The Archbishop of Dublin challenges the Church

McGarry: They sent their letters of resignation to Rome and Rome would not accept them.

Simon: Rome would not accept them?

McGarry: No.

Simon: Can we say the pope?

McGarry: Of course.

Archbishop Martin was reluctant to hold the pope responsible.

Martin: I don't think that's really-- exactly the dynamic of what happened, yeah.

Simon: I see. And examining the exact dynamic is something which you would prefer not to do right here, right now?

Martin: Certainly not.

[Father Shane Crombie: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.]

Some younger priests believe that the only way forward is repentance. That's why Father Shane Crombie keeps a burned crucifix on the altar. It's all that survived when the original church here burned down 25 years ago. Father Crombie says it's a testament that if his church can survive one fire, it can survive another.

Crombie: I think the fire that's burning in the church at the moment is not a bit-- is not a fire of wood and of furniture, but it's a fire-- the fire obviously of scandal, the fire of disappointment, the fire of absolute rejection, the fire of cover-up. All that is the fire that is burning at the moment.

Simon: And you can rebuild a church that burns down--

Crombie: It is the people, it was the people that rallied together to rebuild this church. It will be the people who will rebuild the church that is on fire.

The Irish Church was already in decline before the scandal. But the exodus from the pews has greatly accelerated. Attendance at Sunday Mass is down from 90 percent in the early 70s to just 2 percent in some parishes today. Ireland is also running out of priests.

No ritual in the Church is more awe inspiring than this: the ordination of a priest. The Church used to ordain so many priests that they were one of Ireland's main exports. But last year there was not a single ordination in Dublin and and there has been only one this year.

Martin: When I entered this building, where we're meeting today, which was then a seminary-- there were 120 of us, and they were building a new extension. At the moment, I have 10 seminarians.

Simon: How do you--

Martin: Very good seminarians.

Simon: Fine, but 10?

Martin: Yeah.

The priest shortage is affecting many parishes like the small one in Allihies. For the first time in the history of its diocese, the parish doesn't have its own priest. A different one commutes to town every week.

Simon: That's not the way it's supposed to be like, is it?

Monica Polly: No, and not what I was used to all my life.

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[shrinkingviolet42]

The Irish have no guts and fortitude ! All the good Irish came to America long ago! The Irish are wimps and will give up at the least provaction! I have witnessed this . They will refuse to die for any one or any thing. That is the test of a human being, Who would you die for? Including their wives and children. Warriors long gone. They will shrink from a fight. And will not stand fast for their religion because the church was corrupt about the abuses. Our church has had lots of scandals through the centuries but these F@*Kers are brainless and deserve to be adrift!

[interpreter12]

Praise to Archbishop Diarmuid Martin for speaking up on behalf of each child that experienced the horror of abuse. Having been abused as a child by my adoptive father, I know how important having an adult voice to protect you can be. I wish someone had protected me as a child. We can only pray the cycle of abuse will stop here and now.

From victim to Victor.

[LarryJenings]

@lailagazal, interesting perspective and interview. Thanks for posting it.

[LarryJenings]

@Jaylah54200 ? What a well thought out and DIRECT reply to my last comment Wha?! Anyway, to stay on topic and to reiterate and to expound on what I was saying, there are a few things that are absolutely essential to mankind, among them are: air to breath, water, food and sex. Without either, mankind ceases to exist. Once again, its in the DNA. The Catholic church, in attempting to prohibit sex is attempting, by edict or directive, to take out of man that which God himself has put in mankind. If you tell the priests that the reason they shouldn't marry and have sex is so they can concentrate all of their mind and thoughts to God, what you end up with is priests who concentrate most of their thoughts toward sex. They can't help it. I am not Catholic but again I say to the Catholic church. LET THE PRIESTS MARRY! Most if not all of these kinds of issues will go away.

