The Church's Strict Patrol Against

Pedophilia

Interview with Monsignor Charles Scicluna

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 14, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of an interview
with Monsignor Charles Scicluna, who handles cases brought against abusive priests for the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was published Saturday by Avvenire.

***

"CHURCH ON STRICT PATROL"

INTERVIEW OF G. CARDINALE WITH MONSIGNOR CHARLES J. SCICLUNA,
PROMOTER OF JUSTICE OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE
FAITH

Msgr. Charles J. Scicluna is the "promoter of justice" of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith. He is effectively the prosecutor of the tribunal of the former Holy Office, whose job it is to
investigate what are known as delicta graviora; i.e., the crimes which the Catholic Church
considers as being the most serious of all: crimes against the Eucharist and against the sanctity of
the Sacrament of Penance, and crimes against the sixth Commandment ("thou shall not commit
impure acts") committed by a cleric against a person under the age of eighteen. These crimes, in
a motu proprio of 2001, Sacramentum sanctitatis tutela, come under the competency of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In effect, it is the "promoter of justice" who deals
with, among other things, the terrible question of priests accused of paedophilia, which are
periodically highlighted in the mass media. Msgr. Scicluna, an affable and polite Maltese, has the
reputation of scrupulously carrying out the tasks entrusted to him without deferring to anyone.

Q: Monsignor, you have the reputation of being "tough", yet the Catholic Church is
systematically accused of being accommodating towards "paedophile priests"

Monsignor Scicluna: It may be that in the past -- perhaps also out of a misdirected desire to
protect the good name of the institution -- some bishops were, in practice, too indulgent towards
this sad phenomenon. And I say in practice because, in principle, the condemnation of this kind
of crime has always been firm and unequivocal. Suffice it to recall, to limit ourselves just to last
century, the famous Instruction Crimen Sollicitationis of 1922.

Q: Wasn't that from 1962?

Monsignor Scicluna: No, the first edition dates back to the pontificate of Pius XI. Then, with
Blessed John XXIII, the Holy Office issued a new edition for the Council Fathers, but only two
thousand copies were printed, which were not enough, and so distribution was postponed sine
die. In any case, these were procedural norms to be followed in cases of solicitation during
confession, and of other more serious sexually-motivated crimes such as the sexual abuse of
minors.

Q: Norms which, however, recommended secrecy...

Monsignor Scicluna: A poor English translation of that text has led people to think that the Holy
See imposed secrecy in order to hide the facts. But this was not so. Secrecy during the
investigative phase served to protect the good name of all the people involved; first and
foremost, the victims themselves, then the accused priests who have the right - as everyone does
- to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The Church does not like showcase justice.
Norms on sexual abuse have never been understood as a ban on denouncing the crimes to the
civil authorities.

Q: Nonetheless, that document is periodically cited to accuse the current Pontiff of having been
-- when he was prefect of the former Holy Office -- objectively responsible for a Holy See policy
of covering up the facts...

Monsignor Scicluna: That accusation is false and calumnious. On this subject I would like to
highlight a number of facts. Between 1975 and 1985 I do not believe that any cases of
paedophilia committed by priests were brought to the attention of our Congregation. Moreover,
following the promulgation of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, there was a period of uncertainty as
to which of the delicta graviora were reserved to the competency of this dicastery. Only with the
2001 motu proprio did the crime of paedophilia again become our exclusive remit. From that
moment Cardinal Ratzinger displayed great wisdom and firmness in handling those cases, also
demonstrating great courage in facing some of the most difficult and thorny cases, sine
acceptione personarum. Therefore, to accuse the current Pontiff of a cover-up is, I repeat, false
and calumnious.

Q: What happens when a priest is accused of a delictum gravius?

Monsignor Scicluna: If the accusation is well-founded the bishop has the obligation to
investigate both the soundness and the subject of the accusation. If the outcome of this initial
investigation is consistent, he no longer has any power to act in the matter and must refer the
case to our Congregation where it is dealt with by the disciplinary office.

Q: How is that office composed?

Monsignor Scicluna: Apart from myself who, being one of the superiors of the dicastery, also
concern myself with other matters, there are the bureau chief Fr. Pedro Miguel Funes Diaz, seven
priests and a lay lawyer who follow these cases. Other officials of the Congregation also make
their own vital contribution depending upon the language and specific requirements of each case.
Q: That office has been accused of working little and slowly...

Monsignor Scicluna: Those are unjustified comments. In 2003 and 2004 a great wave of cases
flooded over our desks. Many of them came from the United States and concerned the past. Over
recent years, thanks to God, the phenomenon has become greatly reduced, and we now seek to
deal with new cases as they arise.

Q: How many have you dealt with so far?

Monsignor Scicluna: Overall in the last nine years (2001-2010) we have considered accusations
concerning around three thousand cases of diocesan and religious priests, which refer to crimes
committed over the last fifty years.

Q: That is, then, three thousand cases of paedophile priests?

Monsignor Scicluna: No, it is not correct to say that. We can say that about sixty percent of the
cases chiefly involved sexual attraction towards adolescents of the same sex, another thirty
percent involved heterosexual relations, and the remaining ten percent were cases of paedophilia
in the true sense of the term; that is, based on sexual attraction towards prepubescent children.
The cases of priests accused of paedophilia in the true sense have been about three hundred in
nine years. Please don't misunderstand me, these are of course too many, but it must be
recognised that the phenomenon is not as widespread as has been believed.

Q: The accused, then, are three thousand. How many have been tried and condemned?

Monsignor Scicluna: Currently we can say that a full trial, penal or administrative, has taken
place in twenty percent of cases, normally celebrated in the diocese of origin - always under our
supervision - and only very rarely here in Rome. We do this also in order to speed up the
process. In sixty percent of cases there has been no trial, above all because of the advanced age
of the accused, but administrative and disciplinary provisions have been issued against them,
such as the obligation not to celebrate Mass with the faithful, not to hear confession, and to live a
retired life of prayer. It must be made absolutely clear that in these cases, some of which are
particularly sensational and have caught the attention of the media, no absolution has taken
place. It's true that there has been no formal condemnation, but if a person is obliged to a life of
silence and prayer, then there must be a reason.

Q: That still leaves twenty percent of cases...

Monsignor Scicluna: We can say that in ten percent of cases, the particularly serious ones in
which the proof is overwhelming, the Holy Father has assumed the painful responsibility of
authorising a decree of dismissal from the clerical state. This is a very serious but inevitable
provision, taken though administrative channels. In the remaining ten percent of cases, it was the
accused priests themselves who requested dispensation from the obligations deriving from the
priesthood, requests which were promptly accepted. Those involved in these latter cases were
priests found in possession of paedophile pornographic material and, for this reason, condemned
by the civil authorities.
Q: Where do these three thousand cases come from?

Monsignor Scicluna: Mostly from the United States which, in the years 2003-2004, represented
around eighty percent of total cases. In 2009 the United States "share" had dropped to around
twenty-five percent of the 223 cases reported from all over the world. Over recent years (2007-
2009), the annual average of cases reported to the Congregation from around the world has been
two hundred and fifty. Many countries report only one or two cases. There is, then, a growing
diversity and number of countries of origin of cases, but the phenomenon itself is much reduced.
It must, in fact, be borne in mind that the overall number of diocesan and religious priests in the
world is four hundred thousand, although this statistic does not correspond to the perception that
is created when these sad cases occupy the front pages of the newspapers.

Q: And in Italy?

Monsignor Scicluna: Thus far the phenomenon does not seem to have dramatic proportions,
although what worries me is a certain culture of silence which I feel is still too widespread in the
country. The Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) offers an excellent technical-juridical
consultancy service for bishops who have to deal with these cases. And I am very pleased to
observe the ever greater commitment being shown by Italian bishops to throw light on the cases
reported to them.

