General Chat

Thank you Kay for the explanation. I understand the legal situation now.

Julia in Derbyshire

The Nuns are keeping a low profile - with the exception of 'The Magdalene Laundries' debacle.

No details of what happened is known that I know of,,,,,,,,it maybe no more than an attemped kiss or a laying of a hand where it shouldnt have been, hardly a crime to warrant thousands of pounds on a case.....these were 18 year olds at the time and one claimed it was after a night of drinks,but these were young men embarking on thier chosen life for faith.

To bring a case it would mean exposing these men,one now a married ,I dont even think any complaints to the police have been made to bring any charges....the object was to stop O'Brien casting his vote in Rome to elect a new pope due to his past actions,,,,,,they could have destroyed him before this though.....

Perhaps they will be pressed into bringing actions against him?

Not a clue Julia, perhaps someone else may know.

Why will this person face a trial in court, as anybody else would. Was he issued with an exemption certificate when he became a Cardinal.

I mean this as a proper question, not a piece of sarcasm.

Julia in Derbyshire

Non so blind as those that don't want to see.

George

Indeed George but some people will still not believe the Vatican could be involved in unsavoury dealings.

All the recent events viewed as a whole rings alarm bells loud and clear.

I doubt that he will supercrutch, it would seem that all of these religious bodies close ranks and try to sweep things under the carpet.

The hierarchy at the Vatican are a nest of Christian Hippocrates, it would seem from revelations in various press releases that the Vatican bank have been up to no good, reportedly money laundering. they also close ranks when there has been reports of child molesting by their so call holy priests.

Then again, the other so called religions leave a lot to be desired, especially the Muslims,

George

Being a cynic I wonder how far up the hierarchy this goes? I guess with the Pope's resignation we may never find out.

Apart from that I hope the disgraced priest lives to a ripe of age in utter misery shunned by all in his community.

do as I say - not as I do!!

A lustful thought is a sin in the faith,,,,,perhaps this is his interpretation of,,,,,,less than perfect to the faith?

If that is his makeup then all was needed to drop the collar and garb and seek when occasion arose like minded people outside the faith in another area where he wasnt known,,,at his own expense,I'm sure it would have been possible.....
Only human,,,,yes of course,,,,,,a human who had chosen a job of office and an elected job of office to be true to the teachings of his convictions.

The conditions of his outing was pure by chance as I'm sure that had the pope not stepped down then this relevation would still be under a secret blanket.

A hypocrite and a predator. Give comfort to his victims

and Amen to that too

Their reasons for disclosing his behaviour are because they didn't think he was a proper person to be involved in choosing the next pope. One of them left the priesthood as a direct result of the old man's behaviour. And they are probably in a position to know, surely?

I can't disagree with that. I would have considerably more sympathy for him if he hadn't been so utterly hateful in his descriptions of gay people.

Yes, a human being. A human being with 2 faces who lied and lied to try to escape being exposed for the hypocrite he is. A human being who made passes at young men but who was vituperative in his condemnation of gay marriage and gay people.

My sympathy is with his victims.

If there is any unwanted physical contact whatsoever then a crime is committed

as a priest, then as an archbishop and then as a cardinal - so over a very long time - his own words

If the police start rounding up everyone who's made unwanted advances, they're going to be very busy

Odd that it's all young priests that have come forward....if his *gaydar* was faulty he certainly picked the ones least likely to say anything.

Abuse of authority maybe?

If he made unwanted "advances" then surely yes, he is a criminal.

So he may be a gay priest with faulty 'gadar', does that make him a criminal?

He has obviously struggled over the years with his sexuality & has publicly denounced it as a sin.

Although not Catholic myself, I do believe that even having sexual thoughts about anyone other than your spouse is thought to be a sin to be confessed.

Those young priests, all over the age of consent, who outed him may or may not be gay, only they know their reasons for doing so.

Whether he admitted to the 'sins', he speaks about, in a Confessional Box, or did penance is between him & the person who took his confession.

He is a human being.