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Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Jesuit priest hired prostitutes for sex
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- From the moment I dropped the DVD into my computer and pressed play, I was mesmerized by Father Jim Jacobsen.

Father Jim is a Jesuit priest who was sent to tiny Alaskan villages to spread the love of God. It turns out Father Jim spread a whole lot more love than my God would approve of. And it's all captured in a five-hour taped deposition where the priest actually confesses his sins.

As a priest, Father Jim was sworn to celibacy. Under oath, he swore to tell the truth. Here's just a snippet.

Attorney: OK, so that your testimony was that your best estimate was that you had five sexual affairs while you were in Alaska?

Father Jim: Right

Attorney: And is that still your testimony today?

Father Jim: I would say maybe seven. I would change it to seven.

Later on, we learn Father Jim is not very good at estimates. And if you count all the prostitutes, the number gets even higher. Father Jim says he probably can't count them all.

I've nicknamed him "Don Juan of the Yukon," but that makes light of the women now coming forward to say this retired priest was a rapist, a predator and a sex addict. Father Jim denies he raped or forced sex on anyone.

The kicker to Father Jim's story is that he left behind four big surprises in Alaska. They are big surprises because they're all grown up now. It turns out Father Jim is also father Jim, and his four kids want to know where he's been all their lives.
Posted By Drew Griffin, CNN Correspondent: 7:14 PM ET
  69 Comments
Why so harsh on priests? They are only men,Jesus was the only perfect being on earth.
Posted By Anonymous SW, Kansas City, Mo. : 6:47 PM ET
CNN has a habit of finding isolated cases to make a point. Why characterize a religion by showing isolated wrong-doers? Many thousands of priests and ministers are above reproach. So why doesn't CNN illustrate the "state of Islam" by showing a terrorist? Or look at the biggest anomaly of all - the Pres. of Iran claims to be a devout Muslim, yet calls to "wipe Israel off the map". A lot of your stories attempt to characterize a religion by profiling a small group of bad people.
Posted By Anonymous xtina chicago IL : 7:33 PM ET
father Jim and all his former prostitutes will go to hell that is no man of God more like the devil in disguise!
Posted By Anonymous di, San Antonio, TX : 7:38 PM ET
You can't trust them You can't trust them. A thorough examination needs to be done when it comes to the church. Just because a man says he was sent by God and took a vow still does not mean anything.
Posted By Anonymous Dave, Salt Lake, Utah : 7:46 PM ET
IT'S ONLY SOME MORE SICK CATHOLIC PRIEST CRAP. WHEN YOU TAKE A VOW, YOU TAKE A VOW. THESE GUYS TODAY SEEM TO MISS THE DEFINITION OF A VOW. I WOULD NEVER GIVE HIM MY CONFESSIONS.
Posted By Anonymous GARY, E. HARTFORD, CT : 7:56 PM ET
Fr. Jim should have been honest with himself and chosen another vocation that didn't require celibacy. On the other hand, I'm a firm believer the Vatican needs to revise its policy and make celibacy optional because so many men have left the priesthood due to celibacy issues. The vocation of the priesthood should be defined other than being based upon celibacy. There are so many dedicated, loyal, hardworking priests making a difference in society and helping others and sadly, their faithful service is often bypassed and overlooked.