Q: You said that a full trial has taken place in around twenty percent of the three thousand cases
you have examined over the last nine years. Did they all end with the condemnation of the
accused?

Monsignor Scicluna: Many of the past trials did end with the condemnation of the accused. But
there have also been cases in which the priest was declared innocent, or where the accusations
were not considered to have sufficient proof. In all cases, however, not only is there an
examination of the guilt or innocence of the accused priest, but also a discernment as to his
fitness for public ministry.

Q: A recurring accusation made against the ecclesiastical hierarchy is that of not reporting to the
civil authorities when crimes of paedophilia come to their attention.

Monsignor Scicluna: In some English-speaking countries, but also in France, if bishops become
aware of crimes committed by their priests outside the sacramental seal of Confession, they are
obliged to report them to the judicial authorities. This is an onerous duty because the bishops are
forced to make a gesture comparable to that of a father denouncing his own son. Nonetheless,
our guidance in these cases is to respect the law.

Q: And what about countries where bishops do not have this legal obligation?

Monsignor Scicluna: In these cases we do not force bishops to denounce their own priests, but
encourage them to contact the victims and invite them to denounce the priests by whom they
have been abused. Furthermore, we invite the bishops to give all spiritual - and not only spiritual
- assistance to those victims. In a recent case concerning a priest condemned by a civil tribunal in
Italy, it was precisely this Congregation that suggested to the plaintiffs, who had turned to us for
a canonical trial, that they involve the civil authorities in the interests of victims and to avoid
other crimes.

Q: A final question: is there any statue of limitation for delicta graviora?

Monsignor Scicluna: Here you touch upon what, in my view, is a sensitive point. In the past, that
is before 1898, the statue of limitations was something unknown in canon law. For the most
serious crimes, it was only with the 2001 motu proprio that a statute of limitations of ten years
was introduced. In accordance with these norms in cases of sexual abuse, the ten years begin
from the day on which the minor reaches the age of eighteen.

Q: Is that enough?

Monsignor Scicluna: Practice has shown that the limit of ten years is not enough in this kind of
case, in which it would be better to return to the earlier system of delicta graviora not being
subject to the statue of limitations. On 7 November 2002, Venerable Servant of God John Paul II
granted this dicastery the power to revoke that statue of limitations, case by case following a
reasoned request from individual bishops. And this revocation is normally granted.

The Pope and the New York Times

 By WILLIAM MCGURN

Unlike the Roman papacy, in certain circles the New York Times still enjoys the presumption of
authority. So when the front page carries a story headlined "Vatican Declined to Defrock U.S.
Priest Who Abused Deaf Boys," people notice.

Written by Laurie Goodstein and published March 25, the thrust is twofold. First, that the Rev.
Lawrence Murphy, a priest who abused children at St. John's School for the Deaf in Milwaukee
from the 1950s to the 1970s, went unpunished. Father Murphy, she wrote categorically, "was
never tried or disciplined by the church's own justice system."

This all feeds the kicker: "the effort to dismiss Father Murphy came to a sudden halt after the
priest appealed to Cardinal Ratzinger for leniency." In other words, Murphy got off scot-free,
and the cardinal looked the other way.

Ms. Goodstein cites internal church documents, which the Times posted online. The documents
were provided by Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan. They are described as "lawyers for five
men who have brought four lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Milwaukee."

What she did not tell readers is that Mr. Anderson isn't just any old lawyer. When it comes to
suing the church, he is America's leading plaintiffs attorney. Back in 2002, he told the Associated
Press that he'd won more than $60 million in settlements from the church, and he once boasted to
a Twin Cities weekly that he's "suing the s--t out of them everywhere." Nor did the Times report
another salient fact about Mr. Anderson: He's now trying to sue the Vatican in U.S. federal court.

None of this makes Mr. Anderson wrong or unworthy of quoting. It does make him a much
bigger player than the story disclosed. In fact, it's hard to think of anyone with a greater financial
interest in promoting the public narrative of a church that takes zero action against abuser priests,
with Pope Benedict XVI personally culpable.

Asked about the omissions in an email, Ms. Goodstein replied as follows: "Given the complexity
of the Murphy case, and the relative brevity of my story, I don't think it is realistic for you to
expect this story to get into treating other cases that these attorneys have handled."

Martin Nussbaum, a lawyer who is not involved in the Murphy case but who has defended other
dioceses and churches in sexual abuse suits, emailed me four interesting letters sent to Murphy
from three Wisconsin bishops. These documents are not among those posted online by the
Times. They are relevant, however, because they refute the idea that Murphy went unpunished.

In fact, the letters from these bishops—three in 1993 and one in 1995, after fresh allegations of
Murphy's misconduct—variously informed the priest that he was not to celebrate the sacraments
in public, not to have any unsupervised contact with minors, and not to work in any parish
religious education program.

It's accurate to say Murphy was never convicted by a church tribunal. It's also reasonable to
argue (as I would) that Murphy should have been disciplined more. It is untrue, however, to
suggest he was "never" disciplined. When asked if she knew of these letters, Ms. Goodstein did
not directly answer, saying her focus was on what was "new," i.e., "the attempts by those same
bishops to have Father Murphy laicized."

As for Rome, it did not get the case until 1996, when the archdiocese of Milwaukee informed the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, then headed by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Back
then, the CDF handled abuse cases when they involved a breach of confession (Murphy was
accused of using the confessional to solicit boys). At that time, too, the only real option for
reducing Murphy to the lay state was a church trial. And the bishops in Wisconsin did begin a
trial.

Ms. Goodstein's original article said simply that Cardinal Ratzinger's deputy halted Murphy's
trial after the priest sent the cardinal a letter saying he was dying and asking for clemency. A
follow-up Times article last Thursday clarified that Rome came down the way it did because
Murphy had shown "apparent good conduct" for the last 24 years, and "it would be difficult to
try him" because "so much time [had] passed between the crimes and the trial."

Plus, his bishops had already stripped Murphy of his priestly faculties, the equivalent of taking a
doctor's medical license. Does all this really suggest people callously looking the other way?
A few years later, when the CDF assumed authority over all abuse cases, Cardinal Ratzinger
implemented changes that allowed for direct administrative action instead of trials that often took
years. Roughly 60% of priests accused of sexual abuse were handled this way. The man who is
now pope reopened cases that had been closed; did more than anyone to process cases and hold
abusers accountable; and became the first pope to meet with victims. Isn't the more reasonable
interpretation of all these events that Cardinal Ratzinger's experience with cases like Murphy's
helped lead him to promote reforms that gave the church more effective tools for handling
priestly abuse?

That's not to say that the press should be shy, even about Pope Benedict XVI's decisions as
archbishop and cardinal. The Murphy case raises hard questions: why it took the archbishops of
Milwaukee nearly two decades to suspend Murphy from his ministry; why innocent people
whose lives had been shattered by men they are supposed to view as icons of Christ found so
little justice; how bishops should deal with an accused clergyman when criminal investigations
are inconclusive; how to balance the demands of justice with the Catholic imperative that sins
can be forgiven. Oh, yes, maybe some context, and a bit of journalistic skepticism about the
narrative of a plaintiffs attorney making millions off these cases.

That's still a story worth pursuing.

Koch's Comments: He that is without sin, let

him cast the next stone - enough already
I believe the continuing attacks by the media on the Roman Catholic Church and Pope Benedict
XVI have become manifestations of anti-Catholicism. The procession of articles on the same
events are, in my opinion, no longer intended to inform, but simply to castigate.

