Priests and Morals

Essay # 61364

Child, Youth Issues > Child Abuse
Ethics
Gender and Sexuality > Homosexuality

Priests and Morals

Examines what happens when the leaders of the church break the rules that their own institution teaches one to respect and obey.

1,377 words () | 3 sources | APA | 2004 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines mortality and human values as they relate to the child sodomy crisis in the Catholic Church in 2004. The paper covers issues such as restorative and retributive justice and how both can be applied to this case. It examines the case of Father John Geoghan as an example of how the church covered his paedophilic tracks over the years. Finally, the paper examines how faith in the church can be restored following this crisis.

From the Paper:

"After the article ran, an embarrassed Law apologized - and turned over to law enforcement the names of dozens of Boston priests who had been similarly accused.
Father Geoghan's story is an ironic one. Clergymen are very stringent toward homosexual activity of any kind, even between two consenting adults, yet gay men may be ordained priests. Father Geoghan is a confirmed homosexual. It must be more difficult for gay priests to live in celibacy than straight ones, because sex between priests and nuns is much less an issue than sex between priests and altar boys."