I suspect that just as alcoholics will choose to be in a bar over a tea room, potential (or actual) pedophiles are attracted to the church because there is a ready supply of potential victims, all (or most) of whom have been taught that the priest is holy and to be obeyed. After they have capitulated or been raped, all the priest has to do is threaten them with hell if they tell anyone and that combined with the shame they feel is sufficient to keep them quiet for a long time.

I agree with most here, it has nothing to do with effemmenate imagery and for more to do with it begin a safe space for those not attracted to adults of the opposite sex. Most straight preists I have known either were not celebate and had a secret relationship with a woman that workin the church or they were a sad depressed drunk.

Why on Earth would you link 'effeminate' to 'paedophile?'

The problem that Catholicism has with child sexual abuse is down to what the religion does with its homosexuals. Boys to the seminary. Girls to the convent. Dress them in black. Put them in charge of PR. Tell them they can't have sex, ever, ever, EVER. No matter how much they want to.

Teach them that molesting a child is sinful. Teach them that consensual sex with a same sex adult is sinful. But teach them that those sins are equal in the eyes of God, rather than one being worse than the other.

Finally, put them in charge of a choir or an orphanage.

Catholicism takes men (and women) who could happily have relationships with other men (or women) denies them any sexal outlet, puts them in charge of kids, and then wonders why bad things happen. I firmly believe at this point that at least half of the Catholic clergy is gay, put there by their families and their religion, because it's the only way they can serve God if they aren't going to at least try to breed. This isn't an anti-gay thing (I'm bent as a 9 bob note myself.) This is an illustration of how, if you deny someone with a strong sex drive a healthy sexual outlet, they sometimes find an unhealthy one. Catholicism won't get over its paedophile priest problem until it stops doing this. And it won't stop doing this until it accepts that God doesn't own your genitals, and that you're allowed to have fun with them that doesn't necessarily involve putting future generations of bums on pews.

interesting thought. I knew a victim of Cardinal Law's and never thought to ask him that.

scary thought

No, but there might be a casual relationship between them.

It's more to do with the celibacy and the fact they are known to cover things up

I suspect the art of which you speak was influenced more by the prevailing stylistic trends in art than by any specific religious sentiment. Effeminate-looking men were all the rage throughout the world of art at a certain time in history--not just in religious iconography.

Pedophilia more likely results from stunted psychosexual development and sexual shame and repression. I don't think there's a link.

Catholic Priest is a great job. Most weeks you only work a few hours on Sunday. You have plenty of free time to molest children.

An interesting thought.

Not sure. I think effeminate, images of JC is a recent "thing". I don't remember seeing them when I was young.

I was surrounded by religious iconography and images growing up in the US. And I live for a few years with Franciscan brothers. The images of JC that I can remember were not effeminate at all.

And it could also be an American thing. I don't see those types of images and painting here in AUS.

EDIT: to be honest, I doubt it. I believe that celibacy is the true of cause of priests' paedophilia.

So the priests see a child as being closest to the purity of the Jesus they see, and are irresistibly attracted to that purity?

That's an alarming thought.