By Margery Eagan
Boston Herald
April 17, 2008
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1087711
Survivors of church sex abuse should get over it and the rest of us should move on.
In the two days since Pope Benedict XVI landed in America, I've heard that enraging remark repeatedly. And this: The pontiff's doing all he can to right the sex scandals' wrongs.
That second statement is even more enraging, and ignorant, than the first.
The fact is, the pope is not serious about changing the culture that created this mess. If he were, he'd have removed or ex-communicated not only bishops such as Bernard Cardinal Law, who knowingly shuffled abusers from parish to parish, but those accused of abusing children themselves.
| Pope Benedict XVI waves to spectators in Washington yesterday. |
Bishop-Accountabilty.org, a sobering Web site documenting the hierarchy's continuing sins, just last weekend posted the names, pictures and abuse charges against 19 Catholic bishops who will never be tried - the statutes of limitations have run out.
They include nine retired bishops. Some have admitted guilt; others have lost hefty civil suits. Thomas L. Dupre of Springfield was accused in 2004 of sexually abusing two youths. He resigned, was indicted for rape but escaped prosecution because the statute of limitations expired.
Anthony J. O'Connell of Florida admitted abusing at least 10 children and stepped down in 2002. Likewise, Lawrence D. Soens of Davenport, Iowa, who was accused of abuse by more than 20 kids at the high school where he taught and was principal.
All three men retain their title as bishops emeritus, as well as the trappings of their office, plus the financial support of the church.
File this outrage under Unfinished Business.
"The Pope needs to take some kind of drastic action," says Bishop-Accountability's Terence McKiernan. "Start with demanding the resignation of Bishop (John B.) McCormack in New Hampshire" - one of Boston's best known pedophile priest enablers.
Ditto Chicago Cardinal Francis George. Right up to 2005, George ignored or covered up abuse by Daniel McCormack, dating back to 1988, that allowed the predator priest to continue unchecked. In fact, the day before McCormack finally was arrested in 2005, he'd just been promoted - by George. McCormack eventually was sentenced to five years in jail for abusing five boys ages 8 to 11.
Nonetheless, George was elected just last year, by an 85 percent margin, president of the powerful U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. As president, George is Benedict's official host this week.
"The bishops have gotten a free pass," McKiernan said. "They are this tiny little club. The club is what's important to them - the reality is they are supported in luxury by the donations of millions and millions of Catholics."
If the pope were serious about changing the pedophile culture, he would have fired, not honored, Cardinal George. He'd have dumped all these men.
Here's another grievance Benedict could redress: He could release the names of some 2,000 U.S. priests who have been accused of molestation but whose identities remain concealed by the Church.
Where are these men? Dead? Alive? Saying Mass in your parish? Living next door?
The Vatican knows who these men are. American bishops do, too. But the church, which vowed transparency at the depths of the scandal, is not telling.
If Pope Benedict was sincere about cleaning up the Church's act, an exasperated Rhode Island judge, in a lawsuit just this year, would not have had to bludgeon the archdiocese there for information about abuse allegations involving dozens of priests.
Retired Providence Bishop Louis E. Gelineau is a "see no evil, hear-no-evil type of guy, apparently," said the judge, according to the Providence Journal.
Here's what else Gelineau is: pretty typical.
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