12 April 2010 How many bishops can dance on a child abuse law?

12 April 2010 How many bishops can dance on a child abuse law?


http://us.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/11/connecticut.abuse.bill/index.html?hpt=T2

Connecticut bishops fight sex abuse bill

From Jamie Guzzardo, CNN

April 11, 2010 10:30 p.m. EDT



The proposed change would put "all Church institutions ... at risk," a letter from Connecticut's Catholic bishops says.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Bishops: Bill would allow old cases with lost evidence, faded memories

Connecticut's Catholic bishops ask parishioners to oppose bill

Bill would rescind statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases

Older claimants would need to show substantial proof that they were abused

Hartford, Connecticut (CNN) -- A bill in Connecticut's legislature that would remove the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases has sparked a fervent response from the state's Roman Catholic bishops, who released a letter to parishioners Saturday imploring them to oppose the measure…

This is yet another in the continuing attempts by Roman Catholic Bishops to interfere in matters of civil law and politics in the nation and in its various states and territories.

Currently, the Roman Catholic church and its council of bishops has come out in favor or sanctuary for illegal immigrants, against health care reform, and has repeatedly tried to delay and prevent legal action against those priests who stand accused of child abuse. All of these actions take place under the auspices of an organization that claims tax-exempt status as a religious organization under existing U.S. tax laws and campaign laws. The Roman Catholic Church in the United States has a fortune in real estate holdings. Some of these date back to before the Revolutionary war.

I am opposed to tax-exempt status for any religious organization, local or national, that has real estate. I am vehemently opposed to tax-exempt status for any religious organization that interferes, or tries to interfere, in matters of local, state, or national politics; in matters of civil or criminal law; or in any matters of personal choice regarding public education, health care, etc.

The council of bishops has recently made an attempt to meddle in the national political battle centered around health care reform. They object to the potential public funding of abortion. They are, collectively, trying to impose Roman Catholic dogma on the entire population of the United States. This is in direct violation of the 1st Amendment’s prohibition of any state sponsored religion. They have no problem sheltering under the same amendment’s guarantee of freedom to worship as one chooses in this nation, but wish to deny it to everyone else by slipping in de facto recognition of a national religion.

The same council is repeatedly guilty of harboring illegal aliens in violation of immigration laws. The vast majority of these illegals are Latino in origin and are practicing Roman Catholics. Again, this is an attempt to create a de facto national religion by flooding the nation with more and more Roman Catholics with the intent of using this sub-populace when they are granted some form of amnesty. The same bishops are currently supporting illegal immigrants and Latino activists who demand open borders with Mexico and uncontrolled immigration along with access to publically funded education, health care, housing, and other benefits that rightfully should not be provided to non-citizens, and which particularly should not be available to illegal aliens.

As centuries of Roman Catholic priests and bishops have historically having made multiple oligarchies of Latin America to the benefit of the Vatican, the council of bishops here wishes to pursue a course of action that will eventually lead to similar third world status for the U.S. due to over population and other factors stressing social safety nets and our economy.

There is a long history of child abuse committed by priests subsequently being covered up by the church’s hierarchy. Priest know to be guilty of such crimes have been protected from prosecution by various means. They have been relieved of duty and then sent to other parishes, often committing the same crimes in their new parish. They have been protected from investigation and thus from any penalty under cannon law. The church has acted to avoid any civil or criminal investigation, trial, and penalty by persuading civil authorities that such charges were false. In short, they have used and misused cannon law to subvert civil law in this nation and in many others.

The truly hateful thing about this attempt to interfere in Connecticut’s legal code is resident in the history of the Roman Catholic Church declaring itself the source of ethics and judge of morality and behavior on the part of its members. It also tries whenever possible to enforce those same moralities upon non-Catholics. Yet the inner church is all too willing to allow complete abeyance of the very moral codes it claims to author and honor in protecting its priests who abuse its most helpless members.

There is no council of bishops with any moral or legal authority to call for the defeat of a law that might lengthen their church’s exposure to legal penalties or civil penalties as a result of clerical child abuse. Every parishioner receiving a request to oppose the bill should demand a public apology from all bishops involved. How long will it be before the Roman Catholic Church is selling indulgences again? How long until the high church hierarchy is secretly married?

How long will we tolerate religious leaders of any faith demanding Americans follow a public morality that they are unable and unwilling to follow?