Serb Church accused of sex abuse cover-up

As a Christian and an Irishman who has great respect for the Orthodox faith, I would urge the Serbian Church to confront the demon of sexual abuse. As your report shows, in Ireland we were shocked to learn of the betrayal of the trust of our community in the cover up by leaders of our Catholic clergy who put the public image of the Church before the welfare of defenceless children. This has led not only to a decline in standing of the previously all-powerful Church and a feeling of great shame among ordinary believers who were shocked at what was hidden but also, and more importantly, to great suffering by innocents which can never be justified. Confront it and deal with it because evil deeds live on to haunt their perpetrators.

Anyone who tries to hide child abuse in church or anywehre else should be thrown in jail for a very long time.
How dare anyone try to hide it? I don't care if a priest hides it or a bishop. They should all be prosecuted.

This is a Cancer which must not be allowed to survive. Child abuse by the church is a widespread problem. What on earth made these clergy think they could get away with it?

Investigate thoroughly and then prosecute harshly.

This is completely unacceptible. I can only hope and pray that somehow the Patriarch's role in this is untrue or exagerated.

Because if it isn't you have to say it was a wicked act of evil to ignore the abuse of not one child, but a number of children by sweeping it under the carpet.

The church is supposed to support good against evil and not take the side of evil.

People of other religions hear and read about sexual crimes committed by the Christian clergy and think how false a lot of Christian clergy are; that the Christian clergy does not practice what it preaches in regards to morality. Consider that we must give the Christian victims much credit in exposing these sexual crimes to the world, in lieu of extreme embarrassment, and bringing prosecution against the offenders. Sexual crimes occur among the clergy of all the world's religions. Yet, the Christians have a strong openess in such matters which other religions are very much secret about. So with each sexual abuse case that comes out against Christian clergy, which gives Christianity another "black eye", realize that in many other religions, there can be thousands and thousands and thousands of cases of sexual abuse, which you will not hear about, not read about, and the victims cannot get help with the authorities because of the existing legal system in those countries and the power and respect which the clergy have in other nations.

Anyone who tries to hide child abuse in church or anywehre else should be thrown in jail for a very long time.
How dare anyone try to hide it? I don't care if a priest hides it or a bishop. They should all be prosecuted.

This is a Cancer which must not be allowed to survive. Child abuse by the church is a widespread problem. What on earth made these clergy think they could get away with it?

Investigate thoroughly and then prosecute harshly.

As a Christian and an Irishman who has great respect for the Orthodox faith, I would urge the Serbian Church to confront the demon of sexual abuse. As your report shows, in Ireland we were shocked to learn of the betrayal of the trust of our community in the cover up by leaders of our Catholic clergy who put the public image of the Church before the welfare of defenceless children. This has led not only to a decline in standing of the previously all-powerful Church and a feeling of great shame among ordinary believers who were shocked at what was hidden but also, and more importantly, to great suffering by innocents which can never be justified. Confront it and deal with it because evil deeds live on to haunt their perpetrators.

This is completely unacceptible. I can only hope and pray that somehow the Patriarch's role in this is untrue or exagerated.

Because if it isn't you have to say it was a wicked act of evil to ignore the abuse of not one child, but a number of children by sweeping it under the carpet.

The church is supposed to support good against evil and not take the side of evil.

People of other religions hear and read about sexual crimes committed by the Christian clergy and think how false a lot of Christian clergy are; that the Christian clergy does not practice what it preaches in regards to morality. Consider that we must give the Christian victims much credit in exposing these sexual crimes to the world, in lieu of extreme embarrassment, and bringing prosecution against the offenders. Sexual crimes occur among the clergy of all the world's religions. Yet, the Christians have a strong openess in such matters which other religions are very much secret about. So with each sexual abuse case that comes out against Christian clergy, which gives Christianity another "black eye", realize that in many other religions, there can be thousands and thousands and thousands of cases of sexual abuse, which you will not hear about, not read about, and the victims cannot get help with the authorities because of the existing legal system in those countries and the power and respect which the clergy have in other nations.