[labgirl75]

Married priests opens a whole new category of problems: divorce and adultery. Marriage is not an end-all solution. Your premise is wrong, the only things the body needs to survive are air and water. Food is also essential but life can be sustained without food longer than without water and air. Sorry to burst your bubble but sex is not essential. Men need to be screened more thoroughly during their training for the priesthood. We also need to get rid of those in the upper hierarchy that have not had the courage to face this evil (that is what it is) and fight it boldly, and more important, openly. I often said that if anything brings the Church down, it will be through the priesthood. The people who believe hold their belief in God not the priesthood, only through them will the Church continue. Those that become disillusioned because of a priest or priests are misdirected and need to get in touch with why they are Catholic. Their beliefs should be centered on God not the priests. They are humans just like the rest of us with all the same human attributes and failings.

[rrafferty]

Keeping children safe in a violent world has led families to the "sanctity" of the Church and its community, and the violation of that sanctity reeks of a concerted attack on society, children first. Now that global awareness is raised, priests and nuns must end it themselves, within their ranks, no waiting for Vatican decree - since relocation is the Papal "answer" to what is obviously only seen by them as an inconvenience. Atonement is a good start, checking one's reasoning for the non-integration of sexual intimacy is a good step too. Society will turn away from you forever if this crime continues.

[BriceS78]

I agree w/ the earlier stmts about how cult- like they are. Numerous rigid rules. And they worship their priests, Bishops and "holy Rather" Pope; aka the "Infallible one".
But the pedophile situation has been well known for many years. I've seen it referenced in comedies multiple times. Even in the 1982 comedy Airplane2 you'll see the preist w/ an "AlterBoy" magazine. A subtle, but clear reference to Playboy... 1982 - 1982 - 1982 !

[labgirl75]

You are clueless to the true Church.

[skanandron]

There is another aspect to this that tends to get overlooked, because any story on priests preying on young children is and should be about those young children.

But these children are, as far as I've read, all boys. These priests are guilty of homosexuality.

I don't believe that homosexuality is a sin. For those who do, I would hope it would pale in comparison to the sin of abusing the power of the priesthood, which itself is minor compared to the sin of abusing a child. However, it's the church that has labeled homosexuality a sin. The church is against same sex marriage. It's against any legislation that would provide legal, even physical protections for homosexuals. It works against protection of their civil liberties. They would make it illegal again if they could, just as they had made it illegal in centuries past.

According to the church, an openly gay man can't become a priest. But once a priest, homosexual behavior is acceptable, even zealously protected, as long as it's also the abuse of a child.

Why are we still paying any attention to anything the church has to say? How much more will it take for people to realize they have no credibility left?

[lailagazal]

In addition to reading the extraordinarily informative interview with Dr. Leslie Lothstein, everyone should also view the documentary about Irish Catholic pedophile priest and psychopath Fr. Oliver O'Grady called Deliver Us from Evil. Both pieces changed so many beliefs I had about the subject of pedophilia and ephebophilia in the Roman Catholic church.

The trailer is below as well as a link to actually see the full length film for free.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scW90Q6Z_OM

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/deliver-us-from-evil/

http://www.natcath.org/NCR_Online/archives/081602/lothstein.htm

[tjamericanway]

Sad and tragic for the victims of abuse. Sad and tragic that CBS would choose to re-broadcast this segment just as the Catholic Bishops are suing the Obama Administration over Health Care legislation and we have a Catholic on the GOP ticket. What a coincidence.

[skanandron]

I couldn't disagree with you more. The scale of the abuse, the cover up, the protection of the priests, even shipping the priests to new 'hunting grounds', clearly shows how the church is more concerned with it's own power than with ethics, morality, or even the Bible's teachings. So at a time when a Catholic is on a presidential ticket, and when the church once again cries 'entitlement!' to try to avoid abiding by United States law, or violates the US Constitution by trying to unduly influence that law, a piece that shows the church to be fallible, corrupt, and hypocritical is very appropriate.

[Jaylah54200]

LarryJenings, I'm sure you also believe that homosexuality is a "choice."