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	Abuse by Priests The Courier-Journal May 20, 2011 http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20110520/OPINION01/305200011/Abuse-by-priests?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Home|s Regarding a new report, “The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests, 1950-2010,” Diane Knight, chairwoman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' National Review Board said, “There are no excuses.” She's right. Yet, to some, the findings of the “empirically based” study by an independent research team at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York will sound like excuse-making. Specifically, Karen Terry, the report's principal investigator, triggered criticism with her comment that, “The increased frequency of abuse in the 1960s and 1970s was consistent with the patterns of increased deviance in society during that time, and those social influences intersected with the vulnerabilities of individual priests.” That sounds like blaming society and the “sexual revolution” of that era for the criminal behavior of some priests. That portion of the study needs discussion and clarification. However, there is much to be praised in the report. Of particular note, the researchers said they found no evidence that celibacy or homosexuality were primary causes for the abuse. Celibacy is a church issue, but society as a whole has an interest in how gay men are portrayed. Some conservative Catholic groups are insistent that the abuse stemmed from homosexual desires. The study group showed courage and resolve in resisting pressure to disguise the prejudice of others as a responsible finding. Victims and survivor groups rightfully found fault with the report's emphasis on offending priests, instead of on bishops who reassigned priests they knew to be troubled. Indeed, the church hierarchy in Rome has yet to meet its responsibility to hold those bishops accountable. However, there is good sense in Ms. Knight's overall perspective that, “There is much that the church has to learn from this report, and much of it is difficult. The bottom line is that the church was wrong not to put children first for all those years, all those decades.” The report isn't flawless, and it must not be the final word. But it can be an important contribution to understanding and positive change.
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