The 2018 Catholic clergy sex abuse crisis brings new energy - and anti-gay activists - into the surv

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

The 2018 Catholic clergy sex abuse crisis brings new energy — and anti-gay activists — into the survivors' movement

By Michelle Boorstein November 13 at 8:43 AM

BALTIMORE — For nearly two decades, to be an advocate for survivors of Catholic clergy sex abuse was often to be a lonely protester, frequently ignored or sometimes even maligned as disrespectful by some Catholics and clergy.

That has changed dramatically since June, when clergy abuse scandals surfaced again in the American church. Enormous energy has been pumped into the movement, with parishes around the country holding crowded listening sessions on the topic, bishops making abuse the focus of their annual fall meeting this week and legislators finding new support for measures to expand statutes of limitation for child sexual abuse.

But the victims’ advocacy movement is also being transformed by bitter ideological divides among Catholics. That chasm is on display at the meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore.

Monday’s two public events were dominated by the older groups — research site BishopAccountability and SNAP — whose leaders focus on oversight and justice and participate less in the controversial debates over the perceived roles of celibacy and homosexuality in the crisis. Tuesday promised the first mainstream prominent appearance of Church Militant, a right-wing advocacy group and news site that routinely blames the scandals on homosexual priests and, since the crisis blew up this summer, has hammered Pope Francis and more liberal bishops, accusing them of being part of an elaborate coverup to shield gay clergy.

While mainstream survivors groups declined to team up with Church Militant in Baltimore, its hefty social media audience — 200,000 Facebook followers — has taken up abuse as a cause as well.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2018/11/13/catholic-clergy-sex-abuse-crisis-brings-new-energy-anti-gay-activists-into-survivors-movement/

[MineralMan]

1. Guess who is a frequent contributor to the Church Militant

Alan Keyes.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/search/latest

[Lordquinton]

2. Something about this sounds familiar

For nearly two decades, to be an advocate for survivors of Catholic clergy sex abuse was often to be a lonely protester, frequently ignored or sometimes even maligned as disrespectful by some Catholics and clergy.

That sort of thing happened here too,former members would chime in with "that old line?" When the ongoing Catholic abuse issue was brought up.

[MineralMan]

3. Defending the indefensible is standard practice for some.

Regardless of any factual information, they simply continue defending what cannot be defended, through misstatements, misdirection, or general misunderstanding of the facts.

Over time, some have come and gone here. But, there is always someone to replace them and continue the misrepresentation.

[Lordquinton]

4. So true, the tone has softened, but the message is the same

And they seem to unite, like they practiced. Almost like a choir.

[Major Nikon]

5. Some also consciously attempt to counter all negative publicity

As if examples of the pope claiming gay people are OK so long as they don’t engage in gay sex is going to make up for decades, if not thousands of years, of providing a safe haven for child rapists.

[Lordquinton]

6. It was not that it wasn't happening

It was always "don't you have anything else?" While they pen another op about whatever Dawkins said that day.