Thank you for your comments and correcting the erroneous error in Mr. Miller’s article. My intention for posting was not to inflame or disrespect our Protestant brothers, but meant more to show this problem is more pervasive throughout society and not just a “Catholic” problem. I have forwarded your response and link to Sojourner Article.

God Bless
Jack Wrbanich
KofC 5382 webmaster

You should have checked your facts!

The statement “10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia” (so prominently highlighted in your post) has no basis in fact! It was refuted in 2003 when this claim was first made and it remains untrue today.

In his original 2003 speech Mr. Miller reads extensively from a July/August 2002 Sojourners article by Rose Marie Berger in which she misinterprets statements from Penn. State Prof. Philip Jenkins regarding sexual abuse by Protestant ministers.

In the original article Berger writes…
“Philip Jenkins concludes in his book “Pedophiles and Priests” that while 1.7 percent of Catholic clergy have been found guilty of pedophilia (specifically of boys), 10 percent of Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia.” (This quote is used in Miller’s speech)

To which Philip Jenkins responds (Sept/Oct 2002)…
“I regret to say that the statement is baloney. I never said it, and it’s not true!… Every time this ten percent statement appears attributed to me, I try to debunk it, but these things have a life of their own. I have no idea what the actual proportion of pedophile protestant clergy is, but I would be amazed if it was more than a fraction of one percent.”

Sojourner Article… http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0207&article=020741d

Sojourners apologized to its readers for passing on erroneous information and revised the article, removing the incorrect and defamatory information. But not before Sam Miller got a hold of it!

Regrettably, a much condensed version of Miller’s speech,such as the one you received and posted, has spread like wildfire within the Catholic community by way of the internet and e-mail. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of websites, blogs, forums, facebook pages, and news services that have posted this condensed version of Mr. Miller’s speech.

As a Protestant minister I am truly saddened that such false witness can be so uncritically accepted and further disseminated by so many within the Catholic community. It is particularly disturbing to see otherwise reputable groups like the Knights of Columbus buying into this lie! It seems that we still find it easier to believe the worst about our neighbour rather than dig a little deeper for the truth.

In the interest of honesty and ecumenical respect this post should be removed or edited to correct the record. Publishing such blatantly false and hurtful information is surely beneath the station of the Knights!

It is not necessary to defame you friends and neighbours to feel good about yourselves as Catholics. Any pride derived though this is ultimately a false pride.

Rev. Rob Pollock
Vancouver, BC
CANADA

Brother Knight Peter and his Lady Leanne Denissen who lost her bother recently

“”Basically, I read it, and as that letter ended, it said Mr. Anderson was speaking for all Knights,” Gebhard told Catholic News Service Sept. 30. “He wasn’t speaking for me.”

Gebhard, a member of Boston-based Catholic Democrats, said he contacted the organization to discuss how he could respond to Anderson’s letter and learned that several other Knights shared his disagreement with Anderson. Within days of the letter’s publication, Gebhard decided to pursue the Web site option.”

Go to http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0804967.htm to read the entire artical