The sexual molestation of children, principally boys, is horrendous. This is agreed to by

everyone, Catholics, the Church itself, as well as non-Catholics and the media. The pope has on a
number of occasions on behalf of the Church admitted fault and asked for forgiveness. For
example, The New York Times reported on April 18, 2008, that the pope "came face to face with
a scandal that has left lasting wounds on the American church Thursday, holding a surprise
meeting with several victims of sexual abuse by priests in the Boston area.... 'No words of mine
could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse,' the Pope said in his homily. 'It is
important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention.'"

On March 20, 2010, the Times reported that in his eight page pastoral letter to Irish Catholics, the
pope wrote, "You have suffered grievously, and I am truly sorry ... Your trust has been betrayed
and your dignity has been violated."

The pope also "criticized Ireland's bishops for 'grave errors of judgment and failures of
leadership.'"

The primary explanation for the abuse that happened - not to excuse the retention of priests in
positions that enabled them to continue to harm children - was the belief that the priests could be
cured by psychotherapy, a theory now long discarded by the medical profession. Regrettably, it
is also likely that years ago the abuse of children was not taken as seriously as today. Thank God
we've progressed on that issue.

Many of those in the media who are pounding on the Church and the pope today clearly do it
with delight, and some with malice. The reason, I believe, for the constant assaults is that there
are many in the media, and some Catholics as well as many in the public, who object to and are
incensed by positions the Church holds, including opposition to all abortions, opposition to gay
sex and same-sex marriage, retention of celibacy rules for priests, exclusion of women from the
clergy, opposition to birth control measures involving condoms and prescription drugs and
opposition to civil divorce. My good friend, John Cardinal O'Connor, once said, "The Church is
not a salad bar, from which to pick and choose what pleases you." The Church has the right to
demand fulfillment of all of its religious obligations by its parishioners, and indeed a right to
espouse its beliefs generally.

I disagree with the Church on all of these positions. Nevertheless, it has a right to hold these
views in accordance with its religious beliefs. I disagree with many tenets of Orthodox Judaism -
the religion of my birth - and have chosen to follow the tenets of Conservative Judaism, while I
attend an Orthodox synagogue.  Orthodox Jews, like the Roman Catholic Church, can demand
absolute obedience to religious rules. Those declining to adhere are free to leave.

I believe the Roman Catholic Church is a force for good in the world, not evil. Moreover, the
existence of one billion, 130 million Catholics worldwide is important to the peace and
prosperity of the planet.

Of course, the media should report to the public any new facts bearing upon the issue of child
molestation, but its objectivity and credibility are damaged when the New York Times declines to
publish an op-ed offered by New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan on the issue of anti-
Catholicism and offers instead to publish a letter to the editor, which is much shorter and less
prominent than an op-ed.

I am appalled that, according to the Times of April 6, 2010, "Last week, the center-left daily
newspaper La Repubblica wrote, without attribution that 'certain Catholic circles' believed the
criticism of the Church stemmed from 'a New York Jewish lobby.'" The pope should know that
some of his fellow priests can be thoughtless or worse in their efforts to help him. If the "certain
Catholic circles" were referring to the Times, the Pope should know that the publisher, Arthur
Sulzberger, Jr., is Episcopalian, having taken the religion of his mother, and its executive editor,
Bill Keller, is also a Christian.

Enough is enough. Yes, terrible acts were committed by members of the Catholic clergy. The
Church has paid billions to victims in the US and will pay millions, perhaps billions, more to
other such victims around the world.  It is trying desperately to atone for its past by its
admissions and changes in procedures for dealing with pedophile priests. I will close with a
paraphrase of the words of Jesus as set forth in John 8:7: He [or she] that is without sin among
you, let him [or her] cast the next stone.
Comments

