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	Editorial: Pope Should Ensure Abuses Not Repeated San Antonio Express-News April 22, 2008 http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/stories/MYSA042308.01O.Pope1ed.278b312.html Inspiring joy throughout his recent U.S. visit, Pope Benedict XVI also inspired a notable amount of sadness. Some Catholics were afraid the church sex scandal would overshadow his trip, but it was the pope himself who brought up the issue, and he was wise to do it. Ignoring the scandal will not make it go away, as church officials from Boston to San Francisco have discovered. It was a painful subject, but the pontiff addressed it with refreshing honesty and compassion, going so far as to speak with some of the abuse victims in private meetings; he is believed to be the first pope to do so. When it comes to such monumental transgressions, however, forthright discussion is not enough; the words must lead to action. Pope Benedict called on bishops to address "the sin of abuse" within their jurisdictions, but the pope oversees those bishops, and he must buttress local diligence with the full force of the church. "I simply wish to assure you, dear priests and religious, of my spiritual closeness as you strive to respond with Christian hope to the continuing challenges this situation presents," the pope said to about 3,000 worshippers on Saturday at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, according to media reports. Hundreds of priests have been removed from their positions, and six dioceses have declared bankruptcy in cases going back five decades, the New York Daily News reported. But abusive priests are only part of the problem; as with any type of abuse, the sins are abetted by those who fail to warn parents and police. The church cannot police itself until it creates an independent system to discipline bishops and other officials who refuse to deal with abusive clergy. During his visit to the U.S., the pope raised the possibility of changing church law to create such a mechanism. By discussing the issue during his trip, the pope showed he is not afraid of talking about a painful subject; now he must show that he is not afraid to act on it.
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