Ex-Priest On “The Pope’s War” Catholic Church Clergy Abuse and Quelling Liberation Theology
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The majority of religions have their roots based in ancient scripture and teachings, and as such are fairly inflexible in various aspects of their culture. However, as technology and accepted knowledge has advanced at an increasing pace, so too many religions have sought to adapt and reflect a more contemporary mindset. While this has been generally considered as beneficial and a significant step in religions maintaining their relevance, it has been questioned in some circles as distasteful and opposed to religious values.
Catholicism is an example of a religion that has long since been considered as inflexible and archaic in its values, until recent times have seen it evolve to cater to a more contemporary view of existence. In addition to modifying its views on abortion and marital union, it has also begun to communicate with followers through Facebook and other social media sites, creating a modern version of the faith that is far removed from its previous incarnation.
Religion and Social Media
The link between Catholicism and social media began in earnest last September, as the Pope visited the UK and the church used the medium to publicize the trip and its details. It has since retained this page and advanced the presence further, creating an additional layout to promote the Pope’s impending beatification in May of this year. This is one of the most significant instances of an established and major religion utilizing online media to reach out to their followers, and has prompted mixed emotions in response.
Any story that concerns he sexual abuse of a child is tragic in its composition, regardless of the perpetrator or their number of youthful victims. However, there are cases which push the limits of human comprehension, especially those where the perpetrator was in a position of trust or respectability. This issue epitomises the importance of regulating these criminals when they are active within society, as they are naturally drawn to jobs or occupations where they are able to interact with children and minors.
With this in mind, it is something of a surprise that many former priests accused of child abuse are able to live unmonitored across the states of the US, despite the fact that many have admitted to their crimes at various junctures in time. The reason for this is that their crimes have either remained unproven in law or were conducted so long ago that the statute of limitations had expired long before the victims cam forward and shared their stories. Subsequently, these offenders are allowed to live without restrictions or supervision, regardless of the potential dangers to society.
Serving the Interests of Society
Those who are seeking justice and their legal representatives are looking to see information on these priests and their whereabouts enter the public domain, in the interests of public safety and well being. However, the church are set to fight this campaign, looking to impose limits and sanctions on the release of related files or data on those accused of perpetrating abuse. This debate is set to rage, with neither party keen to afford any ground to the other, as private investigators work alongside prosecutors to locate the exact whereabouts or circumstances of the 233 accused.