Study Analyzes Causes Of Priest Sex Abuse
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- A new study out Wednesday analyzes the causes of the priest sex abuse scandal, which has left a cloud over the Roman Catholic Church for the past decade.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya reports, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke has been at the forefront of holding the Catholic Church accountable for the sex scandal.
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An important finding of the study, Burke, is that the homosexual community cannot be blamed for the abuse epidemic. Rather, the study shows predator priests acted on opportunity, and the risk of being caught.
"The acceptability of a boy – altar boy – for experimenting in sex was available, and it's a lot safer to have sexual conduct with a boy than it is a girl," Burke said.
David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests says the study shifts focus from those really to blame for the priest sex scandal-- bishops who, for decades, hid the truth from their flock in the Catholic Church.
Burke says that, while it's good to get more information, she still has yet to hear bishops say they're sorry for their cover up and that it won't happen again.
The study says that predator Catholic priests mainly were ordained in the 1940s and 50s and could not handle the sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s and were poorly trained in the seminary.
Clohessy says he's seeing a lot of ridicule of the Catholic church by Catholics of that so-called "Blame the Hippies defense."
He says that just flies "in the face of history, psychology and common sense-- all of which tell us priests are still molesting just like teachers and coaches are."
