What are the psychological dynamics at work behind scandals in the Catholic church?

[Wolveryeti]

Barely a week seems to go past without another scandal hitting the news, whether it be the classic - paedophilia, or the frankly bizarre - 'Vatican Usher accused of running homosexual prostitution ring'

Is it the office which corrupts these people, or what? Are they just thrill-seeking perverts who love the idea of blaspheming in such an epic way? Or perhaps they are dominated by their urges yet remain intensely guilty about them, such that an on-off cycle of piety and depravity is the only way they can maintain sanity?

 

[DotCommunist]

There is a very, very good documentary about this. I can't find it on google though, due to the tons of news stories about nonce priests. I'll see if I can dig it out later. Might have it on file.

 

[articul8]

I'm not sure it's very strange that men who volunteer themselves to be in a celebate environment around other men are also the kind of people who may get off on 'illicit' homosexual activity

 

[krtek a houby]

Barely a week seems to go past without another scandal hitting the news, whether it be the classic - paedophilia, or the frankly bizarre - 'Vatican Usher accused of running homosexual prostitution ring'

Is it the office which corrupts these people, or what? Are they just thrill-seeking perverts who love the idea of blaspheming in such an epic way? Or perhaps they are dominated by their urges yet remain intensely guilty about them, such that an on-off cycle of piety and depravity is the only way they can maintain sanity?

Define "these people"

 

[Wolveryeti]

Define "these people"

Your dad.

 

[Louloubelle]

It is no surprise when child abusers get themselves into situations where they will abuse children. It has always been thus.

Any religious institution, whether mainstream and established or obscure and unconventional, will attract people who want to abuse children.

Obviously the most notorious one that comes to mind is the Children of God / The Family / Family International.

Sadly there's a lot of it about

 

[frogwoman]

It's not just child abuse though.

 

[Wolveryeti]

I'm not sure it's very strange that men who volunteer themselves to be in a celebate environment around other men are also the kind of people who may get off on 'illicit' homosexual activity

It's a bit stranger than you make out, IMO. I can understand getting thrills off of man-on-man spooning in a Catholic Church - you don't need to be a priest to do that. The logic behind choosing a career path that specifically forbids your kind of kink and will get you fired is much harder to fathom. It's like setting out to be a drug dealer who deals to cops or something. Becoming a priest represents a considerable investment in time and effort. I don't get why you'd want to risk that for some kinky thrills.

 

[bhamgeezer]

Imo they take those positions in which it will be difficult for what they percieve as a perversion to manifest itself because they believe it will in help them escape those desires, often it only leads to further repression and their desires may become manifest in more sinister ways such as kiddie fiddling / prostitution

 

[ViolentPanda]

Define "these people"

Mackerel-snappers, obviously, you div!

 

[Ibn Khaldoun]

The Christian mockery of love is responsible for paedophilia.

 

[Ibn Khaldoun]

The Christian doctrine is the paedophilic doctrine.

 

[butchersapron]

Pretend weirdo/controversialist ahoy. Your ex-fuher (even though you're a white middle class kid) really fucked kids.

 

[Ibn Khaldoun]

Pretend weirdo/controversialist ahoy. Your ex-fuher (even though you're a white middle class kid) really fucked kids.

what?

i am neither white nor middle-class, and i had no fuhrer

i am and i do not pretend to be controversial

it really is Christianity that is at fault

 

[Ibn Khaldoun]

Islam was the first attempt to design a universal space, and it did not mock love.

 

[butchersapron]

You are like.

Yes you do.

 

[Ibn Khaldoun]

You are like.

Yes you do.

You assume that which designs to exclude me, and from which I am excluded.

Therefore you are a racist.

 

[butchersapron]

And you're a knob-head pretend weirdo.

 

[Ibn Khaldoun]

And any gesture I make to you will therefore be a destructive one that I cannot ever foreclose and in a designated space.

 

[DotCommunist]

No joy on the documentary seafch.

It was UK- beeb or C4. Called something like 'Sex and Catholicism.

Contains some harrowing scenes of grown men with grey beards crying about what they'd experienced in Catholic hands. Lot's of interesting dialogues with current priests and various other heads about the hows and why's of these scandals.

If anyone gets a bell-ring from this description, let me know as I have obviously deleted it and would like to re-watch. Google is not being very helpful

 

[butchersapron]

And any gesture I make to you will therefore be a destructive one that I cannot ever foreclose and in a designated space.

You threatening me?

 

[Ibn Khaldoun]

No.

I make no threats to you. It is personal.

 

[butchersapron]

Oh so just juxtapositions you spoil us with ambassador. My head, it doth spin like a fucking top.

 

[Ibn Khaldoun]

I said: I make no threats.

And that [any real threats] it is personal.

 

[Hocus Eye.]

For some reason when I skim read the title of the thread I thought it said sandals not scandals. I sort of imagined a monk or someone likely to be wearing sandals in a religious context.

 

[Ibn Khaldoun]

For such, I will assume their total realization, if I am occasioned the opportunity.

 

[butchersapron]

I heard you. MY head is still reeling from the perspectives you put together - right proper clever.

 

[Ibn Khaldoun]

all right

 

[DotCommunist]

This is the likely contender
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/3180588.stm

sex and the holy city. Facepalm at that title.

 

[Ibn Khaldoun]

This is the likely contender
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/3180588.stm

sex and the holy city. Facepalm at that title.

hehehe