1  |   HPL--USA, Thursday Apr 08, 2010

I must heartily commend Mr. Koch for having hit the nail on the head with his expertly cast
stone.
2  |   Harold, NY, USA, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
Jesus Christ said those words. Is Ed Koch a Christian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3  |   Ronald USA, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
I applaud Mr. Koch for the sentiments that he expresses in this post. It is indisputable that a
significant portion of the criticism of the Catholic Church is political in nature and originates
from non-Catholics. I don't see a legitimate purpose in this criticism. It is mostly intended to
harm Catholics. Jews have little, if any reason to be involved in this issue. Sometimes it is good
to just say nothing.
4  |   Donky408, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
Seriously Mr Kock needs attention coz he has run out of his mind . What a misuse of scripture.
Even the devils know the scripture better than any christian do .The bible which is the true word
of God that is if you are a believer Mr Koch ''Genesis 2vs 18'' clearly tells us that God saw it
good for man to have a help mate and he created a woman for Adam . Now i have a problem
with you Catholic people when you tell your man and women not to marry and end up being
homos,rapists and lesbians God forbids . Hey for record Sodom and Gommorah was destroyed
because of people like you Catholics.
5  |   Giulia, Italy, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
One can almost hear Jesus saying to this peaceful Pope "If the world hates you, remember that it
hated me first" (Johna 15:18). Contrary to his critics, the Pope, like Jesus, is completely innocent
and is doing everything in his power to weed out those priests guilty of sexual abuse and to justly
compensate the victims. Remember that even Jesus had His Judas but the world wants to see the
death of the Church b'coz it knows the Catholic Church is the last bastion of hope against a
materialistic world that craves immorality at every step...
6  |   Giulia, Italy, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
..including homosexuality,same-sex marriage, easy divorce, abortion, radical
feminism,contraception, embryonic stem cell research & cloning. P.Benedict will be
remembered not for the scandals of a few priests but for his intense suffering in protecting the
faith from wolves in sheep's clothing.The Pope is being held up to unprecedented ridicule &
scorn by a hateful press and a world so out of touch with its spirtiual nature and moral
being."Ecce homo ! " These were the words spoken by Pontius Pilate when he presented a
scourged Jesus Christ to a hostile mob. Now they're doing it to the Pope
7  |   Manuel H. Lazerov USA, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
Without condoning what the Catholic Church has tolerated, and the manner in which they have
addressed these scandals, one must admit that there is a strong underlying agenda to destroy the
Church, rather than to seek reform. The destruction of yet another Western institution will only
further weaken the fabric of our society.. The article is dead on, and Mayor Koch's take on this is
accurate.
8  |   mat hendriks, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
Mr. Koch: Jesus never said these words, to excuse anyone of child-abuse. In this way children
are holy. Phrases as who is without sins etc. don't fit with the problem of child abuse. It is a
problem of the church and in my humble opinion caused by the celibacy. I would say, with all
these sexual cases all over the world, it brings only evil in the world and God never asked for it-.
The church makes his own rules-rules who are not compare with the rules of God. Ten
commandments . Why are you talking of money? That is the last thing, I would think of, in
relation with abusing children
9  |   J.U.B. Sweden, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
Thank you, Ed Koch! Indeed "enough is enough". A well-earned censure of the Catholic Church
for its passivty and lack of wisdom in dealing with acts of paedophilia among its clergy has
turned into something thats looks very similar to a vilification of the whole church, its leadership
and all those priests that are known to their parishioners as compassionate, honest, decent and
hardworking persons who generously give themselves for the benefit of the community, that is
the overwhelming majority of the priests. I say this being a Christian, but not a Catholic!
10  |   Tod Zuckerman, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
Great to learn that the NY Times is no longer owned by Jews - it so much easier ( for me, at
least) to deal with Israel bashing from non-Jews than from sellout Jews. The Sulzbergers have
always been sellouts - and , for this reason, I am delighted that the current publisher ( a real
jerkoff, by the way) decided to take his mother's religion. Hi. hip, hooray.
11  |   David USA, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
Kol hakavod, Mr. Koch - for once I agree with you. These crimes by catholic priests are
abominable - and so are similar crimes committed by clergy of various other religions - all of
whom tried to sweep them under the rug or deal with them "internally", including the rabbinate,
as we know. The avalanche of stone throwing should now abate. And BTW, the quote you use re
"throwing stones" was said by the Jew Yeshua.
12  |   TK, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
a force of goodness in the world? really? only because of seperation of church and state. the state
is wiser than the church and more Godly. they should now come clean (and perhaps billions in
retribution) for the slaughter of jewish populations in the name of the church.
13  |   singer, NYC, Thursday Apr 08, 2010
The Church a force for good? Being a New Yorker like you, I understand the importance of
appeasing the Church. But, it's not the Church that is the force for good, but rather the teachings
of that Jewish Rabbi Jesus that they claim to follow. Both Jesus and his apostle to the nations,
Paul, never forbade marriage, in fact Paul clearly said that forbidding to marry is a teaching of
demons! (1 Tim 4:1-3) The real problem here is the Church refuses to change their practices in
the light of the problems it has caused all over the world. Apologizing without changing course
is not sincere.
14  |   Lisa -- Tallahassee, Florida, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Well, eff that, really. This is not a spiritual matter; it IS a criminal one. Prosecutors, judges, et. al.
may not be sinless, but they can carry out the rule of law. 'Nuff said. Koch -- NEXT!
15  |   Alisa South Bend, Friday Apr 09, 2010
The media promotes homosexuality in every possible way as a perfectly normal and healthy
lifestyle yet in all of its reporting regarding this scandal the fact that the sexual abuse was
overwhelmingly committed as a homosexual act is omitted almost entirely. The media pushed
the Church to admit homosexual men to the priesthood and then is silent about the true nature of
the majority of these crimes. Thank you Mayor Koch for your response.
16  |   Independent Patriot, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Looking to extricate yourself from the 'I'm a jerk for voting for Obama club "by directing people
to look at the Catholic Church. Not gonna work. Today there was a report that Israeli nuclear
scientist have been barred from the US, meanwhile the obama administration has lifted the ban
on the Moslem Brotherhood's Tarik Ramadan who is speaking in NY next week. Good job in
getting that anti-semite elected. So when the war starts, and Jews are murdered, I hope you know
its your fault.
17  |   David Katcoff, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Let's keep it polite, Ed. You don't want to rile up those sensative Catholics who will riot and
pillage if they are the least bit offended, to say nothing of their heavy involvement in suicide
bombings against non-Catholics and heretics. I hope your dwelling place is amply reinforced
against some enraged Catholic who might have taken offense at an inadvertant criticism and tries
to break in and decapitate you. I think we may have to send some predator drones over Ireland, a
land infested with terrorist nuns. Better to fight them over there than here.
18  |   Josh - San Jose, CA, Friday Apr 09, 2010
A catholic priest is probably no more likely to rape a child than a rabbi, a pediatrician, or a
school teacher is. The difference is that rabbis, pediatricians, and teachers are promptly turned
over to the police the moment anyone suspects they are doing something like this. There is no
institutional protection. I'll be convinced that the Catholic church really gets it when I see a
bishop turn one of his priests over to the police with no outside prompting. They would not
hesitate to do it if a priest were robbing banks. Why are sex crimes different?
19  |   Thomas - Canada, Friday Apr 09, 2010
I applaud your spirit of forgiveness, Mr Kock. I will take the liberty of citing other words of
Jesus. He had nothing good to say of the religious leadership of his day. He soundly condemned
them for their unrighteous conduct and called them a pit of vipers. He also said through the
Apostle Paul that Church leadership is to be held to a higher standard than that of the lay people.
In reference to children Jesus said it would be better that a millstone be hung around your neck
and be cast into the sea than to harm a child. The Catholic leadership is now paying for its own
neglectfulness.
20  |   Mary Ellen, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Thank you, Mayor Koch for your beautiful words. I am a Roman Catholic and the hatred and
misinformation regarding our Pope and the way the Church is dealing with this has been
abominable. I cannot understand how the media is able to get away with spreading such hate
speech. All who are Catholic are saddened by the events of the past and have been very
supportive of the victims of these abuse cases. To see them used by the liberal media and those
who want to destroy the Church just sickens me. Again, thank you, your kindness is very much
appreciated.
21  |   Yehuda, Ashdod, Friday Apr 09, 2010
However, as Jews, we know that no one is perfect, and yet - we are required to root out evil,
wherever it may be.
