Excommunication

I've been wondering why doesn't the Cathiolic Church decide to Excommunicate all of the Priests that molested all of the Altar Boys over the years? If someone is Excommunicated from the Catholic Church it only means they can't be buried on Holy Ground, right?
So the Pope should order all those Priests to be defrocked and then Excommunicated. That would Punish all the Priests who molested the Altar Boys over the years and also serve as a warning to any Priest in the future that the same thing will happen to them as well if they get caught doing the exact same thing. Of course what these Priests did was wrong and should be severely Punished.

Am I wrong in thinking if someone is Excommunicated that they are no longer considered to be a Catholic? And they can't even set foot in
a Catholic Church again? And that they'd have to be buried outside Holy Ground in a pauper's grave. If you're Excommunicated from the Catholic Church doesn't that make you a Free Agent to chose to convert to another Religion? The best analogyI could think of at the time was one that's Sports related.

Plus these Priests should be made to give a Personal Apology to all of the families that they affected over the years and should be ordered to do some kind of Community Service as well.

Beatles1964

I don't know if I'd WANT them in my community doing community service. Stay away from me and my family, please.

> 1

Are you sure this was where you meant to post? Isn't this group about books?

"Maybe the book has been recommended to you over and over again. Or it's a classic. But every time you try to read it, it bores you, angers you, or fails to capture your interest.

"Luckily, there's someone out there willing to praise this book enough to make you try again."

Like I said they should be severely Punished. lilithcat I agree with you on that statement 100%. You won't hear me or anyone saying they're in favor of those Priests coming anywhere near their Communities I'm not saying I'd want them in my Community either just that they need to give something back to the Community.I know I wouldn't want them anywhere in my Community nobody in their right mind would want that to happen. I'd leave that up to either a Judge or the Catholic Church. And the Penalties should be as severe as the Law currently allows today. I know they should never be placed in any sort of position where they'd be around children. I think everyone would certainly agree to that. Of course there are other forms of Community Service other than being around children. For example they could volunteer to help out at Nursing Homes, Clinics, Hospitals, something like The Peace Corp, answering telephones on Suicide Hot lines or any other type of Hot lines where they're severly under staffed and desperately need help answering their phone lines. But definitely NOT anywhere near children. They could help clean up the trash and garbage around the city or plant flowers and shrubs in a local Park but be closely Supervised. However I still feel hey should still be defrocked and Excommunicated though and maybe also be fined a certain amount of money as an additional penalty.

Beatles1964

I'm basing my reply on what I ~think~ I remember from 8 years of Catholic grade school...

They can't physically prevent THE OFFENDER from going to Mass, but if someone recognizes THE OFFENDER, they can deny him/her the sacraments. (Yeah, nuns are guilty, too.) To excommunicate someone is to outcast THE OFFENDER. Move to another county, or a different Diocese, and nobody knows who you are. By the smoke and mirrors they call "miracles", if THE OFFENDER consumes one of those blessed wafers, it's magically "unblessed", and all s/he got was a calorie or two of unleavened bread instead of the body-and-blood. Confessions are unforgiven, even if penance is prescribed and borne out. There's no effect from the application of anointed oils on the death bed.

Holy ground isn't all it's cracked up to be... Priests will bless damn near anything - people, their pets, houses, cars, stuffed teddy bears, and real estate. And simply because THE OFFENDER isn't allowed to be buried in a Catholic cemetery, it doesn't mean that her/his alternative is a ~pauper's~ grave. There are plenty of secular cemeteries around.

> 4

lilithcat I agree with you on that statement 100%.

I asked a question; I didn't make a statement.

