BishopAccountability.org
	Your Say: Protecting Its Assets Rather Than Children By John Orlando The Telegraph July 9, 2010 http://www.macon.com/2010/07/09/1189155/protecting-its-assets-rather-than.html Skip Johnson’s comparison of the pope selection process to the Bibb County school superintendent selection process was instructive and relevant. Sharon Patterson was investigated by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission because she was accused of failing to report actions by a middle school principal and a high school principal. The middle school principal was accused of mistreating children, both physically and mentally. The high school principal was accused of a consensual relationship with a subordinate. Today, Patterson is no longer the superintendent, and the school board is selecting her replacement. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, headed the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, the church’s disciplinary arm, from 1981 until the day he became pope. He stopped the secret internal prosecution in 1996 of Wisconsin priest Lawrence Murphy, who admitted molesting 200 boys at a school for the deaf where he worked for 20 years. Like Murphy, many offending priests were often moved from one location to another to protect the predator priests and to cover up the problem. This may have met the requirements of the church’s canon law, but it did not meet the requirements of the laws that protect us and our children — civil law. The church opposes efforts to extend the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse. The extension will enable offenders to be prosecuted at a time when the abused child is finally brave and mature enough to speak up. The disgusting child sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic church is now well documented. The church’s handling of the scandal, which Cardinal Ratzinger was an integral part of, is best described as a deceptive and well planned cover up that reached the height of arrogance and hubris. Protection of tradition, power, assets and reputation have been more important to the church than protecting innocent children, treating the victims compassionately, and punishing offenders effectively with civil law. The church’s handling of the scandal has been sinful and far from Christ-like. As a baptized Catholic, and a member of SNAP (Survivor’s Network of those Abused by Priests), I am disappointed but not surprised by the pope selection. The church will not change soon. Johnson’s recommendation that the school board look outside of the educational establishment is smart and sensible. A former Catholic priest for superintendent is probably not the best choice. I pray that the Bibb County School Board finds a real leader who puts children’s safety, growth, and development unequivocally first. John Orlando is a resident of Macon.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.