Despite it's problems, one of the Catholic Church's attributes is that it doesn't expect people to be perfect as other religions do. It also professes the significance of forgiveness and reconciliation, which would certainly be beneficial when it comes to resolving the world's war and conflict areas.
Posted By Anonymous Bridget Jones, Edmonton : 7:56 PM ET
I bet he is isn't the only "Father" who is also a "father."
Posted By Anonymous Barb Kozlowski, Phoenix AZ : 8:00 PM ET
You know your life sucks when a Jesuit Priest is getting laid more than you are. What's wrong with this picture??
Posted By Anonymous Debbie, Denham Springs, LA : 8:01 PM ET
What a pity! Father Jim looks like a weak human being. He is weak at the weakest point in human nature. If he wants sex, he should get it legitimately by first retiring from his holy job and second staying single to be able to have sex with as many girl friends as he wants (not prostitutes) or getting married to have sex with his wife. The solution seems simple but has proved difficult for him. Sex is a need for all creatures in this universe, but how to get it is determined by law and moral in our human society. I would like to wish him good luck in dealing with the mess he has caused.
Posted By Anonymous Eagle Kiss, Tokyo, Japan : 8:05 PM ET
I do not care. Please find some real news.
Posted By Anonymous John Zelazek, Warrensburg, Missouri : 8:07 PM ET
As much as sexual abuse is running rampant in these churches today nothing that a priest does would suprise me anymore!
Posted By Anonymous Cynthia, Covington, Ga. : 8:10 PM ET
Absolutely Disgusting! Sorrowfully, nothing about Catholic Priests today would surprise me. What ires me most is to think my poor mother who worked all her life to make ends meet sent money to these Jesuits' for their worthy causes! Little did she know it might have been used to raise their illegitmate offspring! SHAME on the Catholic Church for pretending to be oblivious to the sins of their fathers.
They need to begin practicing what they preach and confessing their own sins instead of absolving those from their parishoners which are likely more venial than their own! Hypocrisy at it's worst.
Posted By Anonymous Pat Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada : 8:26 PM ET
Good idea..Better to have them paying for sex than praying on innocent kids...
Posted By Anonymous Philippe, Montreal, Quebec : 8:27 PM ET
I practiced celebacy for four years and I am telling you: the temptation of the senses are magnified during strictly abstaining from wordly pleasures. Someone who willingly and totally commits to the service of God and practices celebacy and abstains from sense pleasure is not worthy of sinning,then why is there an oppertunity to sin?
Posted By Anonymous Ratna, New York, NY : 8:32 PM ET
I think priests have a secret doctrine that they adhere to, "do as I say and not as I do." It's amazing the things some of them do when they always are so intolerant of your behavior. We weren't just taught no sex, you weren't even supposed to think about it, "impure thoughts" they called them. I guess the same rules don't apply to them.
Posted By Anonymous Christina, Windber, PA : 8:33 PM ET
As Jesus once said, "let he without sin cast the first stone".
Posted By Anonymous Michael Smith, Palo Alto, CA : 8:40 PM ET
If anyone thinks these are isolated cases, then I suggest you pull your head out of the sand.

Yes, Roman Catholic priests are only men who aren't perfect, but the Church puts these priests in positions of authority, and in many cases, covers up the "sins" of their errant priests.

The biggest sin of all is the cover up by the Roman Catholic hierarchy.
Posted By Anonymous Joseph Kowalski, North Huntingdon, PA : 8:46 PM ET
A priest involved in a sex scandal? SHOCKING!!! (not)
Posted By Anonymous Billy Prineville Oregon : 9:02 PM ET
When is enough enough? I thought Anderson Cooper and CNN were above this kind of reporting. This priest and all others are not accountable to us; their day and our day of judgement will come.
Posted By Anonymous Paul, Sarnia, Canada : 9:04 PM ET
I have always found it odd that the (Catholic) Church has decreed that healthy , heterosexual men, ( and as well as homosexual men) must remain celebate, while on the other side of the issue, have held that the sacrament of marriage is one of the holiest of God's laws. Old Testament priests and rabbis were required to marry. Jesus, ( who was a non Christian, and was in fact a Jewish rabbi) would certainly have been married at about age 15. I can only imagine the sexual/ psychological distortion and struggle that comes as a guaranteed part of the celebate job of a modren Catholic priest. While I do not think that a priest should diddle around, I can only sympathize with them, for they cannot marry.. Priests are humans too. When anyone's sexuality is crushed by such edicts and guilt trips, they always become sexually damaged. Also, how can a priest try to counsel and aid troubled husbands or wives about how to save their marriage if the priests themselves are so cruellysexually frustrated?
Posted By Anonymous Robert Haas, Kansas City, Missouri : 9:09 PM ET
That's just so sad. I mean, I'm Catholic, and, yes, I practice, and I honor and respect the priest whose sermons I attend - and it makes my skin crawl to think that there are priests who abuse their position so flagrantly and so completely. I don't think that we should automatically assume that men of the cloth are automatically sanctified and good because they wear the cloth, but neither do I think that we should have to automatically wonder just how imperfect they are either. Increasingly we've been having to do far more of the latter than the former and I wonder - how can we change that? I mean, CAN we change that?

I also wonder...there's a DVD of this? Really? Yikes.
Posted By Anonymous Liz, from Bellevue, WA : 9:12 PM ET
Amen to Debbie in Denham Springs, LA!!!
I don't believe in any organized religion. The only thing I believe in is Karma. That being said, I have to agree with Debbie.
If "fathers" are getting laid more than me, my life is in a sad state of affairs!
Posted By Anonymous Megan, Rochester, NH : 9:19 PM ET
Clearly what this man did is wrong, he abandoned his children and their mothers and broke his vows. As a Christian and a human being I know this to be wrong.

However, the acts of a few do not outweigh the acts of the many. All churches are full of people, people sometimes fail, but that doesn't make all churches bad. Churches are doing great things in the world to help people, things like feeding them, giving them places to sleep, helping them face life's challenges. The story of a priest who spends his days in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter don't make headlines, only those of scandals do.

Also remember when presented with a woman caught in adultery Jesus said:
"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:6 NIV
Posted By Anonymous Jon Pittsburgh, Pa : 9:23 PM ET
I suspect anyone who professes to be celibate as having severe personal problems. Absent physical reasons like communicable disease, missing/damages body parts. etc there is no logical reason not to have a healthy sex life, and no, the primitive taboos of desert tribes are no longer logical.
Posted By Anonymous Sobac Retok, Columbia, SC : 9:24 PM ET
This is a terrible story. I wish you would run a story that is positive about the church. There have to be wonderful stories about the good causes the church works on. This is very disappointing.
Posted By Anonymous Jess, Paris, KY : 9:37 PM ET
Priesthood etc. is an excellent hiding place for people who are sexually dysfunctional. And then we have to listen to them giving advice to the rest of us on how to behave! You have to be braindead to take it seriously!!
Posted By Anonymous michael harding, austin, texas : 10:01 PM ET
Do you know anyone whose family has not been touched by a Roman Catholic priest breaking his promise of chasity? The problem is that the culture of acceptance and cover-up once prevailed but now it is still around but not to the extent of the years before the law suits.
Posted By Anonymous Al, Glen Burnie, MD : 10:24 PM ET
I don't care what a priest does with a woman,prostitute or not or even the guy next door if it's mutual. I have a BIG problem with sexual predators,even more if they represent a "fatherly" figure. I have a BIGGER problem with the Vatican doing nothing about it.
And the laws going easy on them.

Joanne R.
Laval Quebec
Posted By Anonymous Joanne R.Laval Quebec : 10:31 PM ET
It seems like CNN is in a deliberate
venture to tarnish Christianity, especially the Catholics. Some of the anti-Christian websites from India are
getting more anti-Christian news from
CNN. On the other hand, there is no
justification for a Priest to violate
his vows, because for that profession,
weakness is not an excuse.
Posted By Anonymous A. S. Mathew, Ringgold, GA : 10:33 PM ET
Padre Jim's only transgression is with the Catholic church. No where in the Bible is the LAW of celibacy demanded. No where in the Bible is there a vow of celibacy. Padre Jim should have followed a vow of protest and then should have found a church that embraced his humanity as well as his call to pastor.
Posted By Anonymous DaRube, Seattle, WA : 10:34 PM ET
I'd go a lot easier on a priest who fathered kids rather than a priest who sexually abused them. As a Catholic, I also think the Church should change its policy on the celibacy issue and allow priests to marry. Sexual desire is a human need, and tamping it down doesn't work.
Posted By Anonymous DeeDee, Mustang, OK : 10:39 PM ET
Taking a celibacy vow is a recipe for disaster. If God meant for us to be celibate, he wouldn't have given us a sex drive. Sounds as if Father Jim is just a garden variety sexual deviant who just happens to be a priest.
Posted By Anonymous Claire, Des Moines Iowa : 10:46 PM ET
In New Jersey, for the past 20 years, adult adoptees have been trying to get access to their original birth certificates by changing the laws in NJ on adoption practice. The primary opponent has always been the Roman Catholic Church. I suspect the reason is that some Fathers are fathers and some Sisters are mothers. 90% of birth parents want to know what happened to the children they relinguished for adoption. But the opposition to our bill claim that they need to protect birth parents. I suspect they ARE protecting birth parents, but just a few who the church feels need protecting. If the church had to pay for their hetersexual misconduct as they have had to pay for their homosexual misconduct that would be catastrophic.
Posted By Anonymous Mary Mild, Ewing, New Jersey : 9:39 AM ET
This is the result of an outdated and unnatural celibacy law being enforced on normal healthy men. An oath doesn't put the hormones and urges to rest. If the church of Rome would put away this silly law and allow their priests to marry, these kind of problems would vanish.
Posted By Anonymous Dean, Saskatoon, SK : 9:51 AM ET
Can one justly condemn the whole Society of Jesus ( Jesuits) for this man's sins?
What 's wrong with this group who believe just because this man is a priest, he should be perpetually sinless. Grow up,be wise to human nature and it's folly. For a society steeped in pornography and sex, you all are unreasonably naive !

Ramon
Posted By Anonymous Ramon K. Domingo,Midland, TX : 10:07 AM ET
The problem is not with GOD or ministers, the problem is with the Catholic church and it's vow against marrying a woman. The Holy Bible "never" said to do that, and in fact there is mention in the bible that it's a false belief to require a man of the cloth to not marry.

Also, Jesus never told anyone to confess their sins to a priest. He told you to talk to GOD in prayer for yourself. Why does everyone consider the Catholic voice as a substitute for the word of GOD? Because you never read the bible for yourself! Celibacy is not a GOD ordained vow to the ministry.

Besides that, this guy Jim never had good intentions from the beginning. So don't make it appear that the whole church or all priests are up to no good. There are far too many that are true men and women of GOD compared to the few rotten apples that get all of the press and attention by people that don't know any better.
Posted By Anonymous Dana, Stratford NJ : 10:08 AM ET
Newsflash! Priest has sex with women! Oh, the horror of it all! Oh, the humanity!

The man did what countless other men (and women)did: he failed.

Big deal. You need a life.
Posted By Anonymous Jerome Long, Janesville ,WI : 10:24 AM ET
Im tired of these "celibate" priests doing this. The RC church needs to change this rule. That being said what the Father did is still his problem. Having sex with one woman who u care about is very different from paying prostitutes. And why on earth would those women toture the children by having them? How horrible to be born in that situation.
Posted By Anonymous Yvette, Houston, Texas : 10:35 AM ET
"Padre Jim's only transgression is with the Catholic church."

Hiring hookers is ok with other churches now? News to me.
Posted By Anonymous Jack, Washington, DC : 10:44 AM ET
More proof positive of the totally unnatural and unbiblical practice of forced celibacy among the catholic priesthood. One of many practices of the catholic church that is either only supported by church doctrine and not the Bible, or blatantly contradictory to clear Biblical teaching.

Here's a minor example that probably seems petty, but no one really ever thinks about. Ever wondered why priests are called "father"? I believe it's supposed to show their spiritual leadership over their congregation. But Jesus himself said in Matthew 23:9 - "and call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." Interesting the church chose "father" for the title when Jesus clearly said we have one spiritual Father - God the Father. I would never refer to a priest as father - as respectfully as possible I would call him sir.

The church tries to add layers to get to God(priest,pope,Mary,saints,etc.), when the true beauty of Christianity is that mankind has direct access to God the Father through His one mediator, his son Jesus Christ.
Posted By Anonymous Jeff, Andrews, NC : 10:52 AM ET
Jesus was celibate. "Take up your cross and follow me." What part don't you understand? The Vatican is filled with liberal progressivists at this moment in history. It'll get better. The Blessed Mother assures us falling, stumbling sinners of that. Pray for St. Pius X to return!
Posted By Anonymous R,Denver, CO : 11:10 AM ET
Whether he's a priest is of no consequence...fornication is a sin. Does this fellow think he can mock God and get away with it?? We shall see...
Posted By Anonymous Sandra, New Port Richey, FL : 11:17 AM ET
I turned the channel when this story came on last night. Not because I don't care about the victims of abuse, but because I am in overload re the topic. I thought, oh no, not another priest story so soon after the sensitive handling of the CNN reporter's experience. I was riveted to the screen then and thought that the piece was awesome. However, now, rather than dragging out the details of more horrible abuse, I want to hear about restitution and help for the victims hurt in the past and what is being done now in the Catholic denomination to prevent this crime from happening today--and the impact on today's pristhood. One thing I can say, is that with my flavor of Protestantism, I would never (or be expected to) turn over control of my faith walk to my Pastor the way it appears to happen between Catholics and their priests. Our Pastor would pass out if he got through a meeting where someone didn't disagree with him or challenge something he had said. In a nice way of course--to keep everyone honest.
Posted By Anonymous Charlotte D, Stockton CA : 11:21 AM ET
I am not catholic,but I am not surprised by this MANS behavior. This is completely normal behavior. I would not be afraid to have him as a neighbor, but some of the other predators that hide behind the cloak of priesthood would not be welcome in my neighborhood
Posted By Anonymous r. lemke Paulina, La. : 11:39 AM ET
we all have our own issues do deal with, what can we do in this world too stop all this, just pray and stop trying to make it look like none of us have sinned. keep living and maybe the next story will be yours.
Posted By Anonymous M. Parker New Roads LA : 11:40 AM ET
Two things - Why should the priestly vow be any different than the marriage vow - many churches now lookthe other way at divorce - Isn't that the same vow before God? There is as the Church lady use to say so much "convience". Why don't preachers get up before overweight America and preach about the sin of gluttony?

Second, maybe we see what one person calls "anti Christian" writings because these Christians are insistant on running our lives? Could it be just a little Tit for Tat?
Posted By Anonymous Steve, Tyler, Texas : 11:54 AM ET
I call myself a recovering Catholic. The Catholic church is nothing more that a very well financed cult!
Posted By Anonymous Rhonda, Omaha, Ne : 11:55 AM ET
I don't know what's more amusing. The fact that people are actually surprised that a full grown man would want to have sex, or the fact that they actually are insulted by it. Let's just crucify him for being human. At least he wasn't having his way with little boys. If he was indeed the rapist that some of these women are claiming then he needs to be tried and convicted as such. Seriously people get over yourselves and your self-righteous condemnation and follow the teachings of your Christ. Or if you want just keep throwing stones. I'm sure you're right and you're completely without sin.
Posted By Anonymous Eve, Beaverton, OR : 11:56 AM ET
This could have something to do with why I left the Catholic church!
Disgusted...but not surprised,in Florida!!
Posted By Anonymous S.Bergstrom, Seminole, Florida : 11:56 AM ET
Hi Drew, As a kid growing up in Catholic schools in the 40's and 50's, I often wondered how priests maintained their celibacy with the nuns and the parish women fawning over them like they were some kind of God. The media's reporting over the last several years certainly answered the question for me. They did not maintain any sort of celibacy.
IMO the Catholic Church needs to re-think the role of celibacy for their priests. It is un-natural and perhaps NOT the will of God.
Posted By Anonymous Judy Stage Brooklyn Michigan : 12:00 PM ET
i agree with Debbie and Meghan if a priest is getting laid more often than me. I defintely have a problem. Did you really expect a fallible being such as man to ignore the natural decrees of our bodies. A former believer in the sanctity of the priesthood.
Posted By Anonymous stacy,bushkill pa : 12:14 PM ET
I ditto what Pat from Charlottetown said about a poor mother who scrimped her pennies so the priests could live a lavish life style...not me!!!
Posted By Anonymous david,vienna,va. : 12:19 PM ET
My disenchantment with the Roman Catholic Church, its leadership and it ordained continues! Not only has the church been exposed as consciously covering up for many, many years the harm its leaders caused, but, to come out through the words of its Bishops and Cardinals pretending to care is laugable. Besides the sexual abuses, they announce they want people to disobey the laws of immigration and they say that is right? From what vantage point - the fact that they have a huge Latino following that gives them money? Further investigative reporting will one day uncover that the Vatican machine is a money-machine and it comes down to protecting their turf and assets! Shame on this religion, shame on the church I was educated to believe and shame on those that blindly follow their teachings because they have been taught to not question their authority. Sad statement!
Posted By Anonymous PK Orange County CA : 12:27 PM ET
John 8:6 "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her"
I've noticed that several people have used this quotation to support their opinion. I'm a freshman at unc chapel hill, and am fortunate to be in the class of the top new testament scholar in the world: bart ehrman. One interesting point he made was that the story of the woman caught in adultery cannot be found in several of the oldest surviving versions of the book of John. It was added later by scribes, who assumed that this would Jesus's reaction to the scenario, and it later became part of the canon. it's an intriguing story, but Jesus clearly this incident never occurred.
Posted By Anonymous Al, Chapel Hill, NC : 12:36 PM ET
Who made up the stupid rule that Catholic priests be celibate anyway? I'm just happy to read that he didn't abuse any children... too many children have had their innocence stolen from so called holy men!

I was raised Catholic... but there are so many contradictions in this religion that it's mind boggling! If you really think hard about it, the religion makes NO sense what so ever.

And it is high time to change the stupid rule of celibacy. Then men can be men without all this commotion. God didn't make us perfect.
Posted By Anonymous Christine, Toms River, NJ : 1:03 PM ET
Well, at least he likes women and not little boys, gotta give him credit for that.

Being celibate is not the problem here. This guy was one raging hormone as it sounds like many of the commenters are as well. But some people view sex as special between 2 people and you don't share that kind of intimacy with just anyone. Remember from the Bible, Sodom and Gomorrah (sp?)

Sex is also supposed to be between married couples to procreate, not between anyone you've ever sat beside, had your picture taken with or had a drink with in a bar. Sounds like some of you could use more self-control.

Proud to be quirky-alone!
Posted By Anonymous Em, Toronto, Ontario, Canada : 1:05 PM ET
Thank God!! This proves that there are straight priests in the Catholic church.

If you are going to fool around, take off the collar permanently -- or get the church to enter the real world by changing this and numerous other archaic rules.

If vocational trends continue as they have been, priests will disappear from the church in the not too distant future.
Posted By Anonymous Steven Blake Cottonwood, TX : 1:07 PM ET
It doesn't say in the bible not to marry. But it implies that if you do marry, you will be spending more time worrying about what your spouse needs and feels instead of focusing on God. That is why these priests haven taken that vow. It's not because they think sex and marriage is unholy, they fully respect it. They just want to focus their whole lives on God. However, they are only human and I admit that what the Vatican does is a little shady. It's not for us to judge though, their time will come.
Posted By Anonymous Danny Edison, NJ : 1:27 PM ET
At least he wasn't hitting on little boys which seems so common among the Catholic clergy.
Posted By Anonymous Roger Memphis, TN : 1:32 PM ET
Why is it that you Christians and Catholics just can't admit that the rules of Christianity are absolute garbage? As a human being, if you deny your natural desires, your body will crave them in a horrible fashion. Sex is necessary for the human body, so of course by this priest denying himself the right to have it, he went about it in a malicious fashion. It's time to look at Christianity for its imperfections and then look at yourself for yours. His actions may not speak for everyone as a whole, but how many more sex craving priests do you need to be exposed before you all admit that the idealism of Christianity really isn't helping anymore?
Posted By Anonymous Joel, Brooklyn, NY : 1:39 PM ET
Daily we hear nothing but horror stories and all the bad that exists
in the world. Please Anderson try your best to find some stories about the wonderful priests and brothers that do so much good. It's only fair that you tell both sides of the story.
Posted By Anonymous Fran Toms River, N.J. : 1:41 PM ET
The headline says "Jesuit priest hired prostitutes for sex." What was he supposed to hire them for, to pave his driveway?
Posted By Anonymous Chip, Washington, DC : 1:44 PM ET
This is a story about "Father Jim," but I don't understand how/why some people on this blog see him as representative of all priests, the Catholic Church, or priestly celibacy. I hope Mr. Cooper and CNN�out of fair and balanced journalism�will do a story about hundreds or thousands of Jesuit priests who have or are contributing to higher education here in America. For those who summarily think "Father Jim's" transgression as a problem of celibacy, do you seriously think that sexual misconduct will be eradicated or at least decline among priests if they are allowed to marry? You are serious mistaken my friends. Studies show that many, if not most, cases of sexual misconduct/abuse occur in the home.
Posted By Anonymous Ben, Washington, DC : 2:23 PM ET
I don't care if you're a priest or a trashman, a Catholic or an atheist. Morality is something that exists in different capacities within all individuals. This priest's actions are morally wrong. Leave it at that. Those of you who haven't realized by now that priests can be immoral are very nieve. They're human-beings, not angels with glowing halos over their heads. It's no different if anyone else pays for sex. It's morally wrong and everybody has to live with the decisions they make.
Posted By Anonymous Chet, Malvern PA : 2:32 PM ET
what else is new, religion has become the biggest entertaiment in the U.S. between evangelical pastor coming out of the closet, priests addicted to sex and child molesters, if you care to pay attention there is more gossip in religion that in hollywood.
Posted By Anonymous Diana,New York,, N.Y. : 3:47 PM ET
It's the women's fault that this happen and the children should blame their mothers for letting this happen. We saw what happened!
Posted By Anonymous Angun, Cev'aq, Alaska : 4:07 PM ET
Dear Drew,

Talk about adding insult to injury, this man breaks his vows and uses the parishioners' money to do so! I am a little perplexed as to why so many comments blame CNN for reporting what this priest did. They should be directing their anger at Father Jim and the church. Do they think this issue should just be ignored? The reason things like this go on so long is because they are ignored. This man fathered four children! The church shares the responsibility because they allowed him to become, and remain a priest even though they knew about his "promiscuity problem," and they neglected to act when asked to do so. Let's put the blame where it really belongs.

My heart goes out to Don Slats. I hope he is able to work through this and find some peace in his life.

Thanks for bringing us the report.

Jo Ann
Posted By Anonymous Jo Ann Matese, North Royalton, Ohio : 4:38 PM ET
Paul in Sarnia,
"When is enough enough? I thought Anderson Cooper and CNN were above this kind of reporting. This priest and all others are not accountable to us; their day and our day of judgement will come."

your kidding right? So lets let all the murderers walk, rapist, child molesters, open up the prison and let God sort them out? That is based on your logic. Well lets ship all of them around the world to your town.

Good logic, and yes it is up to reporters to tell the world about what is happening. Above this kind of reporting? They are not smearing or lying, just like a story about smugglers, people who claim to go t oa location for a mission (be it rebuild New orleans, spread catholicism, judiasim, islam, democarcay whatever) when they really are doing the opposite.

Oh yeah, we have laws to govenr and protect innocent people and punish or remove from society those that hurt others.

go to Baghdad, Darfur, Afghanistan or thousands of other cities for a day and tell me we should leave it to god.

I too am cathloc like you are, but do not let a personal opinion on your religion cloud your ability to think rationally.
Posted By Anonymous Jason Palm Harbor, Florida : 5:49 PM ET
Send the reporter to Alaska to interview the people who lived among these women, they'll tell you what has been going on those years when "father" Jim was living among the natives. THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE OF THE STORY TO ALL THIS!!!!!!!
Posted By Anonymous Cuuq, Ningliq, Alaska : 6:31 PM ET
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• 10/22/2006 - 10/29/2006
• 10/29/2006 - 11/05/2006
• 11/05/2006 - 11/12/2006
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• 11/19/2006 - 11/26/2006
• 11/26/2006 - 12/03/2006
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• 12/17/2006 - 12/24/2006
• 12/24/2006 - 12/31/2006
• 12/31/2006 - 01/07/2007
• 01/07/2007 - 01/14/2007
• 01/14/2007 - 01/21/2007
• 01/21/2007 - 01/28/2007
• 01/28/2007 - 02/04/2007
• 02/04/2007 - 02/11/2007
• 02/11/2007 - 02/18/2007
• 02/18/2007 - 02/25/2007
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• 03/25/2007 - 04/01/2007
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• 04/15/2007 - 04/22/2007
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• 07/22/2007 - 07/29/2007
• 07/29/2007 - 08/05/2007
• 08/05/2007 - 08/12/2007
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• 08/19/2007 - 08/26/2007
• 08/26/2007 - 09/02/2007
• 09/02/2007 - 09/09/2007
• 09/09/2007 - 09/16/2007
• 09/16/2007 - 09/23/2007
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• 09/30/2007 - 10/07/2007
• 10/07/2007 - 10/14/2007
• 10/14/2007 - 10/21/2007
• 10/21/2007 - 10/28/2007
• 10/28/2007 - 11/04/2007
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• 11/18/2007 - 11/25/2007
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• 12/02/2007 - 12/09/2007
• 12/09/2007 - 12/16/2007
• 12/16/2007 - 12/23/2007
• 12/23/2007 - 12/30/2007
• 12/30/2007 - 01/06/2008

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