No, this wan't meant to be about books. The name of this group is Someone Explain It To Me which doesn't necessarily have to do anything with books. I just thought I mention the topic of Excommunication and it means if someone gets Excommunicated by the Catholic Church that's all. Who says tis group has to alwaye be about books? I just thought since this isn't really a book related group I'd bring up the topic of Excommunication. And all I said was what the Catholic Priests did should be severely punished. What's wrong with saying the Priests should be defocked or Excommunicated? I didn't say I approved of what they did. If you read my posts clearer you'll see that I feel what they did was despicable. I'm Sorry to have offended you lilithcat and anyone else out there as well for posting this topic in Someone Explain it to Me. I certainly didn't mean to offend you or anyone else. I was only curious about Excommunication and saying the Priests need to pay for their Sins. I never said I approved of what they did. Fine I'll just go ahead and delete all these posts here on the subject of Excommunication. Again I'm Very Sorry for offending everyone by posting about Excommunication.

I didn't deliberately set out to offend anyone. I never have in the past either. I don't mean to be controversial people just misunderstand some of my comments and put words in my mouth and they start ganging up on me and calling me all kinds of names like what happened to me in both Pro and Con and also Poetry Fool. I was only curious about Excommunication and said I felt the Priests that are guilty should be defrocked and Excommunicated from the Catholic Church. I don't approve of what they did and I never said that I approved of what they did either. Hey if people want to start queing up to start ganging up on me and calling me all kinds of names like Pro and Con and
Poetry Fool. I'll just leave this group as well. Like I say I know I'm not the most Popular person here in LT because I watch Fox News, don't approve of Obama's Policies and also because I also post quite a lot in other groups like The Haunted Soda and some of the Book related groups. I feel a lot of people here in LT must really hate me. And I know I have an awful thin skin and maybe
take some things people say about me too seriously and let it get to me.

Beatles1964

B'64,

I don't see how anything ~anyone~ said in this thread could have made you think that he/she/it was offended.

Take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. (Repeat as often as needed.)

It's all okay.
Peace out,
WHL

> 7

No one's offended. I just thought that you had erroneously posted here. It's not uncommon on these forums for someone to accidentally post in the wrong group and not realize it until it's pointed out.

Who says tis group has to alwaye be about books?

The group's creator. What I quoted above is the group's purpose, as set out on its main page.

I don't mean to be controversial people just misunderstand some of my comments and put words in my mouth and they start ganging up on me and calling me all kinds of names like what happened to me in both Pro and Con and also Poetry Fool.

Wait, you're weighing in on one of the most controversial topics of the day and you don't mean to be controversial? Stop and think about that for a second.

But to answer your question, sure, the Catholic Church could excommunicate the offenders. They can pretty much excommunicate anyone they want to, but it requires action from the Pope, who appears to have little inclination to do so. So it really is a moot point. I believe one of the arguments made against excommunication is that the priests in question have confessed their sins, done pennance, and received absolution, and as a esult, they should be forgiven by the Church. Not being Catholic I think this is a pretty weak argument, but it is what it is.

I just want to ask if this group is mainly supposed to be about books how come no one objected when I posted Lord of the Rings vs. Harry Potter? Is it because both of them come from a much loved series? I wanted to know why The Lord of the Rings has won so many Academy Awards and Harry Potter hasn't won any. No one spoke up and said this group is only for discussing books. Or is it because the topic of what the Priests did is so controversial?

I think I know the answer to my own question and I'm betting it's beause the topic is so controversial and the other is just a series of books about far away beautiful, wonderful, exciting, imaginary places people would love to visit. Even though the movies are based on books that probably qualifies as why no one made any objections about Lord of the Rings vs. Harry Potter.

Beatles1964

LOTR and HP are both book series, that's why there was no objection. They fit within the intent of the group.

The religious subject may have been more appropriate in a religious group, or perhaps Off-Topic.

You may find that your questions on excomunication and other matters related to religion are better received in the Pro and Con (Religion) group.

Back in olden times the Catholic Church had control of your soul and being ex-communicated meant that you were consigned to Hell with no recourse.

To me, as a modern day Catholic, ex-communication means denial of the Sacraments, an equally serious punishment.

Keep in mind, Christianity is a religion of mercy, first and foremost. That's what makes it so hard for the Church to just throw these priests out. The Church needs to create an order in which all perverted priests and nuns are kept segregated from society, keeping them in the middle of nowhere with no ability to return to civilization: a city of refuge, if you will. Then let God sort them out when the time comes.