22  |   Let him/her throw the:...NEXT stone? Not the FIRST stone?, Friday Apr 09, 2010
The Power OF Messianic Judaism: based upon what you(rs) did to me, us, mine, and ours, I
wouldn't be kind to you(rs), so shut up!!
23  |   Chanan, Monsey, Friday Apr 09, 2010
The problem is celibacy in the clergy, as that obviously makes it much easier for gay Catholic
men to choose such a life. Because why would a straight man want to be celibate, IT'S NOT
NATURAL! The Catholic church could wake up to the 21st century and change the celibacy
rule, but they mistakenly think celibacy is higher than marriage. Thank God I'm Jewish and don't
subscribe to such misguided foolishness.
24  |   Joan A. Bershefsky, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Thank you, Mayor Koch. You are truly a man of God. We may disagree as you have cited in this
article on various issues, but one thing is clear. You are my brother. Please receive my love and
prayers. You are a voice crying out in the wilderness. While many within the Catholic Church
see fit to attack it as well, your heart shows the mercy that our Savior bled and died for. You may
be Jewish, Mayor Koch, but may I hujmbly share that you are also one of us for Catholic means
universal and you have chosen the better path. God is very please with you. Sincerely in Christ,
joan
25  |   Joan A. Bershefsky, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Thank you, Mayor Koch. You are truly a man of God. We may disagree as you have cited in this
article on various issues, but one thing is clear. You are my brother. Please receive my love and
prayers. You are a voice crying out in the wilderness. While many within the Catholic Church
see fit to attack it as well, your heart shows the mercy that our Savior bled and died for. You may
be Jewish, Mayor Koch, but may I humbly share that you are also one of us for Catholic means
universal and you have chosen the better path. God is very please with you. Sincerely in Christ,
joan
26  |   Ilija Vladimirovic Korac. Australia, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Woman is riding on the Beast! Prophesy have to be fulfilled. Roman Catholic Church is that
woman. What do you mean, the Church had killed 50-70 million Christians, because they had
correck faith! Is that crime or not? Why people do not talk of it??
27  |   Luca, Italy, Friday Apr 09, 2010
#5 #6 Great posts, Giulia! Have always loved to read all your posts! Kudos to you Mr.Koch for
this article! The fact is that Catholic Church remains as Christ's mystical body, the visible
sacrament of salvation...wounded or not. Giulia, please contact me: luca.soave@hotmail.com
28  |   Marcel, Friday Apr 09, 2010
In due time ,the One who is without sin always casts stones on the wicked who refuse to repent.
He always exposes the hidden things of darkness to the light of day. It's a dangerous pursuit to
show mercy to the wicked who masquerade as saints. It's always Interesting to see who hates the
light and loves to protect the dark deeds hidden in secret. This is also God's way of dividing the
sheep from the goats. There is no middle ground with him as you assume,Mr. Politician.
29  |   John N. Ireland, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Thank you, Mr. Koch. The media does love to bash the Catholic Church as it does all faith in
general. The Catholic Church, badly mishandled the problems of child sexual abuse and should
have done more to prevent it. It could be as low as two per cent of Priests but it is two per cent to
many, and the failure to deal with it has led to victims been let down. The Catholic Church has
hospitals, schools and Universities worldwide who care and educate Catholic and non-Catholic
alike. I am a Catholic who is staying and I am also a supporter of Israel and Jewish people.
Catholics are not bad. Shalom.
30  |   Mary Ann Wenske Texas, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Excellent blog, Mr. Koch. You are a man of integrity. It takes courage to right such as this,
especially admitting that you are too at odds with the Church on many of its teachings. That's
what makes this an amazing column- you could have an axe to grind, but instead have clear
thinking. May God bless YOU! Mary Ann
31  |   Brian, Reading Pa, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Ed missed the point. The Catholic church isn't penitent (expelling priests), it's still doing damage
control (denying and evading where it can). The woman in the scriptural reference accepted
Jesus as judge in the matter. "Stones" are merited at least until the denial stops, and the Catholic
church purges itself of such ungodliness. Also, the accusers of the woman cared nothing
concerning her, but sought occasion to stone or shame a prophet, whereas the "anti-catholic
lynch mob", as Ed appears to style the accusers, wants the Catholic church to cease shaming
itself and the children therein.
32  |   Emily Calgary, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Thank you Mr. Koch and may God bless you indeed!
33  |   Martha, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Thanks Mayor Koch.
34  |   Anna Paris, Friday Apr 09, 2010
Toda rabba ani notsrit mi tsarfat ani be rama B de oulpan ani mevina she at tsadik toda
35  |   Fr. Brian Dulli, Friday Apr 09, 2010
I am a straight man who is celibate and I am also a priest. If a man has the intention to molest
children, how would a spouse necessarily deter him from such an act? He would hide it from her
or even turn her into an accomplice. The truth is there are those who molest children regardless
of their marital status. On the other hand, it is not impossible to live without sex. We accept
marvels like walking over coals whilst entranced by false gods. We then who believe in the
living God must allow that some of either sex can sacrifice this great good for the God who is all
good.
36  |   J.U.B. Sweden, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
Paedophilia is a serious mental disorder acquired early in life and as far as we know incurable. It
has nothing to do with celibacy. And it has in se nothing to do with homosexuality. Most acts of
child abuse take place at home and the perpetrators are mostly heterosexuals. That we hear
almost only of boys being molested by priests can be due to the fact that altarboys are more
frequent than girls at least some years ago. And nobody is forced to live a life in celibacy. You
can as a monk or priest say no this is not for me and retire from holy orders and then get married.
37  |   Vince DSouza, Stratford, CT, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
That was truly an admirable retort to the NY Times and a truly great article. Abuse of children
has been a fact of life in many many cultures and has been covered up for years and years. The
Pope has offered his apologies more than once and the NY Times should tone down its criticism
considering its circulation all over this country and the world. Indeed Mayor Koch's statement of
Jesus: LET HIM WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE is admirable. Nobody likes to see
children molested or adults molested either, but to castigate a Man of Peace fort actions of some
is stupid.
38  |   Victor Galindo, USA, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
The Popes, Benedict XVI and John-Paul II, are both criminally responsible for the evil anti-
Semitic statements of the Cardinal/Bishop from South America. If the CEO of GM for example
is aware of a high officer in GM that is stealing, then he is as guilty as the thief if he does not
report the criminal action. A clerk employee in a remote warehouse is another matter. But the
neo-Nazi Cardinal/Bishop is a senior member of the church. His actions and statements are far
more criminal than simply stealing. And yet he goes on with his evil rantings. And, I've read
where he was in line for Pope.
39  |   L. Weeks, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
Good Morning Ed, Australia here: I like your articles !
40  |   one in north pole, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
In the United States alone, there are reportedly some 39 million victims of childhood sexual
abuse. Forty to sixty percent were abused by family members, including stepfathers and live-in
boyfriends of a child’s mother—thus suggesting that abused children are the principal victims of
the sexual revolution, the breakdown of marriage, and the hook-up culture and not the
celibacy ....
41  |   Mrs Ida Day, Australia, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
I second Mary Ellen's, Friday Apr 09, 2010 comment. Thank you, Mr Koch, for your impartial
judgment.
42  |   Justin, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
Mayor Koch is a man of integrity, who is not motivated by hatred and bigotry. He can honestly
disagree with Catholic teachings, while respecting the Church's mission. He also has the
unbiased vision to see the good that the Catholic Church has done and continues to do in society,
in spite of the horrendous failures of her sinful human members. The New York Times and other
media outlets could learn a valuable lesson from his example. Thank you, Mr. Mayor!
43  |   Ben, Frankfurt, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
"He that is without sin, let him cast the next stone" Fine, then it's my turn next. Give me a stone
and a pedophile priest to cast it upon. I see no reason to defend the church on this one. The
catholic church is corrupt to the core and by no means a force of good.
44  |   Caroline Niesley, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
Your Honor, You used to ask, "How am I doin'?" You are doing great. Jesus also said, "Salvation
is from the Jews." God's peace be with you. Respectfully, Caroline
45  |   da5id, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
Well said. Celibacy has nothing to do with abuse, in my opinion. There are just as many similar
abuses perpetrated by school teachers and members of other institutions who are married or free
to marry. In fact, most cases of this type of abuse are carried out in families. It would be a
nonsense to point at a known offender in secular society and exclaim, "oh! if only he were
married this wouldn't have happened"; so it is foolish to blame priestly celibacy. Has anyone
seen the Kevin Bacon movie The Woodsman? Even though the previous offender has a g/f in the
story, he is still tempted by kids.
