What came 1st, the Paedo or the Priest?

[Aepervius]

Yes some do, but nothing like say teachers, sports-club coaches and so on, I wouldn't have that thought that RCC Priests would be top of any table for authority over and access to children.

Isn't that a bit incompatible with your statement in another thread "However, it seems to me that many of these perpetrators probably had no religious calling at all, but joined up in order to get access to children to abuse.".

If in their priest function they have much less access to children, then going into priesthood to be protected doesn't make much sense. It sound actually like an inordinate amount of effort for not much reward.

I would like to see evidence that a significant portion (or even some) pedophile in the RCC went priest to get protected.

 

[Aepervius]

Darth rotor, maybe in the US Sunday school is done by lay people, but ehre around choir boy and Sunday school are directed by priest , and when available, sometimes nun.
I have never ever heard of Sunday school done by lay people.

 

[Darth Rotor]

Darth rotor, maybe in the US Sunday school is done by lay people, but ehre around choir boy and Sunday school are directed by priest , and when available, sometimes nun.
I have never ever heard of Sunday school done by lay people.

Maybe American Catholics have learned a trick or two from American Protestants in that regard.

DR

 

[Darat]

Isn't that a bit incompatible with your statement in another thread "However, it seems to me that many of these perpetrators probably had no religious calling at all, but joined up in order to get access to children to abuse.".

I really don't recall saying that - if I did I can only assume I've changed my mind since I said it.

 

[luchog]

Maybe American Catholics have learned a trick or two from American Protestants in that regard.

Dunno, the Protestant Sunday schools I attended as a kid were run predominantly by clergy as well, typically those who had been ordained specifically to work with children and/or teens.

 

[Darth Rotor]

Dunno, the Protestant Sunday schools I attended as a kid were run predominantly by clergy as well, typically those who had been ordained specifically to work with children and/or teens.

Do you include deacons as clergy? Not sure how many denominations have deacons ...

A few points, not sure how they mesh with what you saw/see:

My cousin, layman, taught Sunday School for 23 years as a Methodist. He doesn't anymore.

Many Protestant denomination don't have as rigorous an ordination process as the larger churches: Episcopalean, Anglican, Lutheran, Catholic, etc. We discussed this a few years ago in a conversation about ordained clergymen as military chaplains. Far too many "church of what's happenin' now" clergymen seem to be getting into chaplain ranks ... but that's a personal opinion.

RCC has non-trivial constraints on its recruiting here in the US. Not sure how the Protestants are doing in that regard. Recruiting for "vocations" monks and nuns also in some trouble.

As I was often on the outside looking in, I can only share with what I saw where we lived as our kids were of an age, and how our local parish handles things. Not a lot of nuns to go around, priests also in short supply. Busy fellows.

I suspect established cities like NYC, Boston, SF have a higher density of clergy and nuns and such available, other places not so much. It may well be that what I've seen is not a representative sample.

DR

 

[luchog]

Do you include deacons as clergy? Not sure how many denominations have deacons ...

Deacons are typically considered clergy in protestant denominations.

I suspect established cities like NYC, Boston, SF have a higher density of clergy and nuns and such available, other places not so much. It may well be that what I've seen is not a representative sample.

I think it varies greatly depending on the sect, denomination, region, and even the particular church. Especially with non-denominational protestant churches.

 

[Dorian Gray]

I think Tim Minchin said it best, IN A NOT SAFE FOR WORK WAY, when he said: