Bishop

A Bishop is a clergyman, in churches also a clergywoman who ranks above an ordinary priest, pastor, minister etc. In the Roman Catholic Church archbishops, cardinals, even the pope are also bishops.

Roman Catholic bishops behaving badly

Bishops have not been immune to the Roman Catholic Priest child molestation scandal. At least one former bishop admitted to molesting minors but the former Most Reverend Vangheluwe thinks what he did to his nephew from the age of 5 to 18 was only a little bit naughty. Vangheluwe says he went to Confession often, despite this his confessor/s couldn't or wouldn't convince him he was doing something serious. The church ordered him to go to a monastery though he disappeared from there, he vanished in spring 2011 and has not resurfaced since.

Very many Roman Catholic bishops and higher dignitaries up to the pope have been guilty of covering up priestly abuse setting a bad example copied by those lower in the hierarchy. It is estimated that two thirds of "US Catholic leaders" have covered up abuse, for instance, retired New York Cardinal Edward Egan did not think the church had done anything wrong in failing to report abuse. and Cardinal Roger Mahony was stripped of his duties due to his covering up child abuse though it appears he will help elect the new pope as will others with similar records.

Successive bishops in Ireland failed to take abuse seriously. Cardinal Sean Brady is under pressure to resign over failure to report and prevent child sexual abuse. Scottish bishops knew about many priests who molested children but not enough was done. Unsurprisingly similar problems exist in other countries.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien of Scotland was yet another prize-winning homophobe accused of inappropriate acts and abusing his authority over junior priests, in two cases it appears this abuse resulted in psychological harm. One complainant alleges the degree of control a superior has over subordinate priests made it hard for him to refuse O'Brien. "He [the bishop above a priest] has immense power over you. He can move you, freeze you out, bring you into the fold … he controls every aspect of your life." There was pressure on the complainants to keep quiet. In 2013, O'Brien resigned possibly under pressure -- accounts differ, and later admitted unspecified sexual misconduct. Yet another alleged victim wants to sue the cardinal in court, the complainant says O'Brien groped and kissed him when he was a young student priest. O'Brien has further been accused of groping or trying to grope another priest as recently as 2003 in Rome at a drinks party to celebrate his becoming a Cardinal. This could be a life long habit.

It is impossible even to guess how often victims of clerical sexual abuse are successfully pressured into silence. The Roman Catholic Church sees itself as advisors over morality for the whole world but it's possible to wonder if their heirarchy really understands right from wrong.

Protestant bishops behaving badly=

Independent Baptist bishop and megachurch leader Eddie Long has been accused over his lavish lifestyle, also over alleged sexual predation of vulnerable young men just over the age of consent. Provocative photos which look hard to explain innocently have surfaced like these two, Long settled out of court. One victim claims he was driven to a suicide attempt though confidentiality agreements may prevent the truth ever coming out. Long's divorced former wife accused him of physical abuse including when she was pregnant.

There were further problems over Mormon bishops not getting round to report abuse of a teenage boy from the age of 13 by a middle aged woman and her daughter.

Is there a scandal waiting to surface among many Protestants or are the above atypical cases? We don't know yet.