Archbishop didn't realize being a pedophile was illegal

[Hilander]

St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson testified last month that he wasn’t sure whether it was illegal for priests to have sex with children while he served as chancellor of the St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese.

St. Louis archbishop claims he wasn’t sure it was illegal for priests to have sex with kids

Sorry but I don't believe you. It was the 1970's not the stone age. Maybe you didn't know exactly what the law said but how could you not know it was illegal.

If he really was this stupid he is the dumbest priest in history. As a priest he should have known better, law or no law. Instead of protecting those priests you should have protected these children.

Thoughts?

 

[Mickiel]

Sorry but I don't believe you. It was the 1970's not the stone age. Maybe you didn't know exactly what the law said but how could you not know it was illegal.

If he really was this stupid he is the dumbest priest in history. As a priest he should have known better, law or no law. Instead of protecting those priests you should have protected these children.

Thoughts?

Come on man, obvious smoke screen. Please! Evasion, he talked with a lawyer in his conscious denial. He imagined a defense, and thought his position would garner sympathy. Quilt by retroactive human nature, in search of a cop out!

 

[idisrsly]

What a disgraceful story. Didn't know it was illegal? Ok, so the first time you deal with a case like that, FIND OUT!!! It's not rocket science. Investigate whether it's illegal. Ignorance is not an excuse. And apart from being illegal, was he aware God considers it a sin? Or was he not so sure about that either?

What an idiot!

 

[Hilander]

I hope some judge and jury don't fall for his story. I don't see how he could have not know this was illegal. He should have protected those kids from the pedophiles.

Being a priest you would think the bible would have been enough to convince him it was illegal.

When priest do this it hurts them all. People will look at them all and wonder if they have also abused kids.

 

[Taliesin]

Didn't know whether or not it was illegal? Nope. I'm calling bullshit on that. He knew. He goes to jail. End of story. (Although sadly not the end of the story for the victims who will suffer from this for the rest of their lives.)

 

[Mickiel]

Very similar if a rapist claimed they did not know rape was illegal. Go to court and claim ignorance of the law, then expect the law to not judge you. Then this archbishop will expect the Vatican to forgive him, which they are obligated to do, forgive. So law is being abused, and religion is being abused, and a child is being abused. An archbishop is doing all this abuse; they should take away his rank, make him pay any court cost and restitution to the child and family;


...then have him neutered.

 

[idisrsly]

The article doesn't stipulate that this archbishop abused any kids himself per se. But he was faced with other priest under his "rule" that did that, and he didn't report it, because he didn't know it was illegal. that's my understanding from the article. Please do correct me if I missed something here.

Not that that makes it any better at all. He knew about abuse happening by the hundreds and didn't do anything to stop it. I'm not sure how the Catholics even work with this. If he is made aware of this, and if he did know it was illegal, is he obligated to report it? To who? Police or the Vatican?

 

[Hilander]

I also took it that he was protecting other priests that he knew was abusing kids and now is being sued for it. To me this is just as bad as him abusing kids himself.

He should have reported it to police not the Vatican. Reporting it to the Vatican to me would be like if I were in Canada and someone did something illegal but I report it to the US authorities instead of Canadian authorities.

 

[Millz]

This is all over the news here in St Louis. Carlson has needed to go for a long time now and now is the time to cut him loose.

I get what he's trying to do but he makes himself seem like the dumbest person on planet Earth with his comments. Mind boggling, really.

 

[Mickiel]

The article doesn't stipulate that this archbishop abused any kids himself per se. But he was faced with other priest under his "rule" that did that, and he didn't report it, because he didn't know it was illegal. that's my understanding from the article. Please do correct me if I missed something here.

Not that that makes it any better at all. He knew about abuse happening by the hundreds and didn't do anything to stop it. I'm not sure how the Catholics even work with this. If he is made aware of this, and if he did know it was illegal, is he obligated to report it? To who? Police or the Vatican?

I think the Vatican has their own police, because its a country- state- kingdom of its own.