First, note the deception of the carefully crafted summation, i.e., “no single cause [that] led to the sexual abuse crisis. Neither … nor homosexuality, as others have claimed, have been found to be a reason why a person would engage in sexual abuse of a minor.” The deception leads with a small truth (no single cause), and thereby appropriates that small truth to certify the big lie (homosexual predation is an inadmissable conclusion).

Second, note the deliberate intent to undermine the conclusions of the 2004 National Review Board, composed of prominent Catholic lay men and women like Leon Panetta, Robert Bennett, Anne Burleigh et al, who concluded (p. 80 of the 2004 Report), as the facts so loudly proclaimed, that >80% of the sex abuse was homosexual. Astonishingly, this report attempts to suffocate the conclusions of one of the foremost legal investigators in the world (Atty. Bob Bennett), and a group of 12 colleagues of comparable rank, in favor of the alternate conclusions of two lower rank academics.

Third, note the therapeutic and morally ambivalent ideology disclosed in the analysis, an enchantment so overpowering that the authors wander into the realm of sympathy and mitigation for the “vulnerabilities” and ‘stresses” in/on the abuser.

Forth and finally, note how the 2011 John Jay authors confect their flimsy central thesis. The facts having ruled out pedophilia as a primary cause, they stipulate the false premise that homosexuality is an identity (not, as The Church understands, a disorder), and stipulate further that the abusers did not self-identify as homosexual. Therfore, sayeth Ms. Terry of John Jay, notwithstanding the fact that >80% of these male abusers attacked male tweens and teens, John Jay is quite certain that these abusers were “confused about their sexual identity” (even though the abusers didn’t self-identify as confused), and John Jay is likewise certain that the homosexual acts by these abusers does not involve homosexuality (as we here at John Jay understand homosexuality).

If the Bishops of the USCCB don’t reject this study, it signals the end of the USCCB as a credible Catholic institution.

A leading authority on the clerical sex abuse crisis has criticized those who conclude that new data has ruled out homosexuality as a significant cause in the scandal – even though the vast majority of priest abuse was perpetrated against adolescent males.

Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons, a top psychiatrist and expert in handling sexually abusive priests, says criminologists “crossed a line” by pronouncing on the psychological causes behind the data released May 18.

“Analysis of the research demonstrates clearly that the major cause of the crisis was the homosexual abuse of males,” said Fitzgibbons in an interview with the Catholic News Agency. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/critics-say-new-study-misses-real-reasons-for-priest-abuse-crisis/

The new study, conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and commissioned by the U.S. Bishops, shows that nearly 80 percent of victims were post-pubescent and adolescent males. However, the study concludes that available data “do not support the hypothesis that priests with a homosexual identity … are significantly more likely to sexually abuse.”

The data also shows that less than 5 percent of abuse involved prepubescent children, contravening rumor that the scandal largely manifested as acts of pedophilia. But homosexuality, according to Fitzgibbons, was clearly the primary sexual aberration driving the bulk of abuse.

“One can conclude that these priests have strong same-sex attraction,” said Fitzgibbons. “When an adult is involved with homosexual behavior with an adolescent male, he clearly has a major problem in the area of homosexuality.”

The psychologist said that, while the college has done good work collecting data, criminologists “lack the professional expertise to comment on causes of sexual abuse.”

Irresponsible newspapers, which seems to be most of them these days, sensationalize this story and others to sell newspapers. The public deserves better reporting and credible sources in newspapers.

Thank you, Archbishop Dolan, for your excellent service to our Church!

A dear friend in a Christian denomination bemoaned the absence of even someone to attend to their issues of sexual abuse among their ministers. Their loose structure enables an abuser to slide from place to place with no higher authority to stop him. Individual churches hire their own minister and there is not a tracking system or means of sufficiiently checking background and there is no money to do so anyway.
Unless someone knows about the individual’s track record of abuse, it isn’t necessarily questioned. She wasn’t speaking in generalities but from the experience of working in her denomination.

My heart goes out to victims of this tragedy but also to priests who suffer the stigma of the wayward minority. I’m sorry to say that I’m not very impressed with the laity who call themselves \Christian\ and defy the concept of forgiveness when clergy are involved. When we see the evil in ourselves and experience God’s forgiveness we realize that, there but for the grace of God go I.

The study also points out that there was no single cause that led to the sexual abuse crisis. Neither celibacy, as some have suggested, nor homosexuality, as others have claimed, have been found to be a reason why a person would engage in sexual abuse of a minor. Instead, the Causes and Context report indicates that various vulnerabilities in an individual priest, in combination with situational stresses and opportunities, raise the risk that a priest might abuse.

I keep thinking about the 12 apostles here. They were, for the most part, fisherman who had no less ‘vulnerabilities’ than any other ‘chosen’ soul to the ordained priesthood; and I think any particular STRESS that our priests our under today has NO comparision to the stress of PERSECUTION and RIDICULE the 12 apostles indured.

Yet, there is no human on this planet that would accept the fact that those original priests had molested or abused any child, PERIOD.

This report is an embarrassment, and does nothing to explain why this scandal occured.

Until we admit the fact that those who are IN LOVE with the Lord, His priesthood,and are OBEDIENT TO HIS COMMAND TO FOLLOW HIM (ie, SACRIFICE of one’s life), are not the ones who suffered any ‘increased risk to abuse”; and admit the fact that where the others who did abuse FAILED in these areas, then we have not accurately done a ‘self examination’ of the heart.

The fact that this secular report is given any credudance other than to accurately state when most of the abuse occured is evidence of our bishops refusal to turn inward and REPENT.

Why Bishops do you turn to a secular group to ‘discover’ the cause of this horror, when any soul who sits in front of Our Lord in the BLESSED SACRAMENT will find the answer.

How hard the hearts of the PRINCES OF THE CHURCH CHRIST FOUNDED continue to be who find ANY assurance from this report!

Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, PRAY FOR US!

John McCarthy

Thank you for your leadership, understanding, and clarity on this sensitive and difficult subject. I think that your message here, and your national interview on television, if I remember correctly on 60 minutes, was profound and enlightening to so many in the nation. You make it known to the nation and the world how upset we in the church, and those of us who are in the clergy, studying to be in the clergy, and those who are even considering the vocation are so embarrassed and frustrated by the situation caused by so few that has made the church and its dedicated and holy servants outraged and ashamed. We stand with you and so many good Bishops and Priests to combat any future issues along these lines, and to continue to help, apologize to, and support those who have been effected by this abuse. God Bless you and know always of my prayers for you.