Comments

1. #1 Jeff Knapp

   July 11, 2010

   None.

   No one, and I mean, no one ever has the right to rape anyone. Period. No victim of rape ever “asks for it.”

   The rapist’s balls on a plate, served up with a nice, red whine demi-glaze with a side of butter sauted juliened squash and some wild rice with mushrooms might get me a little way there.

   But, seeing as that we are talking about the Catholic Church and the pandemic of child rapists scurrying like rats thoughout it, I would think that all of the assets of the Catholic church – existing now and any to come in the future so that they are completely put out of business – might just be a good start.

2. #2 Livia Blackburne

   July 11, 2010

   Man, that is so wrong. I wish this had come to light when the guy was still alive.

3. #3 Phillip IV

   July 11, 2010

   I cannot help but wonder how a man who was raped as a child by his father can successfully sue the Catholic Church when neither he, his half-brother nor even his mother had any idea that he was a Catholic priest (until after the fact). Any thoughts about that?

   I don’t think this going to be a problem for the legal case.

   The tricky part is proving that the RCC had at some point in time positive knowledge that Maciel had committed abuse, and failed to act on it – once this is proven, they can then be held responsible for any and all cases of abuse that happened later, independent of the question whether the victims knew Maciel was a cleric or not, because it can be argued that theses abuses would not have happened if Maciel would have been reported to the Authorities in time.

4. #4 parclair NoCal USA

   July 11, 2010

   Enough to bankrupt the organization that supported the evil-doer

5. #5 SimonG

   July 11, 2010

   One of the things which has angered me most about all the abuse revelations around the RCC is their attitude to forgiveness and penitence. (It’s actually a common Christian failing, but few have formalised and institutionalised to the same extent.)

   I can see that for some victims it may be helpful for them to eventually forgive their attacker. But it’s for them to forgive – or not – and not some distant organisation.

   I can also accept that the RCC may believe that people won’t get into their heaven unless they have a clean conscience, and must confess their sins. But confession and a bit of prayer is too easy for me. If someone is truly sorry, they ought to be prepared to accept the consequences of their misdeeds.

   A cash payment is at least a recognition that one has done wrong and desires to make restitution, impossible as that may be. And if it’s to mean anything, that payment has to be enough to be noticed so in the casee of the RCC it needs to be a bloody big payment.