46  |   Diane Rosario Massachusetts, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU MAYOR KOCH! And thank you also for the heads up
about 'La Reppublica' s thinly disguised attempt at pitting 'New York Jews' against the Catholics
and vice versa!! Kudos to you for getting this out here for us to know about! Like JPII said of the
Jews; they are our 'older brothers and sisters in the faith'. We all know where this will end if this
campaign of hatred is not stopped. George Weigel said on The World Over last night on EWTN
that this whole thing, much like what Mayor Koch said, is about the RCC being the last one
standing against moral relativism.
47  |   G Dominic Nicholas, Madras, India, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
A great voice from the sound conscience of Mayor Koch sir. Indeed, sir, you are absolutely true:
"The procession of articles on the same events are, in my opinion, no longer intended to inform,
but simply to castigate". Every step should be taken to heal the traumatic wounds of the the
innocent victims - the abused children - and equally no steps should be left out to trace the
culprits and make them accountable. Let the Media stop to attack the Pope. Let us pray for him
and for the Church ( by whom still millions receive education, health and food). God Bless the
living soul of Koch sir
48  |   Alan-USA, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
Mr. Koch, Please Do Not "cherry pick" the Word of GOD. "For man does not live by bread
alone, but by EVERY word of GOD." You want tolerance, but not conviction of sin. You want
for forgiveness, without repentance. You want life, yet your party has paved the way for
MILLIONS of DEATHS by abortion. "It is appointed once for man to die and then the
judgement." We will All be held accountable for our deeds and the ONLY standard to judge will
be The Word of GOD. Praise, Glory and Honor Be to HIM and HIM Alone!
49  |   Marcy Ray, Seattle, WA, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
Mr. Koch, you are absolutely correct about the constant assualts against the Church as having to
do with the positions that the Church holds. Those who are vilifying the Church at this time are
only jumping on the bandwagon so that they can try to get the Church to abandon it's stance on
abortion, same-sex marriage, and women's ordination. The current Newsweek article, titled,
"What would Mary do," is a perfect example of this. God bless you for defending the Pope!
50  |   Laurette, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
Koch you say stone throwers are those who object to and are incensed by positions the Church
holds, including opposition to all abortions, opposition to gay sex and same-sex marriage, etc
and you disagree as well.Well first God is always right . He is against those things, 2nd.I am not
angry about their position,The Pope is not infallible as they force you to believe. ONLY GOD IS
INFALLIBLE! G-d is definitely not in any way shape or form condoning sexual abuse of
children and that needs to be dealt with straight up instead of hiding it under a cloak and THAT
IS WHAT IS GIVING THEM A BAD NAME.
51  |   Laurette-Canada, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
Part 2- and further more-the Catholic Church is supposed to represent WHOM? How about the
children who believe in G-d and His representatives defile them, destroy their lives in some
cases, how can they view G-d as a good and loving, kind and merciful compassionate G-d? And
one who sweeps the crime under the carpet. You can bet G-d is not looking the other way. And
the Pope is supposed to lead the Catholic Church as G-ds representative. Stand up, call a spade a
spade, make a righteous judgement , kick out the pedophiles and send them to prison where they
belong.
52  |   Laurette Canada, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
Part 3. Yes I was raised a Catholic, Scripture the same one that they read tells them to deal with
this differently. It is time for Catholics to read their Bible instead of Bible stories. Wake up you
Catholics. You know the truth of the gospel but you don't know the heart of the Bible. Blind
leading the blind. If it was your child what would you do? The Pope has a responsiblility to
represent G-d and the Word of G-d in all things and he is not following scriptural procedures and
needs to repent or step down.
53  |   Marcel Florida, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
When Joseph was alive and had influence in Egypt ,things were good there for the Jews.
Eventually the relationship turned to one of slave and master. This is where Israel is today with
once friendly America Babylon. Slave master who dictates ISRAEL'S demise by way of the
devils 'peace' plan for the Jews even though the modern day false prophets try and sell us their
lies. The US used to be able to deceive Israel with ease and the people would swallow the lies
because they were from the one and only friend America. Many of the Jewish idol worshipers
can only bring themselves to blame the State Department as if it was not an appendage to the
head of this monster. Slowly the naive idol worshipers of Israel are awakening to the reality that
they cannot trust this dear friend and that it's peace drive is only a cover for Israel's
extermination. The idol of Israel has lost it's luster.
54  |   Katrina Oberbozen, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
A big thank you from Italy, Mr Mayor.
55  |   Yehudi Amitz, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
It isn't about the molestation of children by Catholic priests! There are enough laws dealing with
this kind of crimes. The problem is that a powerful organization, like the Catholic Church, has
been involved in a cover up and in circumventing the law.
56  |   Mary M., Saturday Apr 10, 2010
As a devout Catholic I aways seek the truth. These PAST sins were not sins caused by pedophilia
(sex with pre-pubescent children), but sins of homosexuality. The John Jay College independent
study revealed the vast majority of the cases involved sex with adolescent boys. You will rarely
see the media reporting this as a homosexual "problem".Since these cases occured, the Church
has taken a positon on the preference of not admitting men with a homosexual orientation. It is
also not a cellibacy issue. Today we have many young heterosexual men entering the priesthood
who are chaste and celibate.
57  |   klaus, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
The church does not need your understanding or forgiveness.It is and can not be otherwise
58  |   Sandy Smith, St. Louis, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
God bless you, Mayor Koch! Finally, a voice of reason in defense of the Catholic Church, and a
surprising one, at that! (Perhaps you should rethink your positions on the issues you mentioned
and join our church, we'd love to have you and your beautiful heart!) I will pray for you along
with all our priests and especially our besieged pope - the devil is alive and well and would like
nothing better than to see our church destroyed. But Christ told us He would remain with us
always - we will survive this!
59  |   Kal Palnicki Columbus OH, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
It is not the abuse that raises my dander. It is the intentional bureaucratic protection and enabling
of the abusers that raises my ire. The coverup is far more damaging than the felony since it
implies that the felony will continue to be tolerated. The willingness to sacrifice the youngsters
since the church knows well they will leave if justice is denied, is damning in the extreme. The
damaged youth is alowed to go away and suffer and the miscreants are permitted to keep on in
their sinful ways.
60  |   Nechama, USA, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
I've never raped anyone, never molested a child, never protected a rapist/molester. So in that
way, I am without sin, and far better than the catholic church hierarchy. If they had been top
executives of a large international conglomerate, they all would have been arrested and, if found
guilty, would have faced long sentences - definitely not a promotion, as happened to the pope.
We judge people every day - in our elections, on jury duty, so why shouldn't we judge the most
prominent people amongst us? Don't God's laws & man's laws apply equally to them?
61  |   Nechama, USA, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
An earlier poster referred to the teaching of the Jewish Rabbi Jesus - Jesus was preaching his
faith. Jesus was born a Jew and died a Jew. When asked, I claim to be of the same religion as
Jesus. The pope isn't. I don't feel it is for Ed Koch or anyone else to forgive the church for their
crimes against children. Only the victims have the right to forgive those who sinned against
them. Just as it is for the victims to forgive the church for having remained silent during the
Holocaust, for not returning the Jewish children to their surviving families, for their centuries of
anti-Semitism.
62  |   charles soper, Saturday Apr 10, 2010
Nonsense. If the Pope and the Vatican really were penitent about these outrages they would show
it by ending its dual roots - the yoke of confession & enforced clerical celibacy (properly
described as a demonic doctrine given its dire consequences, 1 Tim.4.1-3). Koch may please his
Roman friends with this article - but the same scandals are set to continue and are continuing
even now, as they have more or usually less reported for the last 1500 years. Christ said to the
adulteress in the passage Ed Koch cites, 'sin no more' - we have no confidence there will be an
end to the corrupt torrent.
63  |   Joseph , London, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
There is no doubt that child abuse is widespread and tends to be within the family circle. Celibate
priests are not the main culprits. Trying to cover up abuse again is not limited to Catholic circles,
as we Jews are well aware. Parents don't want their kids stigmatised, or their family split because
of family 'secrets.' Just as secular Jews relish the chance to attack more traditional Jews at every
opportunity, many anti-Catholics jump at every chance to criticise the Roman faith. Blaming
Jews ? So what else is new?
64  |   Jerusalem JEw, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
It's time the Catholic Church paid for its sexual attacks, but also for the Inquisition.
