"Father Ron"

I enjoyed your piece on Father Ron and his little problem.

I wonder, though -- as you seem to struggle for the right point of view on men like Father Ron -- if you didn't find the answer and missed it.

You wrote: "He also said that he never touched boys -- not just because his problem was mostly with voyeurism, but also because of simple fear that "these kids would come back as big strong men and find me."

Well. He might have answered in various ways. "Because the boys could be traumatized" might be one. Or even, "Because it would be wrong."

No, he didn't actually molest because he figured he might get the holy shit -- pardon the expression -- beaten out of him. How ... charitable. Not quite ready for the priesthood yet, I submit.

Self-obsession is one of the hallmarks of pedophilia. A wholesale collapse of empathy for their targets. It's the engine for their crimes. Excuse me if I fail to see the ambiguity in judging them.

-- Berkeley Breathed

I was deeply troubled by Damien Cave's piece concerning Father Ron, the priest defrocked for voyeurism.

"Sex is not a clear black and white issue. It rarely fits well with simple forms of justice. Just look at the history of obscenity law; at every turn, whether in banning 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' or failing to remove Hustler from store shelves, the courts and society have tried to create a simple set of rules -- and ended up with locally defined chaos."

What I find objectionable about this statement and the overall tone of the article is that it treats pedophilia merely as an unattractive desire rather than a mental illness and a physical and mental assault. While I admire his compassion for Father Ron despite his transgressions, I think his empathy is somewhat misplaced. The position of a Catholic priest is one of strict denial. The Church calls upon its parishioners to live lives of self sacrifice. Why should we expect less of our priests?

Moreover I don't believe that it is asking too much for the church to make sure the priests do not prey upon our children. I expect the same of those who are not sworn to a life of celibacy. If the backlash seems rather virulent against the Catholic Church it is because it's been centuries in the making.

-- Lenora Warren

Next Page: The answer is to repeal the celibacy requirement

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