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	Danaher: the Church Can Recover from Sex Scandal By Charlie Danaher Daily Camera April 17, 2010 http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_14899884#axzz0lMCNNf00 As a Catholic, I am saddened and deeply troubled by the sexual scandal in the church. It seems impossible to reach any other conclusion than that the church tolerated and protected molesters, with the highest incidence occurring from the mid `60s to the mid `80s. Many innocent children have been violated and will likely carry scars for life. Those injured may have -- understandably -- left the church and taken others with them, thinking that those who should protect instead only exploit. In hindsight it`s easy to see why such practices may have occurred, namely: 1) The hierarchy was interested in minimizing negative press, and certainly in avoiding any negative financial repercussions. 2) There was -- and still is, and not just in the church -- an idea that the molesters are troubled, were likely molested themselves, and therefore weren`t fully responsible for their bad behavior. 3) The family of some of the victims may have hesitated to report such crimes fearing the negative attention and shame it brings the family. Though no fault of the victim, this silence served to embolden the perpetrator. None of these reasons should have been acceptable then, and they certainly don`t cut it now. Justice must be pursued, and we Catholics must be more adamant than anyone in its pursuit, when it comes to abuses in the church. We must follow the evidence wherever it leads, including the pope, if appropriate, and with due respect. If criminal prosecution is in order, so be it. If we look at the facts, it is apparent that this is far from a Catholic issue. Sexual exploitation of youth is a worldwide epidemic. Since 2002, when the church implemented a zero-tolerance policy toward proven abusers, incidence has dropped to very low levels, with six cases being reported in the 2009 U.S. bishop`s annual audit. But if justice is to be served, we need to have reasonable motivations. Nowadays, too often the agenda against the church is motivated by ideological conflicts, such as those regarding abortion, homosexuality, birth control, and celibacy. The goals of some are to silence the church, have it abandon its principles or, preferably, just go out of business. If we are to have justice, we shouldn`t have one set of rules for the likes of Roman Polanski and another for the priests. But unfortunately it seems we do. One-hundred Hollywood types signed a petition demanding Polanski`s release, referring to his arrest for raping a 13-year-old as "a case of morals," calling him "one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers," as if that accolade made the assault any less reprehensible. Meanwhile, some are calling for the pontiff`s resignation, based on circumstantial evidence, at best. Enemies of the church are in full pursuit. The New York Times (March 25, 2010) all but implicates the pope in protecting molesters. The facts, as best they are available now, prove no involvement of Benedict XVI. Outrage toward sexual abuse is reasonable, but outrage must be tempered with logic. According to a 2004 Dept of Education study, abuse is more than ten times as likely to occur in public schools as in Catholic ones. Our church has faced many trials over the last 2,000 years, and it will survive this one also. The Catholic Church is not perfect, but has many things for which to be proud. One thing is sure: The church can recover its dignity without abandoning the faith and principles. As a child I was an altar boy and served many a Mass for many priests. Not once did I hear or ever detect a hint of inappropriate behavior. But that`s not surprising given the number of reported incidents. If we are to move forward, it must be in the pursuit of justice, restitution, reconciliation, and healing. If protection of the children is truly the highest priority -- as it should be -- then there should be no deference granted one ideology over another. E-mail: cadanaher@gmail.com
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