What is the Catholic Church's position on child abuse?
The Catholic Church clearly teaches the sexual abuse of children to be gravely sinful. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church's list of moral offences, one finds:
"...any sexual abuse perpetrated by adults on children or adolescents entrusted to their care. The offense is compounded by the scandalous harm done to the physical and moral integrity of the young, who will remain scarred by it, all their lives; and the violation of responsibility for their upbringing."
The following passages are from the teachings of the bible.
Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; and Luke 17:2
Galatians 5:19-25
- covers many of the behaviours that lead to child abuse, and conversely the behaviours that prevent it.
The Catholic Church clearly teaches the sexual abuse of children to be gravely sinful. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church's list of moral offences, one finds:
"...any sexual abuse perpetrated by adults on children or adolescents entrusted to their care. The offense is compounded by the scandalous harm done to the physical and moral integrity of the young, who will remain scarred by it, all their lives; and the violation of responsibility for their upbringing."
Article continues at the following link:
December 2009 update on Pope Benedict XVI addressing Irish Priest abuse report:
