Concerns in the Catholic Church
Sexual abuse is a growing concern in society today. So many people are hurt by the actions of other people when they abuse them, especially in a sexual manner. The Catholic Church is also now being targeted for sexual offenders. Priests have been charged with sexually abusing young boys that are involved with the church. The church has been looking the other way on this issue for many years. The children as well as their family are being hurt and its time something was done to prevent the further exploitation of young boys in the Catholic Church.
When a person or a family chooses to participate in a religion, it is usually a big decision which entails much thought and consideration. Catholics believe that Jesus died for their sins, so that they could live. Practicing Catholics, one must follow the ways of the 10 commandments described in the bible. They attend mass and hear the readings from the priests, by which they have much respect for. Priests or Deacons are supposedly the messengers of God, and in turn they instruct their people how to act through the words of Jesus. How do you think a person would react when they hear the news that one of their priests did sexual acts to little boys? The allegations of priests molesting little boys has been rampant for many years, but nothing could hit harder when the priest actually came from their own church, especially if a family had young children who participated in the masses. The urgency to leave the parish might arise, just as Suzanne Keen did with her parish, especially having children who she wanted to protect. When the escalation of the rumors surfaced, she first ignored it as many people did. How could be chu...
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Works Cited
Briggs, David., et al. Assessing Men Who Sexually Abuse. United Kingdom: Jessica Kingsly Publishers, 1998.
Cannon, Carol. “The Priest Scandal.” American Journalism Review 24.4 (2002): 1-3
Keen, Suzanne. Ruddy, Deborah Wallace. “To Stay or To Leave?” Commonweal 130.15 (2003): 1
Mayer, Adele. Sexual Abuse: Causes, Consequences and Treatment of Incestuous and Pedophilic Acts. Holmes Beach: Learning Publications, 1985.
Works Consulted
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nyt/20031125/ts_nyt/lawyerforchurchsayshehidhisownsexualabusebypriest
http://www.americancatholic.org/news/clergysexabuse/interviews.asp
http://www.massnews.com/2003_Editions/3_March/031403_mn_boston_globe_one-sided_review.shtml
http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/bullough_22_3.htm
http://www.childlures.com/research/coreproblem.asp
The Black Death, also known as the Black Plague, or the Bubonic Plague killed one third of the population of Europe during its reign in the 13th and 14th centuries. The arrival of this plague set the scene for years of strife and heroism. Leaving the social and
One of my main focuses has to do with how the formation of the armies of Harold and William shaped the outcome of the Battle at Hastings. While this is not my main point, I will say that it is a major contributing factor. Think for a moment: how could two, almost evenly matched armies meet on the field of battle and yet have such a defined victor? What did William the Conqueror have that King Harold did not. To do this, we must first look at each army in detail.
Before he became William the Conqueror, his contemporaries referred to him William the Bastard, emphasizing his illegitimate birth. At the time of William’s birth, his father, Robert I, had not yet become the Duke of Normandy; people recognized him as the Count of Hiesmois. In addition, people sometimes referred to Robert as Robert the Devil since rumors floated about that Robert had killed his own father, Richard II. Supposedly, Robert I was descended from Rolf the Viking who had become the ruler of Neustria around 911 BC (Douglas 16). In the year 1028, Robert I succeeded his brother, Richard III, as the Duke of Normandy (Freeman 13). Unfortunately for William, his father, Robert I, never married his mother, Herleva, alternately known as Herleve or Arlette; therefore, society recognized William as an illegitimate child and would harbor prejudices against him. Though people know little of Herleva, people believe that she was the dau...
William the Conqueror was the illegitimate son of Robert the Devil. According to tradition, William would not have technically been eligible for any position in the Duchy due to his illegitimate birth. Before Robert left on the crusades he forced his counts to swear fealty to William, should he not return. This was very controversial for the Norman government because William was about 7 or 8 at the time and could not rule properly. Bloody uprisings and civil unrest plagued Normandy because lords were questing for more power and land. This left William with a very complicated predicament; William could do little about it at a young age and was almost murdered several times in his childhood by assassins hired by lords who hoped they could take control of Normandy.
His parents were Robert 1, who was the duke of Normandy and his mother Arlette, daughter of Fullbert. He was given the role of duke of Normandy at just the age of 8. In his first few years of duke, some of his guards were killed and his teacher was murdered. Although the king of France Henry 1, helped him through his first early years. Later on during William’s life he married Matilda of Flanders and had 9 children in total, 4 being his son and 5 being his daughters. Marrying Matilda helped his reputation and success. Although 7 lived through birth and the other 2 died. William had the nicknames of ‘The bastard’ and ‘William the
No matter what religion a person practices, everybody has gone to church whether it is on a regular basis or for an occasion such as a wedding or funeral. When you look up at the altar and see the priest, you don’t question their morality because society is taught not to question a higher authority figure. Why would such a symbol of purity and sanctity have anything shameful to hide? All of the sudden the man at the altar has lawsuits being filed against him. Child molestation is presenting itself as an issue that is becoming recurrent in society and more of an epidemic within the Catholic Church. In the past, the priests involved in these incidents have not been subjected to a punishment equal to the crime they committed. A priest involved in such deplorable activities should immediately be defrocked and subjected to criminal prosecution.
