What is the most likely cause of Catholic priests’ sexual abuse of children?

Celibacy and the power differential.

I think we just had a lengthy discussion of this within the past week. If I can find it, I’ll link to it.

This is the question. It does have a slightly different focus but the main discussion was about what you are asking:

https://www.fluther.com/209480/why-is-there-no-metoo-like-movement-for-those-sexually-abused/

Absolutely it’s about the celibacy. All you men, ask yourselves…what would it do to you to never, ever, ever be allowed to release that physical tension, ever again in your life, under threat of eternal damnation…which you believe?

I would say that was the beginning, but now I think it’s some sort of tradition that gets passed on through the priest hood. Somehow sex is OK if it’s with kids or something. As long as it’s not with a woman (who could be a wife) or with yourself, it’s OK. I guess homosexuality is bad too. These things are specifically addressed as a sin by the church. Pedophilia is not.

One factor that I heard being given is the hierarchical structure of the Catholic church, which sets up a situation where clerics feel greater allegiance to other clerics than they do to parishioners. The biggest problem is not the pedophile priests, but the bishops and cardinals who look the other way. That has nothing to do with either homosexuality or celibacy.

But the abuse came first. Why did it even start to begin with?

The knowledge that they (most likely/in many cases) will get away with it.
The risk factor of getting caught, or found out, seems to be small enough.
They’re predators, disgusting beings.

I heard on the radio (NPR) there is no evidence that homosexuality has any effect on the rates of abuse.
They mentioned the study but I did not bother to remember it. I’m sure an interested party can find it.
I figure it was the person of power exerting control over the weaker victim.

In prison, they will have a chance at being the weaker party.

Of course homosexuality has nothing to do with it. It’s just one of those sins the church can point fingers at and say “SEE!!”

I have to wonder about the causal relationship here. Is it that the Clergy creates pedophiles via celibacy? or that pedophiles are drawn to professions where they are in a place of trust and power in their communities and will be sheltered from accusations by the Church leadership? My guess is that it’s probably some mix of the two.

Or they are not paedophiles, and just desperate enough, that any hole will do.

Well, sexual perversion came first. The looking the other way came later. That’s really what the crux is.

I think gorillapaws is onto something. I tend to lean towards the pedos going into the clergy because it will put them in a position to do what they want to do. Seems to be the same thing happening with sport coaches.

Young kids look up to and fear you. It is a pedo heaven on the pulpit or on the mat.

What @ragingloli describes is of course what happens in prisons. Obviously most prisoners are not homosexual but they engage in rape of each other because they have no other outlet for sexual urges. Is the same kind of thing happening among celibate clergy? I’m not convinced that celibacy alone creates pedophiles (more that the position attracts people who are already pedophiles), but it’s a question worth looking into.

The “perversion” as @Dutchess_III calls it is denial of human sexuality as a God given pleasure, rather than something to be repressed that later finds a damaging outlet.

Exactly @zenvelo.

Oh my God. I think the Catholic church should just be destroyed.

That they’re sick dirty bastards.

Willing to make a bet there’s a lot more, much more cases of celibacy as the reason more than a sinister scheme for a pedophile to gain that level of access to kids.

But great insight though. I’m sure it happens and if there is such a thing as more evil than evil, this is it. Premeditated pedophilia.