65  |   Scott Benlevi occupied Native America, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
I'm a Jw and also Native American. The abuses of the catholic church against all of my ancestors
is beyond intolerable. Based on the misbehavior of the catholic church, it needs to be disbanded
immediately, the land and property given to those communities devastated the most by catholic
crimes of genocide, and the pope and his cardinals need to go on trial as terrorist war criminals.
Hey Ed, you sure didn't run NYC like an Orthodox Jew!
66  |   Robert Rabinoff, USA, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
According to the Talmud stoning involved pushing the condemned person off a roof/platform
that was twice his height, this being held to be the least painful and least disfiguring/degrading
way to carry out the execution. If the person didn't die immediately a large stone was cast on his
chest, and very rarely (stoning was extremely rare to begin with) was anything more necessary.
So where did this "cast the first stone" come from? Maybe under the Romans the Talmudic
procedure couldn't be carried out?
67  |   Mimosa, Roma, Italia, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
Thank you for this well balanced article, Signor Koch.
68  |   hafiz, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
i say by repeating this verse from the bible,he that is without sin cast the first stone is like
justifying the crimes of israel against humanity over n over again without any penalties?the laws
of god (allah) have been set on this earth through his prophets not for mere sport n play n for
amusement but for the good of mankind n humanity n peace,for e.g if the authorities in the u.s
catch one drug peddlar in the loin or the hood n execute him publicly then the next day u wont
see one on the streets?if u cut the hands of the thief then no one will dare steal,same goes with
rape etc etc,thxs.
69  |   Dee M. / Baltimore, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
Celibacy is not understood by most people. Priests and sisters choose to be celibate so that they
are totally available for UNION with God. Celibacy is considered to be a charism that brings a
person to holiness. Celibacy has nothing to do with child abuse,pedophilia or homosexuality.
Some members of the Church have sinned grievously against humankind, this does not mean that
Christ will abandon us. The Church is ultimately a force of good in this world. The Holy Spirit
guides us and remains with us. The laity is as much the Church as the hierarchy. God forgives us
as we forgive others.
70  |   CAYE, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
Merci pour votre honeteté et votre liberté. Que Dieu vous garde !
71  |   Mary M. USA, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
It is amazing to me how hatred for a group "Catholics" of which I am very proud to be a member
of, exists. Some of the comments posted here to Ed Koch's article have been based upon
ignorance and yes pure hatred. How can anyone who is not Christian or if Christian not a
Catholic even make a comment about the inner workings of the Church when they know nothing
abut it? The Church has to pay for the Inquisition and also be disbanded??? The Church was
formed by Christ who promised to be with her until the end of time. It is Christ who is the head
of the Church and He cannot be disbanded - ever!
72  |   John Kane, Ottawa, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
God bless Ed Koch!
73  |   Claudia, Tampa FL, USA, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
#64 as a descendent of French protestants murdered by the church during the reformation I do
not hold the present day church responsible for those misdeeds. Vatican 2 did much to put the
church on a better path though I notice they still teach the protestant reformation as one of the
great heracies. It amazes me however at how many people commenting voice such hateful
attacks against the church. Much of it is not deserved, and I commend Mr. Koch for his reasoned
article. The New York Times is no longer credible with it's Progressive attacks on
EVERYTHING conservative or spiritual. It's a rag.
74  |   Richard - USA, Sunday Apr 11, 2010
Mr.Koch states his belief in Conservative Judaism but claims to attend an Orthodox synagogue.
Then he proceeds to quote a passage from the "New" Testament as truth. Yet no true adherent of
ANY branch of Judaism would ever quote from a foundational Christian text as an authoritative
source. He fails in this post to mention that annually he celebrates Christmas by attending the
Catholic Midnight Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, something which a true Jewish
believer does not do. People should recognize that he is definitely NOT a spokesman for Jews or
for the Jewish religion.
75  |   Nathan Cushman, Monday Apr 12, 2010
Good article. I am seeing far too many false allegations right here in the comment thread,
though. here are some corrections: 1) There is no connection between celibacy and child abuse.
Seriously, look at the numbers. Pedophilia among priests is less common (on a percentage basis)
than among Ministers and School Teachers. And it is far less common to be abused by these
groups than by friends or relatives. You would expect the opposite if celibacy was a contributing
factor. And for those Christians out there, Paul was celibate during his ministry, and he highly
recommended the practice.
76  |   Nathan Cushman, Monday Apr 12, 2010
As for other false allegations: 2) Pope Pius XII was NOT silent during the Holocaust. Seriously,
people need to check up on their anti-Catholic propaganda. The New York Times ran Christmas
Eve editorials in both 1941 and 1942, both of which praised Pope Pius XII speaking out against
Germany's "exile and persecution of human beings for no reason other than race or political
opinion." The fact is that when Pius XII died he was praised as a hero for secretly saving
possibly 100s of thousands of Jews from the Nazis. It wasn't until 1963 that people started
making these accusations.
77  |   San José Costa Rica, Monday Apr 12, 2010
Thanks Mr. Koch, from a catholic woman from Costa Rica
78  |   manuel (Spain), Monday Apr 12, 2010
People bash the Catholic Church for condemning homosexuality practice as an aberration, as
does the Sacred Scripture literally, but inmediately hides and camouflage the fact that in 80% of
cases we are not talking about sexual molestation on children, but of homosexual harrasment.
80% of abuses is commited upon masculine sexually formed youngsters. A very small proportion
of homosexuals infiltrated in catholic priesthood is responsible of 80% of abuses. That, for any
one intelectually honest, is very relevant data.
79  |   David, United States, Monday Apr 12, 2010
Mr. Koch...The Catholic "church" is not trying to atone for its sins...because its structure leads to
its sins, and because its structure is unchangeable, these abominations will continue to happen.
Catholicism, finally, is bleeding in public and no Band-Aid will stop it! You say that the Catholic
"church" does much "good" in the world. That statement belies your ignorance of what is truly
"good" in the eyes of God. Catholicism leads billions to Hell while feeding and clothing them on
the way. You call that "good?" Read the prophet Isaiah to see what God thinks about that kind of
"good"
80  |   Thomas Sundaram, CA, Monday Apr 12, 2010
One thing that all Catholics are supposed to be aware of is the pervasiveness of sin and man's
fallen nature. As a straight, healthy young man who has been considering the priesthood while
recognizing my own passions in this respect, I am personally never quick to judge priests,
because I know of what I am capable. If someone's son commits a grave sin, we do not judge the
father for dealing with the situation in an awkward manner, because the situation itself is
awkward. And the simple fact is that however much the Press maligns our Holy Father, he has
given himself to doing what is just.
81  |   H, Seattle, Monday Apr 12, 2010
Thank you for this article! As a Catholic, I so appreciate your words. The priests who have
committed these horrible, horrible crimes are being punished; they've been taken out of our
parishes and defrocked. I hope they are undergoing the just legal punishments for their actions as
well. I want to reiterate what another commenter said earlier: marriage does not prevent
pedophilia. There have been many cases of married teachers and doctors molesting children
while married.
82  |   Peasant Economics (Croatia), Monday Apr 12, 2010
Mr. Koch should be commended for his bravery and forthrightness. He understands that unjust
persecution of anyone, no matter how big or small, makes the world a more dangerous place for
all of us. It has always been the case and will always be the case. One may like or dislike Pope
Benedict's and the Roman Catholic Church's position on various moral issues, as Mr. Koch
points out, but that does not warrant selective reporting of facts, contextual misrepresentation,
lack of historical perspective, or an impenetrable lack of good faith. Justice begins, and often
ends, with you and I.
83  |   Cynthia- Seattle, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
May God Bless and Keep you....
84  |   Giulia, Italy, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
#27 Luca, Thank you for your kindness, but I'm sorry, I regret to tell I don't have much time in
writing and I dont like contacts with people I don't know. May God bless you.
85  |   Erin/Madison, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
I was brought to this blog via Zenit. Thank you Mr. Mayor Koch for your blog. It's unfortunate
that you did not add that the statistics show that the Roman Catholic church has much fewer
incidents of pedophilia than public schools, the Boy Scouts, most Protestant clergy - and no more
than within the Jewish rabbinate. The Catholic Church is the last "acceptable prejudice",
especially by the predominant "fallen away" catholic writers who are in the Media. Pope
Benedict's efforts to eliminate this from the Church/world is unprecedented. He is the Vicar of
Christ on earth not a politician tbtG!
86  |   Sigrid Huber, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
Thank you very much for this excellent comment I got from an internet friend per e-mail. A
catholic from Austria
87  |   Richard Marquis Plymouth, MI USA, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
