Understanding Abuse
What is child sexual abuse? What are the effect of such abuse? How can children recover from such abuse? Can an abuser ever stop abusing? Answers to thses questions can be found in this section of Understanding abuse. Click on the link above for more information.
Laws and Legislation
How could tens of thousands of Catholic children in the United States be raped, ritualized, or otherwise sexually assaulted by the hands of Catholic priests over a period of several decades? Are there not laws to protect American children from such assaults? Why have so many of these children grown well into adulthood without any judicial recourse for the crimes commited against then? Why are so many child rapists, former or current Catholic priests, roaming the country freely without having had to spend a day in jail or even having to register as sex offenders? Is the justice system just? FInd out more by clicking on the link above.
Thoughts and Commentary
What do you think? What do others think? Click on the link above to read what survivors, their advocates, and others think about the need for better laws, the reason the Church is so messed up, and the role of the public to better protect children in the future. Share your own thoughts by sending them in to our contact information at the bottom of this page.
Ways of the Catholic Church
One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Really? This page explores the ways of the Catholic Church from the Apostles' Creed to the Dallas Charter. Would Jesus even recognize the church he started 2000 years ago? What prompted Martin Luther to walk away from it? Why are there so many "recovering Catholics" today? Why do bishops dress like that and sit on thrones when Jesus wore a robe and sandals and preached from hillsides? Click on the link above to further explore.
Financial Exploits
What is the Catholic Church worth today? One estimate is $13 Trillion. That's right. $13,000,000,000,000.00. From real estate, fancy cathedrals, jewels and masterpieces, the Catholic Church is one of the wealthiest entities on earth. One parish alone can haul in a weekly jackpot of nearly $50,000 - tax free! On top of that, the United States federal government diverts millions of dollars of taxpayers' money to the Catholic Church every year, no questions asked. Where does the money go? Who really knows? We do know Church attorneys are making a pretty penny fighting victims in court. And that a high-powered public relations firm in New York City is getting a big chunk of change. And that more than a few pastors have been arrested for having sticky fingers with the collection basket. But, what about the rest? And, with absolutely no transparency with trillions of dollars, why are any Catholics still giving blindly to men who have proven to be corruptible with human children, much less dollars and cents? Click on the link above to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do victims file civil lawsuits? Why didn't those children tell their parents they were being raped in the sacristy? Why didn't the parents call the police? Why didn't the nuns who witnessed the abuse tell the priest to stop? Why don't people who are mad about the sex abuse find another church? Why do they have to air all of the Church's dirty laundry in public? Aren't the churches and schools safe now for children? If you have an answer, or another question, please send them to us to post on this page. To reach understanding, we must seek where there is doubt and then share what we know and how we feel and learn from the knowlege and feelings of othes. Click on the link above to read newly posted incite from survivors and others.
If you would like to add anything to the information we have in these pages, please send it to:
Companions in Hope
P. O. Box 638
Geneva, Illinois 60134
mail@companionsinhope.com
Thank you for your interest and participation.