One of the priests in the Pennsylvania child sexual abuse Grand Jury report did

[MineralMan]

something remarkable, I think.

Once he had groomed the child and had managed to abuse the child, he gave that child a gold cross to wear. The implication was that this was in order to identify the child as a tractable victim, according to the news story at the link below:

The priests, George testified, had a group of favored boys who they would take on trips and give gifts.

"He (Zirwas) had told me they, the priests, would give their boys, their altar boys or their favorite boys these crosses," George testified. "So he gave me a big gold cross to wear."

In the report, the grand jury said, the crosses "were a designation that these children were victims of sexual abuse. They were a signal to other predators that the children had been desensitized to sexual abuse and were optimal targets for further victimization."

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2018/08/15/pa-grand-jury-report-catholic-priest-abuse-most-shocking-cases-clergy-sexual-abuse/995904002/

This goes far beyond simply not reporting child sexual abuse that was revealed in the confessional. Rather, it indicates a cooperative group of abusers who signaled each other when a child was found who could be abused. I find this particular story particularly disgusting and indicative of a culture of abuse, not just random cases of child sexual abuse.

These children were being preyed upon by a veritable ring of priests and passed along from one to another. This isn't just not reporting from the confessional. Not in any way, but it was all covered up all the same. In that place, at least, the abuse was organized, not just random.

How is this not corruption on a larger scale than individual abusers and their victims? Did similar groups of abusive priests operate in other places? How prevalent was this sort of thing? We do not yet know.

[MontanaMama]

1. OMG.

No words.

[MineralMan]

3. I remembered that from an earlier time, so I googled it.

It was just as I had remembered it. It's an under-reported part of this whole thing, I suspect. I hope investigators are looking for such patterns.

[marylandblue]

11. I recall that as well, and I read parts of the PA report

I was going to post about how egregious that was and also evidence from other diocese of a conspiracy of silence, but with all the apologia here, I was too disgusted to put in that kind of effort.

But suffice it to say they essentially created a national network. Bishops knowingly traded bad priests with each other and even sent them to Catholic-run "treatment centers" that themselves became places where abusive priests could meet each other and operate out of.

[trotsky]

2. And there are still a few DUers who will promote the notion that...

"making clergy mandatory reporters won't solve the Catholic abuse crisis". Really shows how bad the problem is, and how religious privilege makes it harder to solve.

[MineralMan]

4. A culture of abuse.

I wonder how deeply this culture goes within the Church. I have no idea. It's possible that similar situations existed in multiple dioceses and archdioceses. We may learn more as the investigations continue.

[MineralMan]

5. What this story indicates to me is that the

failure to report child sexual abuse, for whatever reason, emboldens potential predators and makes them feel like they can continue to molest others with impunity. That's a real danger in situations like this. I find it horribly shocking that any such situation could arise in a religious setting.

It truly makes no sense to me.

[trotsky]

6. That is correct. That's exactly what it does.

My mind cannot process how a religious belief can be put ahead of the protection of children.

But then maybe that's why I'm not religious.

[MineralMan]

7. Minimizing such things or apologetics

are very dangerous for future victims. It trivializes something traumatic and life-changing. For me, such attitudes reflect a complete lack of concern for victims, in favor of the predators. I don't understand such attitudes, but I abhor them.

[Major Nikon]

9. Theres no shortage of people who will kill for religion

Apologia for child rape while somewhat shocking, is not as extreme.

[Voltaire2]

8. Nobody would do that here, would they?

[Major Nikon]

10. Most that have are no longer with us