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	Journalists Heroes in Catholic Scandal By Chris Lamb Post and Courier May 4, 2010 http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/may/04/journalistsheroescatholicscandal/ In an essay appearing in Sunday's newspaper, the Most Rev. Robert Guglielmone, the Catholic Bishop of Charleston, criticized The Post and Courier for reprinting an opinion essay written by Maureen Dowd of The New York Times. Guglielmone described Dowd's essay as 'jaundiced journalism' that misunderstood the distinction between defrocking a priest and laicization of a priest. (After he is 'laicized,' a man is no longer a priest. 'Defrock' is a term that could be used for a man who remains a priest but has been barred from wearing clerical garb.) More broadly, Guglielmone expressed concern about 'scandalous media reports on child sexual abuse and the alleged mismanagement of the situation by the Church's hierarchy.' He complained of 'deliberate falsehoods dished out to the public by some in the media' and called on the media 'to get their facts right.' One of us is a Protestant. The other is a Catholic. We do not respond to Guglielmone in his role as shepherd and leader of the local diocese. However, we do have some special expertise with communication and the media. In light of this expertise, we wish to answer Guglielmone's charges about media misbehavior. First, we accept Guglielmone's premise. Whether in straight reporting or in crafting opinion essays, professional journalists should get their facts right. When journalists fail to do this, their failures should be criticized. Dowd's point would have been stronger and more credible if she had recognized that the pedophile priest featured in her essay already had been removed from ministry. The delay in Church action about which she complained concerned that priest's laicization. Second, Guglielmone ignores the point made by others about this specific case, to which Dowd briefly alludes. This pedophile priest remained a priest for several years, even after he requested laicization. Because priests are held in special regard by many families and children, leaving this man with the ability to describe himself as a priest posed some risk that he would have greater access to children. Dowd's failure to get the facts right in all respects does not make this point any less serious or legitimate. Third, Guglielmone describes certain media reports as scandalous. As explained by St. Thomas Aquinas, a scandal is an action or word that encourages sin and spiritual ruin. We struggle to understand how the errors in Dowd's column or The Post and Courier's decision to publish the column could be understood as a scandal. In contrast, we would describe any clerical action enabling child sexual abuse as scandalous. We assume the Bishop of Charleston would agree with us. Finally, Guglielmone suggests the Church should receive credit for internal reforms, while not seeking to excuse the Church's 'bad decisions.' These reforms are important and significant, we agree. It is worth noting, however, that these reforms came only after the publication of stories in the news media. If the community is asked to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the Church's response to child sexual abuse, we should do the same in recognizing the work of journalists in exposing decades of sexual abuse committed by thousands of priests and other people associated with the Church. Beginning over two decades ago with the work of the National Catholic Reporter, journalists have done more to initiate reforms that protected children in the Catholic Church than has the Church hierarchy. Whatever their faults and failings, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists of The Boston Globe, for example, contributed greatly to saving another generation of children from abuse and brought justice to abuse victims. We have seen no evidence that the Church in the U.S. or abroad would be reforming itself and protecting children if it were not for the imperfect but essential scrutiny of a free press. Of course, we love the good works of the Catholic Church and the wonderful men and women who exemplify the best of their faith in every corner of the globe. Further, we have faith that Charleston's bishop is a good man. However, in combating the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, the heroes in this matter more often have been journalists than members of the Church hierarchy. We hope and pray that Guglielmone recognizes as much.
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