BishopAccountability.org
	Pope Must End Abuse Scandal By Craig Pearson Windsor Star April 19, 2010 http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Pope+must+abuse+scandal/2923972/story.html Believe it or not, buried deep under serious harm, even evil, there exists a potential bright side for Catholics concerned about their church during the mounting priest sex-abuse scandal. The sexual abuse, of course, is horrible. The hurt done to so many young innocents around the world at the hands of their supposed spiritual advisers cannot be condoned, denied or forgotten. The victims must remain at the forefront of consideration. But secondary victims of the clergy sexual abuse also exist: regular Catholics around the world, 1.2 billion strong. The faith of many Catholics is shaken. Some have flat out rejected Catholicism. Others remain committed, but with diminished trust. Worse, mounting evidence suggests the Catholic church swept such allegations under the rug. In some cases, even, simply transferred dangerous priests to new jurisdictions. All this deservedly bad publicity has Catholicsm reeling, especially since some critics believe Pope Benedict XVI tacitly supported cover-ups in a letter he wrote as Cardinal Jospeh Ratzinger, seemingly resisting defrocking a U.S. priest in the name of the universal good of the church. But I'm glad the church must admit its demons. It's not some unfair, hostile attack. Sexual abuse is wrong. And the church must clearly say so. The Holy See must implement clear, universal rules: that abuse will be dealt with promptly, that priests found guilty of sexual abuse will face the law. Furthermore, priests should not be alone with minors, which would also protect priests from false accusations. The Pope on the weekend went his furthest yet. He met and cried with eight of 10 victims of sexual assault in Malta -- including men claiming they were abused by Rev. Godwin Scerri, who worked for a decade at St. William's Church in Emeryville. He also suggested during a Vatican mass that the church must do penance for its sins. The Pontiff must still address the issue directly, name it, apologize for it, and vow to stop it. If so, the Catholic church can regain its standing in the world, and emerge a little fresher, more modern and perhaps even financially stronger -- without ever more expensive lawsuits weighing it down. It could concentrate again on things it does best: helping the poor, providing assistance to those in need, offering an outlet for faith. I grew up Catholic. I was even an altar boy for two years. Took part in church plays. Was a Cub Scout in a church basement. Went to Catholic school. And I never once heard of a priest doing anything criminal. Like the rest of society, most priests are good people. So if the Vatican does the right thing by helping prosecute abusers, the largest denomination of the largest religion in the world can once again flourish. And so can the billion-plus Catholics who could once again feel good about their religion.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.