Abuses in a Catholic orphanage

[Nusername]

This isn’t an AIBU. I won’t pretend. I just need to post this somewhere where people will see it.

It’s truly the most shocking account of depraved, sadistic institutional abuse. I can’t fathom how this Church still exists.

www.buzzfeednews.com/article/christinekenneally/orphanage-death-catholic-abuse-nuns-st-josephs

I’m Catholic. I agree - it’s vile and a stain on my religion , however, what do you suggest? ‘Deleting’ the whole religion? How? What punishment would you give to those who are just following the faith? Is every catholic guilty? Am I guilty?

The organisation is rotten to its core. Its religious orders perpetrated these abuses repeatedly and pathologically. Its upper echelons protected the abusers and fostered a system and environment where they could happen.
Yes. There is no possible way of redeeming this foul, evil organisation and I can not fathom the mindset of anyone who supports it or remains a member.
If you are Christian and wish to live a Christian life the umbrella of the Catholic Church is not necessary to do so.

Sadly, awfully, these dreadful accounts are not new and have been repeated over the world. I’m appalled at the flagrant wealth and deliberate muted mumbled response from the hierarchy.

Look at the similarities of accounts from all over the world. Try and imagine how it is that unrelated people separated by thousands of miles managed to perpetrate the same vile, cruel abuses and ask yourself what was actually in the DNA of this church that schooled these abusers to act as they did?
It’s sickening.
It wasn’t the Christian faith, or adherence to it, that schooled these people. It was the Catholic Church.
If this were any other organisation in the history of the world it would be shut down. It disgusts me that it’s patrons and representatives are still afforded a status in society.

I think people in this day and age should be allowed to choose to follow whichever religion they want, shall we condemn all Germans becasue Hitler was German and he was vile human being?

Far as I know being German is an unalterable state created at birth.
Supporting the Catholic Church is supposedly an adult decision that demands continued application?
Do you imagine that these two states bear comparison?

Sorry youre so angry about it - I was born a catholic, I know nothing else but to be in the catholic faith. I was raised in a catholic school. No one I know has abused a child, I have cousins who have given their life to the church, my mother is a Sunday school teacher. They are not bad people - I will not reply further, simply because I do not have to justify myself to you, I will say, please do big tar us all with the same brush.

I'm lapsed Catholic and it's deeply shameful.

I cant defend or pretend to have any interest in the Catholic Church anymore. Its endless, babies murdered and dumped on cess pit... Over 700...endless abuse at children's homes, orphanages all over the world, in top boarding schools, little schools, homes for young girls... It's one huge pit of wicked evil misery and calculated sex abuse and torture.

It's been rife, and not a singled thing ever done about it.

Don't tar us all either the same brush?

Why so defensive, alot of people have been tarred and there's little being done for the victims.

Sadly religions are just tribes people need to cling to and be part of.

Also saying... Sorry your so angry about it is a trite remark when more and more deeply inhumane stuff is coming out.

I’m very aware, I am ashamed too - I’m just saying not every catholic is a bad catholic that’s all.

@puzzledlady
Why don’t you engage with the issue? I didn’t suggest you had abused anyone. But you subscribe to and support an organisation where these abuses were institutionalised. If you had a subscription to “Sadist Paedophile Monthly Magazine” I would ask you why? And your justification would be unlikely to be that your parents always bought it for you.
It is offensive, in light of these never ending revelations to simply say you’re “sorry” that I’m angry.
I’m asking why you and your brethren aren’t angry and why that anger hasn’t meant that you cancel your subscription?

I think you are narrow minded blaming a religion for the abuses inflicted by a few of its members. If one person in a family committed a crime should we blame the whole family?
A puppy in a litter of 8 I knew was a bit aggressive, should I have suggested the owner put the whole litter of puppies to sleep for the actions of one puppy (who turned out to be unwell and sadly passed away) the other puppies were tested and were fine, but you sound like a Nazi! Should we fire up our torches and pitch forks to drive them out?

