Bill Donohue Says Predatory Priests Are Not Pedophiles Because Most Victims Are Post Pubescent

by Thomas Wellborn

Is Bill Donohue’s astounding defense of  predatory priests supposed to make us feel relieved about the Catholic Church scandals?  His claim that these priests weren’t pedophiles because their victims had achieved puberty, as though that somehow mitigates the behavior, is nothing short of abhorrent.  Donohue then went on to defend the pope, saying he knew nothing about the case in Wisconsin, and that there was no proof that it even happened at all.

It appears that when Pope Benedict was an archbishop, going after sexual predators was not a priority.

As archbishop, Benedict expended more energy pursuing theological dissidents than sexual predators. Already in the early 1980s, one could catch a glimpse of a future pope preoccupied with combating any movement away from church tradition. Vatican experts say there is little evidence that Benedict spent much time investigating more than 200 cases of “problem priests” in the diocese, with issues including alcohol abuse, adultery and, now under the microscope, pedophilia.

Sinead O’Connor, Thomas Roberts, and Bill Donohue all appeared on CNN’s Larry King Live to discuss the scandal.  The panel was stunned as Donohue laid out his opinions.

Thomas Roberts: Bill is good but you cannot link homosexuality to a pedophilia crisis in the Catholic Church.

Bill Donohue: It’s not a pedophilia… most of the victims were post pubescent…

Roberts: You know…

Donohue: You’ve got to get your facts straight. I’m sorry. If I’m the only one that’s going to deal with facts tonight so be it. The vast majority of the victims are post pubescent. That’s not pedophilia buddy. That’s homosexuality.

Roberts: Bill, I don’t think as a person of faith that you really know what you’re talking about when it comes to a victim and a survivor. (crosstalk)

Donohue: It’s not of my opinion. Take a look at the social science data. I never said that most homosexuals are that way.

Roberts: No you just said that cut down homosexuals… (crosstalk).

Donohue: Yes! Practicing homosexuals.
—
Sinead O’Conner: Sorry Larry, at what age does somebody become, you know, post pubescent in America as a matter of ages?

Larry King: What is the age?

Roberts: Ah… I don’t know. Let’s ask Bill. He seems to be the authority on post pubescency.

Donohue: 12, 13 years of age. Look, all I’m saying…

King: We’re out of time. We’ve just touched the surface. Now we’ve got Anderson Cooper coming on.

Bill Donahue’s argument is a desperate attempt to defend the Catholic Church.  I’m disappointed in Larry King’s failure to challenge such utter nonsense.

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