Mr. Koch. May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob grant you many blessed years in health and
happiness.
88  |   Christian Cooper, New York, USA, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
Koch writes: "The Church has the right to demand fulfillment of all of its religious obligations
by its parishioners, and indeed a right to espouse its beliefs generally.... Those declining to
adhere are free to leave." The church does NOT, however, have the right to impose those views
on others. I am not Catholic, yet my right to marry was stripped from me in California by the
Catholic and Mormon churches. This is unconscionable.
89  |   Clarissa Johnson, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
Christ set up the Catholic Church. We follow his teaching and the bible. To be anti Catholic is to
be Anti Christ. Instead of being ugly and adding the the filth, pray for healing. By being negative
you are giving into what the Devil wants. The church is being cleansed and will come better than
ever. Will your soul be? It is in GOD's hands. He knows better than us. Father forgive them for
they know not what they do.
90  |   Mary, CA, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
Thank you, Mr Koch. Your words are healing to me, a Catholic housewife. I have been waiting
for good people like you to say what you have said. G-d bless you.
91  |   Chuck McDermott New Jersey, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
Thanks Mr. Koch! I loved you as mayor and now as a blogger. Would it be possible for you to
expand on this as an op-ed in The Times? I have no problem with telling the accurate news. I am
appalled by the whole subject, yet know that at the time many of these crimes were committed, it
was the usual thing to save the child from further harm and possible ridicule by keeping the
whole matter under wraps. Although we now know that pedophilia is not fixable, then we
thought it was.We can't judge the past with today's better information.
92  |   Lauren, Los Angeles CA, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
Excellent! Thank You!
93  |   Mark, Chicago, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
I'm appalled by this article. How do you liken PUBLIC CENSURE to the necessary
rehabilitation and removal from the TRUSTED positions of leadership that these people occupy?
Do you think if there was a scandal among prominent atheist leaders, the global religious
population wouldn't hesitate to blame such transgressions on a lack of religious morals? Don't
you think we should look at the vows of chastity these priest take and how they are affected
mentally? How do you think the victims feel? Like the Catholic Church is being unfairly
attacked because of a political agenda??
94  |   Patrick Jerry Carson, Tuesday Apr 13, 2010
Hello Mr. Mayor, I thany you as a Catholic and a person who likes the truth. This whole thing
about the sex abuse in the Catholic Church is about destroying the church for the sake of the
left's agenda which is: abortion, free-love, homosexuality and radical feminism. Thanks, Jerry
95  |   Joseph, Wednesday Apr 14, 2010
As a Catholic and native New Yorker and a man of 67 years, I appreciate Ed Koch's comments
about the Universal Church to which all are welcomed by our Blessed Lord and Savior. Catholic
bashing is hardly new, nor, of course, is anti-Semitism, both of which should be condemned at
every turn. As St. Paul said, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Paul also
wrote that love is the greatest virtue and never fails. Jesus commanded us to love God and our
neighbors. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be open.
Thank you, Ed, and God bless!
96  |   Alice, NY, Wednesday Apr 14, 2010
Thank you, Mayor Koch, for this fair and charitable piece. [You were the mayor of NYC while I
was growing up in Woodside, Queens, and I remember those days with great affection.]
97  |   John E,. Halborg NYC, Wednesday Apr 14, 2010
I noticed thqat today, 14/4 was the first day in weeks that the NYT did not have an article
attacking the record of the Catholic Church. Perhaps Mr. Koch's article contributed to this
armistice, thank you. JEHalborg
98  |   Claritatis, Wednesday Apr 14, 2010
Thanks for this article....and as far as those "Catholic circles" you're referring to....they are a
troubled group of Catholics who often think they're more Catholic than the Pope and pretty much
haven't read any Catholic theology published since the 1950's. Please allow me to apologize for
them.
99  |   Therese, Ireland, Wednesday Apr 14, 2010
Thank you Mr. Mayor Koch. From Ireland.
100  |   Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez, Wednesday Apr 14, 2010
I am catholic, and Psychiatrist. I am aware of the grave faults of catholic priests that have come
to make such scandals. However, the media exagerate now, through the rapid ways of
communications. There are people who want to get rid of Catholic Church, but I have had
patients from other religions who have trusted me the "errors" of their Pastors, equal or worst,
than the catholic priests. Why is the Catholic Church so attacked?
101  |   Carlos Gonzalez Hernandez, Wednesday Apr 14, 2010
I live in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. I do appreciate Mr.'s Koch work.
102  |   Paolo Alameida, Thursday Apr 15, 2010
Thank you for your objetivity and kind words. Greeting from Perú.
103  |   Carlos Kubli from Mexico, Thursday Apr 15, 2010
Thank you Ed. 'm a catholic and I have some very good friends among jewish people, all of them
with a lot of respect to my faith, for which I've always been so grateful. It's a pity what those
mass media are doing in this topic, but I'm not a little bit surprised. It seems as if they almost
were waiting long ago fore something that would give them the excuse to rush forth agains
christianity, and specially against the Catholic Church, and finally found it in this sad and
execrable blight of pedophilia.
104  |   Jacob, Thursday Apr 15, 2010
HPL, what you're doing there is called a false comparison. "Casting a stone" obviously means
attacking someone maliciously with the intent to do harm. Mr. Koch has no intention to do harm
the way the bloodsucking parasite leftist elite do when they attack like a rabid dog any group of
people who threaten their communion: sex, drugs and baby murder. The New York Times' staff
and readers are no less vulgar than the paegans of old..to see them attack the Holy Church like
Satan is no surprise (he's the one who thought up their precious communion).
105  |   Amy Craig from Kalamazoo, MI, Thursday Apr 15, 2010
Wouldn't it be great, Mayor, if there weren't SO MANY news sources that felt they had to be
24/7 "late breaking" "just in" and "exclusive". The competition has been unhealthy for society
because they get a very minor story and blow it out of proportion to sensationalize it. This also
causes them to be less thorough because they need to feed "sound bites" because the viewers
can't possibly have the patience to sit through anything of depth or substance, especially if the
story challenges their ingrained stereotypes. Thank you, God's Chosen, the first hosts of God's
Word for Man. Shalom
106  |   HumanBeing from the Northeast, Thursday Apr 15, 2010
In the article, Mr. Koch said he is Jewish.
107  |   Michael Coluccio, Brooklyn, NY, Friday Apr 16, 2010
Mr. Koch would ignore the data which proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this Catholic
hierarchal structure has knowingly hidden the abuses conducted by their own members for
decades if not centuries, all in their own altruistic pursuit of what they perceive to be their truth.
God help the person who says that denouncing the Holocost would be tantamount to "German
bashing". Those atrocities needed (rightly) to be exposed and those who would deny them are
(again rightly) chastised. Why is this any different? CRIMES have been commited and this Pope
and church need to answer to the law.
108  |   mafaldaspeaks, Philippines, Saturday Apr 17, 2010
Thank you for the clear thinking and objectivity, Mr Koch. Even if it is not the whole Church but
some of her members who committed those crimes and made those costly mistakes, the Church
as a whole--from the Pope to the last lay person who is loyal to his/her Catholic faith--has been
trying its best to make amends and implementing protective measures for children for almost a
decade now. But there are those who seem to revel in retelling the crimes, provoking hatred,
calling for blood. Hatred always destroys more people.
109  |   Alfred Driessen, Amsterdam, Saturday Apr 17, 2010
Thank you very much for your comment. It is interesting to note that an Italian sociologist,
Massimo Introvigne came to similar conclusion about a possible motivitation of this attack, see
for more details: [ Link to page ] / Alfred Driessen, Amsterdam
110  |   David, Monday Apr 19, 2010
Sadly, the media pounds on the Church and the Pope to fulfill a demand by a certain readership
that objects to positions held by the Church. The media is a business that is merely supplying the
demand for a product to delight those who oppose the teachings of the Church.
111  |   Connie, Monday Apr 19, 2010
I have four children, two are adults. I would NOT want to be blamed for any of their
wrongdoing. We are all God's children, some obey, some disobey, does that mean God is to
blame when we do wrong? We have Free Will, a gift from God, and some of us choose to live in
darkness (pedophile priests, or pedophile anybody. The Holy Father is suffering for the sins of
his children. It is not a doctrine of the Catholic Church to cause harm to children! The Church
even strives to protect the unborn! #108: you're right, all this misinformation provokes hatred.
112  |   Adesuwa, Wednesday Apr 21, 2010
Celibacy is not the problem. If it were why do we have priest who have been defrocked and
married still been pedophiles? Why do we have people in the coaches in the US swimming team,
UN soldiers, and teacher in the US being prosecuted or banned for lifefor being pedophiles? The
gates of hell will never prevail against the church. The percentage of faithful priests overwhelms
those that are not. They will be routed out of the church with time. I sympathize with those that
have been hurt but it is not the intention of the church to hurt anyone. Someone should please
read up Matthew 19:12