BishopAccountability.org
	Abuse Crisis Weighs on Charlotte-Area Catholics By Tim Funk Charlotte Observer March 29, 2010 http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/03/29/1343258/abuse-crisis-weighs-on-areas-catholics.html CHARLOTTE (NC) -- Some call for improved accountability; others say media are stoking unfair criticism of the pope. Charlotte Catholics heading into Holy Week are thinking not only about the approach of Easter but also about troubling new questions swirling around the leader of their ancient church. On Saturday and Sunday, Catholics leaving Palm Sunday Masses at three Charlotte parishes indicated that they have long been concerned, even "heartbroken," as one put it, about a child sex abuse crisis that has rocked dioceses in the United States, Ireland - and now Germany, where Pope Benedict XVI previously served as archbishop of Munich. Recent news reports allege that, in 1980, he approved the transfer of an abusive priest to another jurisdiction. Then in the 1990s, when he was the Vatican's top doctrinal official, he was allegedly made aware of a Wisconsin case in which the church failed to defrock a priest accused of molesting 200 deaf children from the 1950s to the 1970s. The Vatican has strongly denied any wrongdoing by the pope, and some Catholics interviewed over the weekend said they stood by the pope - if not the church's overall handling of clergy sex abuse scandals. "The church has been remiss on this (crisis)," said Tim Gaither, a consultant who attends St. Peter Catholic Church uptown. "(But) nothing's been proven about the pope. He was cc'ed on a memo (about the German priest). That doesn't prove anything." Others, though, said Pope Benedict has not been forceful or decisive enough in dealing with those past cases - and with the larger scandal. "I do think the church needs to take a really hard stance and speak up," said Diane Morais, a financial services professional who attended Mass Sunday at St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Cotswold. "I'm worried more is going to come out. He's pope now, and I think he needs to be more vocal, and take a stronger stand" in favor of zero tolerance of abusers. Last Friday, Bishop Peter Jugis, who heads the 46-county Charlotte Diocese, asked worshipers attending a Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in Dilworth to pray for the pope. Jugis led the congregation in the recitation of the "Hail Mary," a popular Catholic prayer, "for the Holy Father because he is bound to be carrying a heavy burden as he receives news of the scandal." In response to questions from the Observer, diocese spokesman David Hains also released other statements from the bishop. Jugis said, among other things, that "the church is made up of fallible humans. The question is: how are you going to address the mistakes?" Until the recent allegations, Pope Benedict, who was installed in 2005, was given higher marks than his predecessor, John Paul II, on how he's addressed the abuse scandal. During his 2008 visit to the United States, the pope met with victims of clergy sex abuse. And this year, he scolded Irish bishops, one of whom resigned, for covering up years of sexual and physical abuse by clergy. But the news reports about the German and Wisconsin cases have led some to actually call for the resignation of the pope, who was chosen by the College of Cardinals to serve for life. None of the local Catholics interviewed over the weekend endorsed resignation. Still, some called for him to do "some serious soul-searching," as William Black, an accountant who attends St. Ann Catholic Church on Park Road, put it. "He needs maybe some counseling. It is sad. These are heinous crimes and, if all true, you can't run from it." Though there was universal condemnation of the abuse of children by priests, several Catholics said they worried that a new round of headlines about the scandal was hurting the church's image - in some ways, unfairly. "It's pretty bad, I wish the media would leave it alone," said Judy Pagani, an accountant who sings in the choir at St. Gabriel. "There are pedophiles in every group - teachers, others. But the media doesn't seem to make as much of it when it doesn't involve the Catholic Church." Carole Burgess, a parishioner at St. Gabriel for 40 years, said she's worried, too, that all the publicity will unfairly tarnish the image of all priests. "Most priests are dedicated and do marvelous work," said Burgess. Hains, who speaks to the news media on behalf of the diocese, offered his own criticism of at least one aspect of the press' coverage of the allegations about the pope. Hains' target: A political cartoon by the Observer's Kevin Siers that ran Sunday on the Observer's opinion pages. Titled "Shoes of the Fisherman," it showed footprints from the "Abusive Priests Cover-up" leading to Pope Benedict. "That was a despicable and unfair characterization of a great man," Hains told the Observer. "For the first time in 35 years, I'm embarrassed to be a subscriber to the Observer." Not the subject of homilies It doesn't appear that the pope's problems have been the subject of homilies (sermons) during this Lenten season. Still, at least some priests are hearing opinions about it - and sharing their own. "I personally believe the accusations against him are false," said Rev. Timothy Reid of St. Ann. "And from what I hear from my parishioners, it appears that many of them think the same." But no matter what role the pope did or did not play, Catholics interviewed over the weekend said their church will get past this scandal, just as it has with other controversies in its long history. Said Tom Foltz, a parishioner at St. Gabriel" "The church will survive." Contact: tfunk@charlotteobserver
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.