BTW I am in no way making excuses for the abusers in this case or any other. I think they are a disgrace and embarrassment to their religion and communities, but struggle to agree with OP due to the ridiculous suggestion that the whole religion is to blame?

Because in my darkest hours, when a family member was raped and killed, I had nowhere else to turn to, I almost killed myself multiple times, i blamed myself for not protecting her. I cut my wrists, walked for a bit. I found my way to a church, found a priest, and he (and a nun) helped me.

I apologise if this is not a good reason enough for you - and others, but this is my reason.

There are many good catholics out there ordinary people and priests just doing what they believe is right

But what I can’t understand is when it comes to light that x person is guilty of such terrible things why were they just moved to somewhere else ? Why aren’t / weren’t they brought to justice?
That’s the issue as far as I can see

The c of e Is just as guilty of abuse

There is no possible way of redeeming this foul, evil organisation
It disgusts me that it’s patrons and representatives are still afforded a status in society.

@Nusername. So what are we going to do about it? Clear these people won't just give up their faith willingly. What do you propose as a final solution to the Catholic problem?

You say it's rotten to the core and I agree that many abuses have been committed, but the Catholic Church is made up of billions of members many of whom find comfort, meaning, community, practical help within the church. I'm sure that many many priests, religious etc are doing a lot of good and are as horrified as anyone else is by the abuse. So I don't see what qualifies you or anyone to say else to write it off completely? Clearly the response from further up the church has been inadequate, that is something for which people must be held accountable. I'm not a believer myself btw but I do think changes are possible. The BBC and others turned a blind eye to Jimmy Saville, other organisations have failed abysmally too, hopefully the same thing could not happen again today.

It happens when there are vulnerable people, and others who are in a position to abuse. It's sickening but a fact of (some) human nature not unique to any church.

Find me a childrens' home where there hasn't been abuse. I've known people who were in care and they've told me some horrific stories. There used to be a childrens' home not far from where I live (gone now) which had an amazingly fine reputation and from the outside, gardens etc, looked really pretty. Then the stories came out, horrific. (None of those had religious affiliation that I know of btw)

People with abusive tendencies will look for jobs/professions which gives them access to the vulnerable. If they professed to be religious, it used to be a good cover - they weren't really religious at all but could act it well enough.

Really catholic’s being pedos well I never.

I’m asking why you and your brethren aren’t angry and why that anger hasn’t meant that you cancel your subscription?

We are angry. Very angry.

You can’t equate religious affiliation to a magazine subscription though. The whole point of being part of a religion is that you believe in it. Saying “just go worship somewhere else” is vastly missing that point.

One comparison: I’m also a socialist. I’m angry that the SWP protect rapists and that Labour invaded Iraq, but I’m not going to stop being a socialist because of it.

Or perhaps: if someone does something terrible in an atheist organisation, and that organisation covers it up and ignores it and fails to stop the evil spreading, I’d expect atheists to be angry. I wouldn’t expect them to say “I’m so angry about this that I now believe in God.” It doesn’t follow.

In every single religion there have been recent documented abuse of children, and then in lots a coverup or minimisation from the organisations involved.
Without even thinking I can recall recent stories of abuse from organisations run by
Quaker
Mormon
Jehovah's Witness
Catholic
Christian
Muslim
Non religious foster carers
State run non religious foster/group homes
Schools
Scout/beaver groups
And a plethora of others.
That's not even mentioning the thousands of perpetrators who are not associated with an organisation!

I am disgusted by how little is being done to protect children and worse how little is being done to look after the children who have bravely come forward about what happened but it's not the problem of one single organisation. We all are failing our children and anyone who doesn't agree or are focused in one place (that's not aimed at you) or are pretending this problem is not a massive epidemic that is far far far more common than people are willing to believe are doing a disservice to our children

Just to make it clear every single person knows or has met either a child who is being abused now or an adult who was abused as a child, probably more than one. Most won't think that but I would bet my soul its true.

I'm saying this not to be a catastrophist but to show the massive massive epidemic child abuse is.

We are angry, we are all angry - but what can we do? What do you propose we do?