What do you think the church should do with priests who have molested?

Those who did molest children, in my opinion, must be punished. At least they should stand in the court for what they have done. When an ordinary fellow commit a crime, he is for sure tried before court. So why the priests who have done something wrong should be treated exceptionally? The law should be fair to everyone in our community.

It is the most despicable abuse of power imaginable. It hurts the credibility of the Catholic church, but more importantly it is a major slap in the face to all the victims. It also perpetuates the problem because it sends the message that it is OK for priests to molest children and doesn't address and solve the issue. The church should be screaming loudly about this instead of covering it up. Do they think God won't see?

I totally agree where i live they are treated the same at first they weren`t they were reappointed. Until it was happening more and more. Now they are treated just like any other pedophile or molester . If they are convicted they do go to prison just like anyother person. It took a long time before the government to see that there was actually a real problem but they have finally recognized it and are dealing with them accordingly. FINALLY I thank GOD for this

I think the priests should face prosecution by the law. The Catholic church seems to have turned a blind eye to the problem for a long time; it is evident that the problem has existed and been ignored or covered up almost everywhere the church is. This pervasiveness may be the result from hoping to reform the priest with offering forgiveness and another chance but it also smacks of the boys club attitude that exists in almost every established organization (well, excepting those run by women maybe). The church is suffering now as a result. The fiscal damage is devastating, however, not as devastating as the effect of the molestation on the victims. Couseling can be offered to the offenders once they are behind bars rather than in another location where they can again prey on others.

I'm Catholic too, and I'm not liking the way that they are handling it either. It's not right. They should be put through the system just like everyone else. Reassigning them just gives them a fresh start, to molest again with new people. It is not right. Whenever I found out that the priest that married me was one of the accused, I almost fainted. To this day I still can't believe it. I would like to give a thumbs up to all the victims that stood up and fought for their rights!!! That takes a lot of courage.

justice is served to everyone. im a catholic as well and having them jailed as what other criminals take should be their way as well. they should be treated as normal people.

I am with you there , They were men before they were priests , they should not be able to hide behind a dog collar , If they did this horrendous deed then they should be punished the same as anyone else , there is too much covering up in this world , put them in jail and throw away the key , or even better leave them in a room with the parents of the molested children and let them punish them ,

I think priests who do this should be thrown right in jail with the rest of the sick fu*kers that do that kind of thing to others. Theres no excuse for that and no mercy should be taken on these people when they commit these horrible crimes.

I think no matter who the person is or what their occupation is, they should stand trial, be proven guilty and get the exact same punishment as all other pedofiles. They should have to be listed and live just like the other people who committed this crime. I am sure they could easily be proven guilty if other men would stop trying to protect them.

I don't think "the church" should have the choice of what is done. These pediphiles should be prosecuted just like anyone else. For "the church" to offer pay-offs is dispicable behavior !! What does this say to the victim that has finally worked up the nerve to come forward with his or her story? What does this teach our children who may idolize the priest because of their position ? It is simply irresponsible of the church to cover up such things as though they don't exist. It gives church in general, catholic or otherwise, a bad name.

I am not catholic, nor will I ever be. If the Catholic church is the 3rd largest corporation in the world then GOD only knows what hidden lies are yet to surface. It sickens me to even think that a child of god was violated by a man of the cloth that they trusted and believed they wanted to emulate. By GOD yes they should be tried in a court of law with a jury of their peers and suffer the consequences befitting the crime. Violation of a child! I can think of NOTHING more deserving of severe punishment!. To allow them to continue to preach or be considered men of the cloth is a joke.. a very very very sick joke. If MY GOD ever decides for me to come face to face with one of these PEDIFILE preists then MY GOD will forgive me for what I would do to him.

I didn't know that they weren't being charged. That stinks! What they did was wrong! They shouldn't just be moved somewhere else and be forgotten about. I would be furious to know that a priest was in my church that had been accused of molestation somewhere else and nothing happened. If he was innocent, fine, but it should be resolved one way or the other. If he was guilty, he should be tried for it, just like anyone else.

I certainly agree! They should be tried in a court of law, afterall they are just men, nothing more. They are no higher than the rest of the world just because they wear a robe. I think if the Catholic church (I too am Catholic) would just relent and allow priests to marry or allow women to become priests we wouldn't have the amount of problems we do have in this area.

Yes I agree with exactly what you have said. It's awful and embarrassing for the Church and it should not be tolerated. These priests should be in jail. Also, there should be no payoffs to the victims-- that doesn't really help solve the problem, does it? The Church should terminate these priests, not relocate them. It infuriates me to think that a molester could ever be sent to another church. I am also a Catholic and I think it's sad how this has come to the forefront, that even the good priests probably feel as though people are looking at them funny, and maybe not trusting them completely. I think part of the problem is that the priesthood is a safe haven for some of these molesters-- no one questions why a priest isn't married or in a relationship, because priests can't marry. I love being Catholic, but there are a few things I wish the Church would look at and possibly change.

We've had numerous schools close locally because of the money that's been spent all around the Catholic Churches on this issue, not just locally. I personally think it's a day late and a dollar short for the church to truly do anything that will be seen as proper at this point. For literally years they shuffled these perverts from one place to another and allowed it to happen, all the while trying to place a cover over it and present it as a perfect church. I have to say I was raised in a Catholic school and have yet to witness much that has impressed me about the religion and the church itself. The recent happenings of so many priests being what they were for so many years only reiterates my feelings of disgust for a religion that has truly become the furthest thing from it's origins as Christians.

I think that they should banish them from the church and as a none believer it just goes to show that religion is not the solution and does not make you necessarily a good person

When someone abusses of his power bad things happen. I think they should be eliminated from their positions and people who can be serious in their work to come.

I think everybody should be equal before the law...no one should be made to realize one is superior and that just by mere molestation one can get away from the crime ...after all that too done by priest who preach us abt the sanctity and holiness of lord Jesus and accompany in such act shouldnt be left so easily....they should be banished from the church....

I agree with you completely. A priest that is a molester should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law! Just because they are a "man of the cloth" does not mean that they should be exempt from the law or prosecution. So many of them have ruined lives by their selfish, sick molestation practices. I say they serve the maximum sentence for molestation. If that were the case, they might get a feeling in prison for what they did to their victims. Cruel, but true. Great post! Thank you! :-)

Preist is a job given to he serve to serve god & not misuse it by molesting children...I strongly condemn this act of anyone & not only the priest & they should definitely be tried in the court of law & should be given the sutable punishment...