Click here to read: “Polish Archbishop Jozef Michalik Sex Abuse Comments Prompt Outrage: ‘Child Seeking Love’ Because of Divorced Parents,” by Dagmara Leszkowicz, Reuters, Huffington Post, October 8, 2013
Excerpt: In comments shown on Tuesday by broadcaster TVN24, Michalik said child sexual abuse by priests was unacceptable, but the debate about it needed to be broadened out beyond the immediate physical or psychological wounds inflicted on the victims.
“And one has to say … how many wounds are inflicted when parents divorce? We often hear that this inappropriate attitude (paedophilia), or abuse, manifests itself when a child is seeking love,” said the clergyman, who is head of the Roman Catholic episcopate in Poland.
“It (the child) clings, it searches. It gets lost itself and then draws another person into this.”
After the comments were broadcast, Polish social media networks reverberated with angry comments.
Editor’s note: Despite weak apologies in regard to recent abuse revelations, the Polish clergy has been quick to offer excuses but not victim assistance.
If I didn’t read it in black and white, I wouldn’t have believed it. Is this bishop insane or what? “a slip fo the tongue” No, that’s what he truly believes and he can offer an apology from now until the end of time but his thinking will always be the same…..blame the victim. How disgusting!!!!!!
For the record, I wish to repudiate the ramblings of this POLISH Church official who seems to fulfill the prophecy of a “hard-headed” Pollak.
“…..‘It clings, it searches. It gets lost itself and then draws another person into this……’
I’m not sure but I think King Jozef here stole this line from a Seinfeld episode. I’m almost sure that this is Cosmo Kramer line.
Michael Skiendzielewski
(Michael Ski., just for once, nobody Irish features in the latest round of sick, looney, RCC ramblings … This one was a biggie and it’s got to count against the Polish. Sorry! Lol! )
I can only add that the top bishop of Poland has a sick mind, not to mention a missing filter.
I am also shaking in rage here. This whole horrendous situation in the Church gets worse by the minute. Will they never see, acknowledge or make restitution for the most unspeakable crimes that have occurred all over the world, not to mention my own parish (St. Jerome), which has truly been a dumping ground for pedophile priests?
I agree with you that St Jerome has been a dumping ground for these perverts and to this day , the parish acts as if nothing ever happened . If you bring it up , you are a trouble maker .
That AB has made a very, very ugly “religious type” comment and it is too late for “apology”. No one should accept his apology IMO. What is also sad is the millions following religion, and thinking they are “believers.” Christ doesn’t have a religion, He has a gift of grace through faith.
Edit: Until Christ returns and saves Israel, He doesn’t have a religion. Now, He has a gift to Jew and Gentile of grace through faith.
The reason why the child is vulnerable is not a relevant part of the equation (for the priests). The fact is, the sick priests specifically look for children who are vulnerable, regardless of “why”. They could care less why – broken home, alcoholic parents, bullying at school, etc. So to blame the victim yet again and now blame the parents while pushing their anti-divorce stance is just a triple insult. I believe the victims.
Catholicmom, i agree … Yet at some point it gets too bizarre to be insulting…The idea of this bishop (who swore off marriage and children long ago) admonishing parents against divorce, so that his priests don’t end up tempted to have sex with the supposedly psycho-sexually needy, children of divorce…. Could you ever even try to sound so ridiculous …and gross…in public!??
I hope the people of Poland have heard enough.
“It (the child) clings, it searches. It gets lost itself and then draws another person into this.”
Crystal it is too bizarre for words. How many times have adults at some point encountered a kid down on their luck for whatever reason..they give the kid a boost, mentor the child, help the child..never thinking it would be a great opportunity to have sex with the child. Predators see an opportunity…caring human beings see a kid who might need some help.
His reference to the child as “it” is so telling of his attitude toward children 🙁
Catholic Mom – I ACCIDENTALLY hit the thumbs down!!! Three thumbs up to you!
I certainly agree, Catholicmom and Crystal. However, besides Poland, I believe that the whole world has heard enough! It is revolting and disgusting on so many levels.
A very sick man employed by a very sick (rcc/vatican) organization , there are no words to describe his mental illness !
Unabletotrust……….that’s not mental illness.
That is sick, evil, criminal, asocial conduct, behavior and thinking, but not mental illness
A Sociopath is mentally ill (with no real cure). That is what we obviously are dealing with here. They have no conscience. If that’s not scary, I don’t know what is.
I agree; many pedophile priests are sociopaths. Just look at their behavior. They are for the most part well spoken (silver tongued devils) and likeable, thus the “I can’t believe he would do such a thing” response from parishioners.
I also believe that they are largely non-believers. They wear the collar in order to ply their true vocation, sexually abusing children. The living is easy. In most cases one really doesn’t know who “Father” is.
drwho13,
How do you screen to get these nonbelievers out or keep them from getting in in the first place? Sociopaths can be very tricky to weed out.
Beth,
I don’t have an answer. Detecting a scam artist is very difficult. While in a religious order I had priests tell me that they didn’t believe any of the Church’s teachings. One said he didn’t even believe in God, but he liked the lifestyle. There have been flimflammers in the business of religion since the dawn of man.
It comes down to adults having to protect the child and that bring me to the question of why does a child need to be alone with a priest? While I was in a Catholic order, I made it a point NEVER to be with a child without another adult being with there. I did it for my own protection.
I read that Billy Graham wouldn’t even get into an elevator alone with a woman other that his wife. He is one of the few religious superstars who have never been involved in a scandal.
As we all know child sexual abuse is not limited to priests.
“Jury Awards $2.75 Million Dollars to Sex Abuse Victim of Dr. George Reardon of St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut.”
http://www.tremontsheldon.com/legal-services/sexual-abuse-dr.-george-reardon-st.-francis
My point is that it’s the parents responsible to protect their child, because for the most part we can’t tell who’s a pedophile, sociopath, or nonbeliever. The predators are stealthy and always ready to prey upon the undefended.
Parents who remain in marriages where children are abused verbally and emotionally set those children up for the monsters who abuse them sexually. Divorce, for many kids is a blessing. I remember being a ten year old boy hiding in his bedroom closet, unable to sleep because of the almost nightly battles being fought one floor below. Divorce would have been the humane way out, but my parents couldn’t do that because it was against the teachings of their Catholic Faith..
It gets more bizarre each day. I call him evil.
I believe the victims/survivors.
Denise
This kind of talk seems eerily familiar……… kinda.reminds me of when I spoke to a predator…….when a sheep is wounded only a wolf attacks not other sheep…….pardon the analogy but like Kathy pointed out its not normal for a healthy individual to take advantage of a child………..
What I am saying is you got to be pretty sick to take advantage of a vulnerable child.
Blame the Pollak’s ignorance on Catholic brainwashing which has incessantly, unmercifully, and lovelessly dumped on divorced people for the last two centuries, punishing them relentlessly, and blaming every human and social atrocity on them. “God forbid the ‘sin’ of divorce,” say the celibate men, wearing silk robes and pointed hats, brandishing doctrinal daggers, living utterly removed from matters of love and the family, and inflicted with an inordinately high percentage of psycho-sexual dysfunction.
Bizarre. Nothing short of bizarre.
Kate FitzGerald