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	On Human Error and Humility By Lino Spiteri Times of Malta August 9, 2011 http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110808/opinion/On-human-error-and-humility.379259 The clerical abuse case took a long time to come to judgment. It still has to go through the appeals phase. But it has already shaken Malta to its roots. The latest development, the interview with Mgr Carmelo Scicluna in yesterday’s The Sunday Times, added wisdom and sense to the issue. Both are needed. The public reaction, one of total condemnation of what took place, is understandable, even if Christian forgiveness must not be lost sight of. The knock-on effects are not always so. Two in particular come to mind. One is made up of sweeping statements regarding the clergy, the very presence of the Church among us. That is not right. What has been revealed in the clerical abuse case is a sad example of human frailty, coupled with an abysmal lack of appraisal and supervision. A few have erred. Some might still be doing so. They disgrace themselves and the mission they vowed to uphold. Yet on the other side, not least in Malta there are hundreds of clerics who give an excellent account of themselves. They not only propagate the faith they are taxed to uphold. Many are active within the community, carrying out positive work that all too often goes unnoticed. The Church itself, allowing for times when the Curia took it to unnecessary lows, as in the politico-religious disputes and the recent divorce legislation campaign, has contributed immensely to the good of our society, not least by reaching out to the needy. It was a pioneer in the education sector, in homes for the aged, for children, for those who live at the margin of society. It still is. It would be not only ungrateful but also unworthy to forget all that because some members of the clergy succumbed to baseness. The second effect that strikes me concerns repeated comment made online and elsewhere regarding the psychological state of the culprits, and the prevalence of depression among them and some relatives. These remarks seemed to imply that those who suffer from depression are prone to abuse others sexually. That is a carry-forward of the unjustified stigma that is often attached to depression and other mental illness. Beyond such attitudes, what struck most beyond the lack of necessary supervision and thoughtful inspection was the delay for justice to be done. It was not easy for the victims to speak out. Some of them are still psychologically scarred. It pains them deeply to talk about their horrible experiences. To do so anywhere, let alone in court where defence counsel is obliged to try to discredit their evidence. What was possibly worse for them is that, having plucked up the courage to expose what they endured, they had to live through so many tense years for hearing of their case to be concluded. Mgr Scicluna said he had no choice but to give the local Church investigative bodies a “necessary prod”. There were delaying matters, he observed. “It even seemed a big deal to get the members of the (Church response) team to meet up. The process was never-ending. It was ridiculous.” Strong words, but merited. Especially when “the signs were evident”. Mgr Scicluna had more to say. He thinks that recent events, including the divorce referendum, demand a humble exercise in soul-searching and a new vision for the role of the Catholic Church in Maltese society. He recognised that the Maltese Church represents some of the best qualities our nation can offer. “It also has great potential to do good to society, to challenge it. It needs to accept its failures with humility.” The Maltese Vatican prelate said the apology issued by the Church in mid-week was an important “first step”, especially because “the Curia” is not used to apologies. “But this apology has to be followed by concrete action…” The Monsignor’s forthrightness has yet to be shared by the Curia. On the same page that it carried his views yesterday The Sunday Times had to report that the Church had declined to comment on its Response Team’s dismissal of sexual abuse allegations against one of the accused priests, just weeks before he was charged with such offences in 2003 (and, one might add, now that he has been found guilty). Mgr Scicluna’s interview reads like a programme for action by the Curia. He said that the verdict would have repercussions on the Church but he believes positive aspects would emerge and send a signal that “nobody is above the law”. Nobody is. Nor is anyone immune to human error, though error must be recognised, rectified and atoned for. We should all be humble.
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