RAB91 said:

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Copied from the FB page of a former poster on this site. I'm not sure I agree completely with #3 in the last section, but overall some good stuff in response to the latest crisis.

What the US #CatholicChurch needs to do (aka - what we should have done long ago).
Salvation of millions is literally on the line right now & if that doesn't light a fire under our butts, I don't know what will.
1 - this IS a spiritual crisis.
We have tolerated un-evangelized cultural Catholicism for too long. The average Catholic doesn't have a living relationship with #Jesus and that is the root of the issue. Without Jesus in our lives, we have no spiritual power.
2- the US Bishops need to stop thinking about how to issue statements that a Communication officer or public relations firm came up with. Start using Jesus' words about millstones, the wide path to destruction, or the parable of Lazarus & the rich man.
Hell is real!
3 - Each priest and Bishop should start a personal campaign of repentance, reparation, and renewal. Ditch all the trappings. Start fasting. Start a prayer campaign and lead it personally. Ask for forgiveness. Out the perpetrators & enablers. Preach the cross.
4 - start to work toward the coming cliff. There is nothing left to keep the cultural Catholic in the Church. So, the status quo of slow decline will now turn into an avalanche of organizational death.
Prepare for it by returning to the model of Jesus - which is...
5 - Personal evangelization and real community where we invest in a small community of folks and teach them to do the same with others. Go ahead and start to think about cutting the Diocesan staff to 1/4 of what it is (and probably should be already).
6 - Empower the laity to take up their call to change the world. Nothing else will suffice and without it, there will be no renewal. We can't maintain the clericalism and expect renewal or spiritual revival.
Every great time of renewal is a time the laity evangelizes.
7 - Submit yourself to others, so that you are accountable to them. Without this step, you will never regain the trust of the people
Also - the sullying of your reputation isn't the goal here, but it is inevitable. Saints rarely had good press! Aim at humility. Humiliation will come.
8 - Get ticked off & let others see your righteous anger. Jesus started flipping tables. How about some passion about the injustices that we are facing?!
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I can't leave the Catholic Church. Not because I don't think there are terrible things going on. Rather, I won't leave because I know Jesus established it & the Holy Spirit still guides it...still...I love the Church enough to say this. I do not care if my own reputation is sullied because of my affiliation with the Church - but I will never stay quiet on evil.
I won't be ok with being ok.
I won't settle.
That is what got us in this mess in the first place.
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EDIT TO ADD:
What does the average lay person do? 10 things...
1 - Pray.
2 - Don't give up faith or hope. We believe & hope in God...NOT people. Believe God can still work through sinful people.
3 - Put your money into faithful & fruitful change-oriented apostolates and ministries. If they are the agents who can make disciples, evangelize, and affect change - help them grow and make more fruit by donating.
FYI - withholding money from your parish or diocese won't hurt those who are responsible, but only the average Catholic Church worker.
Still - give to things who can move the needle for Jesus.
4 - Be holy. Stop settling for being ok. We are supposed to call out the faults of others, but only AFTER we remove the plank from our own eye!
5 - Pray more.
6 - Invest in your family and friends.
7 - Evangelize with intention. Learn how to be a better evangelist. Be bold. Preach Jesus. Now is not the time for being shy.
8 - Pray.
9 - Sit at the feet of a more mature Catholic disciple, so you can be accountable to someone else. Make sure they have a vision on how to help you grow.
10 - Pray.

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1 - this IS a spiritual crisis.

We have tolerated un-evangelized cultural Catholicism for too long. The average Catholic doesn't have a living relationship with #Jesus and that is the root of the issue. Without Jesus in our lives, we have no spiritual power.

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3 - Each priest and Bishop should start a personal campaign of repentance, reparation, and renewal. Ditch all the trappings. Start fasting. Start a prayer campaign and lead it personally. Ask for forgiveness. Out the perpetrators & enablers. Preach the cross.

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7 - Submit yourself to others, so that you are accountable to them. Without this step, you will never regain the trust of the people

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3 - Put your money into faithful & fruitful change-oriented apostolates and ministries. If they are the agents who can make disciples, evangelize, and affect change - help them grow and make more fruit by donating.

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10 - Pray.

