Sexual Molestation Brings Kids Closer to God

Rev. Joseph Byrns, a Brooklyn priest, is accused of molesting a boy by telling him that the sexual activity would 'bring him closer to God.' It's implausible that this might have been the only priest to abuse religion and religious beliefs in children in order to make it easier to molest them.

The New York Daily News reports:

Lawyer Patrick Bruno pressed him. “Did you believe having a 60-year-old guy touch the most-private parts would ‘bring you closer to God?’” he asked.

“Yes, because I believed him,” the teen replied.

And why not? Sexual abuse of children can be easier and more devastating precisely because the religious authority of clerics is so much greater and more fundamental than that of leaders in secular organizations. It’s difficult for anyone, but especially children, to question the commands of a religious leader.

In 1997, Byrns was accused by two brothers, Timothy and Robert Lambert, of molesting them at St. Anastasia’s parish in Queens more than two decades ago. No charges were filed but prosecutors found the allegations credible. Timothy Lambert is now a Catholic priest.

So, this isn’t the first time Byrns has been accused of sexually abusing children. Had something been done before, then it’s unlikely that the alleged abuse in this case, which occurred in 2000, ever would have taken place. How many children have suffered at the hands of predatory Catholic priests because secular and religious authorities have refused to take action against religious figures?

 

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