Revered Belgian Priest Confesses to Child Molestation

It seems that new stories of sexual improprieties and molestations of children and youths just never cease to surface. The latest revelation involves a priest who some sought to nominate for the Nobel Peace Prize and is typical of the arrogance of the Church's priesthood which seems to think that if they "confess their sins" they have a clean slate and there will be no accountability. Indeed, the Church refuses to undertake any thorough house cleaning of its clerical ranks. It reminds me of the mindset of evangelical Christians who once "saved" feel they can engage in any kind of fraud, embezzlement and other acts of moral turpitude with impunity. The Huffington Post has a column on 85-year-old Fr. Francois Houtart (pictured at right) whose nomination effort has collapsed in light of the bombshell. Here are some highlights:
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Belgian priest has confessed to a child sex-abuse accusation that came to light during a campaign to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work fighting globalization's impact on developing countries.
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The confession was published in a Belgian newspaper Wednesday and confirmed by the organization the priest founded, deepening a sex-abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church in the country.
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In October, after supporters of 85-year-old Francois Houtart began working to nominate him for the Nobel, a woman contacted the nonprofit organization he founded and said the priest had abused her brother 40 years ago, according to its director, Bernard Duterme.
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In her e-mail to Cetri and the committee to nominate Houtart for the Nobel Prize, the victim's sister also pointed to her testimony in the church's report, Duterme said. There, she details the abuse of her brother, which she describes as "rape," by an unnamed priest. She says the priest, who was a friend of her father, entered her brother's room twice "to rape him." "Before the third time, my brother went to tell his parents, who kept him in their room," she is quoted as saying in the report.
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As I have maintained many times, the ONLY thing that will force reform on the Catholic Church is the mass exodus of sheeple and their money. Nothing else will make the cover ups and culture of lies and secrecy within the hierarchy end.