Paedophiles can't help their actions!!!!!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21810980

'Paedophilia not criminal condition' says Durban cardinal
Cardinal Wilfrid Napier took part in the conclave to elect Pope Francis this week Continue reading the main story
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The Catholic Archbishop of Durban, Wilfrid Fox Napier, has described paedophilia as a psychological "illness, not a criminal condition".

The South African cardinal told the BBC that people who were themselves abused as children and then abused others needed to be examined by doctors.

He was one of 115 cardinals who took part in the conclave at the Vatican to elect Pope Francis earlier this week.

The Church has recently been dogged by scandals over clerical sex abuse.

Criticism

In an interview with the Stephen Nolan programme on BBC Radio 5 live, Cardinal Napier referred to paedophilia as "a psychological condition, a disorder".

"What do you do with disorders? You've got to try and put them right.

"If I - as a normal being - choose to break the law, knowing that I'm breaking the law, then I think I need to be punished."

He said he knew at least two priests, who became paedophiles after themselves being abused as children.

"Now don't tell me that those people are criminally responsible like somebody who chooses to do something like that. I don't think you can really take the position and say that person deserves to be punished. He was himself damaged."

Cardinal Wilfrid Napier's comments triggered immediate criticism.

Barbara Dorries, who as a child was abused by a priest, works for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, which is based in Chicago. She told the BBC: "If it is a disease that's fine, but it's also a crime and crimes are punished, criminals are held accountable for what they did and what they do.

"The bishops and the cardinals have gone to great lengths to cover these crimes to enable the predators to move on, to not be arrested, to keep the secrets within the church."

Michael Walsh, who has written a biography of late Pope John Paul II, said Cardinal Napier's remarks were similar to the position once taken by the Catholic Church in the UK and the US.

"They did actually at one time believe it was a condition that could be dealt with. Many bishops were simply moving priests and trying to disguise the fact that they'd been committing these crimes," Mr Walsh told the BBC.

Marie Collins, who is a victim of abuse, told the BBC: "I think it is appalling that we have a cardinal, a man at this level in the church that can still hold these views. He is totally ignoring the child."

More excuses! What a wonderful start to the new Papacy, NOT! The RCC is in enough of the deep proverbial as it is! Paedophiles might have a prediliction to abuse children, but their acts are CRIMINAL and so are the people who defend their actions saying they can't help it! Paedophiles and other sex offenders are the scum of the earth and so are people who defend and make excuses for their behaviour.

Re: Paedophiles can't help their actions!!!!!!!

Absolute - ridiculous statement
They dont do themselves any favours - misguided idiots !

Re: Paedophiles can't help their actions!!!!!!!

I heard this on the news this morning too and I was very shocked to hear it.
But I also believe it is a sickness but then so are people who need to murder or steal. Its all wrong and needs to be punished, It can not be used as an excuse. If you know you will do these things and you go for help and dont recieve it then the authorities should be held reponsible , if you dont and you get caught you carry the can like everyone else....
Because it was done to them as a child is no excuse , I was beaten and mentally abused as a child but I dont now go around beating people .

Re: Paedophiles can't help their actions!!!!!!!

Well said.

Re: Paedophiles can't help their actions!!!!!!!

Totally agree with what has been said above.


Thanks Willow for posting this.

Re: Paedophiles can't help their actions!!!!!!!

Same here Bags - the outcome for me is that I abhor abusers, sometimes hard to cope as there is so much abuse going on now. As for the 'church' lost the respect I had - years ago... I would bring back severe punishment, in some cases - the death penalty...

Re: Paedophiles can't help their actions!!!!!!!

No Pat darlin' - too many 'miscarriages of justice' to warrant a return to capital punishment - but the introduction of 'rusty razors' I would agree with

Re: Paedophiles can't help their actions!!!!!!!

For me, the headline of the News Item underlines just what is wrong with this approach: "Paedophiles can't help their actions!!!!!!!"

I would be the first to agree that paedophiles can't help their "feelings" - after all, no-one chooses their sexuality no matter how far from the heterosexual norm it may be. People do, however, choose their actions. To me the headline might as well be about male on female rape and say that "Heterosexual rapists can't help their actions!" This would be obvious nonsense as these people have chosen to impose their sexual/power needs on others.
I imagine that in the same way, those paedophiles who actually put their fantasies into practice by grooming and having sex with children are only the tip of a much larger iceberg. There must be thousands and thousands more people with paedophile inclinations who responsibly (and probably painfully) realise that their desires, no matter how strong are totally unacceptable to society and always will be. These people work hard to ensure that their desires never get the better of them and harm young people. For these people, I believe that help in the form of therapy etc should be available and they deserve our sympathy. Unfortunately, due to the moral panic about paedophilia (which is much rarer than most of us think and takes place mainly within the family) it must be almost impossible for a non-active paedophile to "come out" and ask for help.
For those who choose to indulge their paedophile inclinations, on the other hand, I have no sympathy whatsoever and, as a parent & grandparent, want them to feel the full force of the law.

Re: Paedophiles can't help their actions!!!!!!!

I believe that paedophiles can help themsleves - they do know exactly what they are doing and they also know what they do is against the law. They may be compelled to do it, but there is no doubt in my mind that they can control it and they abuse their position of power and authority and what they do is a dominating, prediatory action against someone weaker than themselves, who is unable to resist. They can "help themselves" - after all they take a vow of celebacy don't they ? That is a decision that they make when they enter the church - so why can't they decide to resist their paedophilic impulses ?
I noted the words this cardinal actually used - 'Paedophilia not criminal condition' says Durban cardinal - he is attempting to fudge the issue.
"Criminal condition?". A person is either a criminal or not a criminal and the act of paedophilia is a crime which is punishable in law - therefore, committing acts of paedophilia is a crime not a condition. As has been said paedophiles go to great lengths to remain undiscovered, which surely indicates that they know what they do is wrong and they fear punishment. It is not good enough to say they cannot help themselves when they have the ability and need to cover up their actions. They show great control and deviance when they fear they may be found out. If that is deliberate then so are their paedophilic activities.
I wonder if because this criminal activity is within the church under an umbrella of authority and power, they feel somewhat protected from the outside world and the law and maybe it has become so endemic in the artificial lives that male catholic priests live that they do not regard it as a serious crime - and can accept it easily because it is commonplace in their world. I think this must be so because time and time again others within the church "cover up" and protect these criminals - just as if they are in some untouchable club which is beyond the reach of the law.

Re: Paedophiles can't help their actions!!!!!!!

Come on people, we're talking humans here, this cardinal Napier is just trying to create a smokescreen to hide something criminal that he's done. There is nothing that a human won't do to try to absolve himself from punishment. Making statements like this should alert the Police and he should be quietly investigated and it wouldn't surprise me if we have another shock horror headline in a year or two.