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“A Report on the Crisis in the Catholic Church in the United States has generated a fog of figures, which cannot obscure the extent of this massive failure of institutional religion. It is indeed a crisis. Though this is a step forward, it is not the solution by any means, but a half-hearted admission that there is a problem.”

A few highlights:
Keep in mind that these numbers, stats are from NO LATER THAN 2004!!!

US clerics (priests, deacons, bishops, etc.) accused of abuse from 1950-2002: 4,392.

About 4% of the 109,694 serving during those 52 years.

Individuals making accusations: 10,667.

Victims’ ages:
>> 5.8% under 7;
>> 16% ages 8-10;
>> 50.9% ages 11-14;
>> 27.3% ages 15-17.

Victims’ gender: 81% male, 19% female

Duration of abuse: Among victims, 38.4% said all incidents occurred within one year; 21.8% said one to two years; 28%, two to four years; 11.8% longer.

Victims per priest: 55.7% with one alleged victim; 26.9% with two or three; 13.9% with four to nine; 3.5% with 10 or more (these 149 priests caused 27% of allegations).

Abuse locations: 40.9% at priest’s residence; 16.3% in church; 42.8% elsewhere.

Known cost to dioceses and religious orders: $572,507,094 (does not include the $85 million Boston settlement and other expenses after research was concluded). (Hartford Courant, 2/27/04)
It should be noted that 30% of all accusations included in these figures were not investigated as they were deemed unsubstantiated (10%) or because the accused priest was dead or inactive (20%). They do not include allegations that were “unfounded” or later recanted.
end quoted material

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You wrote “within the past year, the Pope has removed a bishop suspected of financial improprieties”…

Carolyn, money has ALWAYS been more important to the Catholic church than anything else.

Kind of makes you sick doesn’t it?!

Makes me feel wrong to even be reading about this-
Saddened. Repulsed. And it always leaves me so very angry, yet with a disquieted spirit.

How egregiously flawed that these men and women are immediately (ignorantly) TRUSTED by so very many blind followers!

“Ignorance is __________.” For me it is one of the greatest sins – The pope buries his head in the sand- looks the other way, and laughs at his so-called followers.

Lambs to the slaughter my dear.

XOXO
Annie
http://flintville.multiply.com/links/item/234

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