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• Two-deep leadership. Two registered adult leaders or one registered leader and a parent of a participant, one of whom must be 21 years of age or older, are required on all trips and outings. The "two-deep" policy requires that a minimum of two adults be present during all activities to minimize the potential for clandestine abuse.[url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_Scouts_of_America_sex_abuse_cases#cite_note-12][12][/url] The chartered organization is responsible for ensuring that sufficient leadership is provided for all activities.
• No one-on-one contact. One-on-one contact between adults and youth members is not permitted. In situations that require personal conferences, such as a Scoutmaster's conference, the meeting is to be conducted in view of other adults and youths.
• Respect of privacy. Adult leaders must respect the privacy of youth members in situations such as changing clothes and taking showers at camp, and intrude only to the extent that health and safety require. Adults must protect their own privacy in similar situations.
• Separate accommodations. When camping, no youth is permitted to sleep in the tent of an adult other than his own parent or guardian. Councils are strongly encouraged to have separate shower and latrine facilities for females. When separate facilities are not available, separate times for male and female use should be scheduled and posted for showers.
• Proper preparation for high-adventure activities. Activities with elements of risk should never be undertaken without proper preparation, equipment, clothing, supervision, and safety measures.
• No secret organizations. The Boy Scouts of America does not recognize any secret organizations as part of its program. All aspects of the scouting program are open to observation by parents and leaders.
• Appropriate attire. Proper clothing for activities is required. For example, skinny-dipping is not appropriate as part of scouting.
• Constructive discipline. Discipline used in scouting should be constructive and reflect the values of the organization. Corporal punishment is never permitted.
• Hazing prohibited. Physical hazing and initiations are prohibited and may not be included as part of any scouting activity.
• Junior leader training and supervision. Adult leaders must monitor and guide the leadership techniques used by junior leaders and ensure that BSA policies are followed.

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How about just address the problem of child abuse by priests? All the things listed were supposed to be happening anyway. Fix the problem. Zero tolerance.

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k2aggie07 said:

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Howsabout they just revert to the ancient practice of married clergy? The original line of thinking for the celibate clergy was to prevent worldly abuses of property. I don't think this is a major potential issue any longer, and the obvious consequences of the celibacy requirement would outweigh it anyway.

It isn't as if there is some theological or doctrinal issue at stake. They do it now - married clergy from other churches such as Anglicans are a thing.

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Texaggie7nine said:

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To me, it seems easy to fix this issue. This is an issue with abuse of minors. Why not put internal regulations on how minors are handled throughout the catholic world just like most non denominational churches, the boy scouts, schools, and any other organization that has minors participate? That being such regulations as, never allow any adult member to be alone with any minor. Maybe require at least 2 adults and at least 3 or more minors. You can have confessions with minors but require that the minor is in a separate part of a confessional booth, and that outside the booth are other adults.

You have to think, every minor in these churches have parents. These parents need to demand these types of restrictions and be allowed to make sure they are being enforced.

I just don't understand, how in this day and age a church, including the parishioners, can still be allowing clergy to have isolated access to minors. It would seem to me that all the future cases that come out would be from well before all this controversy started.

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If you haven't read the allegations, groups of these men posed children naked and groomed the for abuse. This is systemic and a function of the practices coming out of priest and seminarian selection for advancement.

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Texaggie7nine said:

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If you haven't read the allegations, groups of these men posed children naked and groomed the for abuse. This is systemic and a function of the practices coming out of priest and seminarian selection for advancement.

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I did read it. But what necessary part of daily catholic life would require those men to have private access to a single minor like that? It seems that regulations like described by Quad, would prevent that scenario from ever happening.

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k2aggie07 said:

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Why do you have to absorb from without? I am certain that there are thousands upon thousands of pious men who would make excellent presbyters already in the Roman church - married, with children.

As for the rot at the top of the hierarchy, that truly is an issue for the laity to handle. Bishops are servants of the church, not royalty. Communion is an expression of the highest form of assent to that person. When a bishop or a priest is at fault with a grievous sin, the laity should denounce it. This may result in the laity being excommunicated by that bishop - and if this is the case, this must be an acceptable consequence to the laity. If the situation cannot be corrected, the laity has a choice - continue to receive communion, or refuse as a sign of rejection of that bishop. Communion works both ways, and all Christians are part of the liturgical act of communion - those who perform the offering, and those who say the amen. A priest or bishop cannot canonically offer a mass or communion if there are no laity present.

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ChiefHaus said:

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#YESSIR! said:

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This systematic failure and rape is not unique to Philly but has shown over and over that it's a global catholic thing. Every catholic should reconsider what they are a part of here.

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No, they should not. The Catholic Church has done things this bad and worse over the last 2000 years and it still persists. Catholics need to demand accountability and transparency and not stop until the Bishops or the Pope act (which history has shown that they will do the least amount they can get away with.)

When they do not, I hope and pray the media and justice systems around the world do what our church leaders have failed to do. Expose and prosecute. Most of the grand jury testimony was gleaned from the diocesan records. This proves Church leadership documented at least a small portion of what was known.

The chaff needs to separated from the wheat and anyone who participated in covering it up needs to go as well. Priests and bishops should be laicized for the parts they played. I believe that most of us hoped the worst was going to be behind us and after 2002 and Boston. When the Bishops removed themselves from being held accountable at the conference in Dallas, it proved that they did not want to be held to their own standards. Now we know why, unbelievable.

I think the reason for the priest shortage in America is that most of the seminaries and ecumenical leaders were not acting Catholic at all. Time for a reset. I hope all the Catholic Bishops offer their resignation, and I hope the Pope accepts.

As for me, I will continue to attend Mass and confession and adoration. The Sacraments are God's gift of grace no matter how awful/holy the sinner who is performing those rites. In this we take refuge.

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