crime! It's an "illness, not a criminal condition!"

 

 "What do you do with disorders? You've got to try and put them right. If I - as a normal being - choose to break the law, knowing that I'm breaking the law, then I think I need to be punished."

 

He said he knew at least two priests, who became paedophiles after themselves being abused as children.

 

"Now don't tell me that those people are criminally responsible like somebody who chooses to do something like that. I don't think you can really take the position and say that person deserves to be punished. He was himself damaged

 

I don't know the context in which these words were spoken - and it does seem he is talking specifically about those who were victims of paedophilia rather than paedophiles in general.

 

Yet, to suggest that they are not criminally responsible??? The comments have rightly resulted in a storm of criticism. This is what the Church believed for decades, if not centuries, and it was what we have been told is no longer Church thinking. All I can say is I hope Pope Francis reads the riot act out and gets his Cardinals into line - along with amending Church policy to ensure that paedophile priests are excommunicated and tried and punished by the law courts - whatever may have happened in their past.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21810980

[Bob]

The law and society has struggled for centuries to deal with the issue of diminished capacity but does not take the leap that this Archbishop suggests be taken.  Absent extraordinary situations - such as the stockholm syndrome, somebody with physical brain damange, somebody unknowlingly taking powerful drugs that might cause criminal behavior, or the like - people are responsible for their conduct and priests who sexually molest anybody are legally and criminally responsible for their behavior regardless of what did or didn't happen to them as children.  I can understand an exercise in attempting to psychologically explain the behavior (I actually do believe that pedophilia is learned behavior by and large) but that has nothing to do in my eyes as to whether society ought to hold somebody responsible for the behavior.  The Archbishop even hinting that this behavior isn't intentional or by choice shows total and callous ignorance of the situation and societal norms.

 

Reminds me of the 90's when every criminal in an attempt to explain his behavior claimed everything under the sun to attempt to absolve himself of moral or criminal responsiblity.  I watched too much tv, I played too many violent video games, my parents spanked me too much, etc., etc.  About the nicest way I as a judge could respond to that type of lame attempt to escape liability is to say: Okay, I'm very sorry for your past and that might even explain why you would engage in such unacceptable behavior; however, given you're trying to tell me you can't help yourself, I'll do society a favor and lock you away so you can't help yourself to some more children.

[Guest scottishguy]

DELETE

[Guest scottishguy]

In updating this story elsewhere I thought I'd share the latest with GT readers too:

Former winner of the "Bigot of the Year" award and still the most senior Roman Catholic in the UK - (still) Cardinal Keith O'Brien - having resigned in disgrace amidst a flurry of allegations that he forced his sexual attentions on at least 4 fellow clergymen - has now been ordered by the Vatican to leave the Country.

Instead of seeing out his days comfortably esconced in an East Lothian grace and favour cottage (highly appropriate) - it appears that he is to be exiled. It has not been revealed where he is being sent but hopefully it won't be the Virgin Islands as none of the male ones would be safe.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/cardinal-ordered-into-exile-by-vatican.20990799

[Guest scottishguy]

Ah - the story that just keeps on giving:

 

4 months after the Vatican announced that Britain's most senior Roman Catholic cleric would leave (Vatican code for "flee")  Scotland "for the purpose of spiritual renewal, prayer and penance", Cardinal O'Brien (yes, he kept his title) has been told not to bother coming back.

 

Monsignor Leo Cushley, the new Catholic archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh has said he does not believe his disgraced predecessor should return to Scotland.

 

Progess? The Catholic Church taking action? I'm afraid not - Mgr Cushley also said he did not believe an independent investigation into Cardinal O'Brien was necessary. Just to remind you - the cardinal stood down following allegations by three priests and a former priest of improper sexual contact in the 1980s.

 

Which begs the question - how many young men does a Cardinal have to sexually assault (whilst at the same time denouncing homosexuality to the extent that it earned him the LGBT award of "Bigot of the Year)  before the Catholic Church deems it to be worthy of investigation?