In Minnesota, leaders of an Old Apostolic Lutheran Church community enabled a child abuser by telling his victims that once the sins were “washed away in the blood of reconciliation,” they could never speak of them again.
  • Protecting an Abuser: Leaders of a Minnesota church didn’t report a parishioner to police though they knew he’d sexually abused girls for years and had been told reporting it was their duty.
  • Forgive and Forget: Church leaders held meetings where children were told to forgive the man who sexually abused them and forget the abuse. If they spoke of it, the sin would be theirs.
  • Missed Opportunities: Prosecutors had at least one opportunity to intervene but hoped educating church leaders about their duties would encourage them to cooperate with authorities.
  • PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works
    32·
    18 hours ago

    One of the priests at the Catholic school/church I went to was a family friend.

    Years later it came out that he had been abusing an altar boy who was just 1 grade behind me. I’d see this kid all the time.

    When my mom told me he had been arrested and why, she said “But don’t tell anyone” - because he was “a friend”.

    I said bullshit - I’m telling everybody I see.

    He’s in prison forever now but that poor kid…and that’s just the one I know about.

    • gramie@lemmy.ca
      3·
      2 hours ago

      There was a pedophile priest who had the parents of a boy he molested complain to the bishop. The bishop, in his wisdom, moved him to be a teacher in my school. An all-boys boarding school. A few years after I was there, he was convicted of molesting a boy at the school, as well as the original case. His sentence was 2 years of probation. He died in his 90s just a couple of years ago, and his obituary was full of praise and warm memories.

      Meanwhile, one of the boys in my class who I now can see was being groomed by this priest, took his own life before he was 50, after what was described as a very difficult life. I think it’s pretty obvious why.

      In the 40+ years since I left that high school, no one from the school or the diocese has ever contacted me or my family to see if we saw or experienced any abuse.

    • SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      5·
      3 hours ago

      If I learn a “friend” abused a kid… They’re not my friend anymore, and likely never will be again

      A friend isn’t a sacred thing, if someone turns out to be a piece of shit, I drop them like a stone. They’re dead to me. I will never excuse someone’s abhorrent behaviour like that. To still stay friends with them and maybe even excuse or hide what they did… is unthinkable to me