Rossetti, S. J. (1996). A tragic grace: the catholic church and child sexual abuse. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=JAgyfIkgNSoC&dq=A+tragic+grace+:+the+Catholic+Church+and+child+sexual+abuse+/+Stephen+J.+Rossetti.&source=gbs_navlinks_s
In over a period of years, an increasing amount of attention has been shed to the problem of child sexual abuse in the church. While churches, and other facilities which care for children, have had their experience of this problem, most attention has been brought to the abuse in the Catholic Church. Around the world, case after case has been seen in the press of clergy and members of religious orders being charged with sex offenses against children. Some of these cases go back decades. The issue has certainly brought attention around the world. The reason why, is the question that ponders in everyone mind.
The English army during this battle was led by the king of England, Henry V. The English formation was composed of three main bodies of dismounted men-at-arms. These men ...
On the night of his death, January 4, 1066, the ill King passed with no designated heir, as he was childless ("The Battle of Hastings," 2004-2005). On his deathbed, Edward gave the English throne to Earl Harold of Wessex, ignoring the promise he made to Duke William many years prior ("The House of Godwinson," 2004-2005). Harold was immediately crowned king of England at the Westminster Abbey on January 6, 1066 ("The Battle of Hastings," 2004-2005). William strongly disputed this event and challenged it, assembling his men and gaining the Pope’s support (Ellis & Esler, 2009). This was due to Harold’s earlier oath, taken to support Duke William’s claim to the throne. When shipwrecked on the coast of Normandy, he had become a guest of William several years earlier. Before letting Harold leave, the duke made him swear to support his claim after Edward’s death. Harold finally gave in and swore on holy relics to do so, a major reason for the Pope’s support of William’s protest ("The Battle of Hastings," 2004-2005). In September 1066, Duke William sailed across the English Channel from Normandy to England, and on the twenty-eighth, landed at Britain’s east coast with thousands of troops and cavalry (Ellis & Esler, 2009)(History.com Staff, 2009). He marched to Hastings, and, driven by vengeance and thirst for power, defeated the last Anglo-Saxon
He was the son of Robert, Duke of Normandy, his mother, Herleva, the daughter of a tanner of Falaise. In 1035 William’s father Robert, Duke of Normandy, went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, in which he died. Before starting the pilgrimage, he presented to the nobles his seven year old child demanding their allegiance. "He is little", the father said, "but he will grow, and, if God please, he will mend." William, after a period of anarchy, became the ruler of Normandy in his father's place at the age of nine. William had a youth of clean life and of much natural piety, while the years of storm and stress through which he passed gave him an endurance of character which lasted to his life's end. During the time of anarchy in Normandy he became a skilled military leader and defeated his enemies, uniting his duchy. Once he began fighting, rumor has it that he never lost a battle.
William the Conqueror (figure 1) was born in Falaise, Normandy, France in 1028. His parents were Robert I, Duke of Normandy and Arlette, Daughter of Fullbert. When William was eight, His father Robert I, Duke of Normandy, died in 1035 while returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and William was promoted to the duke of Normandy. That was a bad idea. Violence and corruption plagued his early reign. A few of Williams’s guards died and even his school teacher, but with the help of King Henry I of France, he managed to survive the early years. He was knighted by the King in 1042, although he was just 14. By 1064, William had conquered and won
He had defeated the English army lead by Harold but he had to gain control of all of England before he could be truly called king of England. He was a foreigner who had forced his way to London. He was not popular with the people of England and he had to use force to maintain his control on England.
Why is the Catholic Church so corrupt in its teaching? They have found ways to control the knowledge that their followers contemplate on. The control of knowledge and power is the foundation for every successful religious organization. The Catholic Church have acquired this power through strategic control on the mind of its follower. The Catholic Church propagate their ideals as righteous in order to be accepted; for without this acceptance, they are faced with the task of initiating this power through force. So to beguile their followers, they present themselves in “sheep clothing” (KJV, Matt 7:15). They are accepted as blameless, peaceful, loving and harmless but in actuality, “they are ravening wolves” (KJV, Matt. 7:15).
The Roman Catholic Church had complete influence over the lives of everyone in medieval society including their beliefs and values. The Church’s fame in power and wealth had provided them with the ability to make their own laws and follow their own social hierarchy. With strong political strength in hand, the Church could even determine holidays and festivals. It gained significant force in the arts, education, religion, politics as well as their capability to alter the feudal structure through their wealth and power.