By Danielle Petersen
Philadelphia News
August 26, 2011
http://thephilanews.com/catholic-church-releases-list-of-scorned-clergy-21416.htm
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Ay… just when you think the Catholic church's reputation can't get any worse, Cardinal Sean O'Malley recently released the long-anticipated names of the 248 priests in the Boston area alone who were accused of child sexual abuse in the last 50 years. O'Malley chose not to include the names of 91 priests who had died before they received a fair trial.
The horror in it all? Well one of the horrifying aspects I should say, is that many of these priests are still working as… wait for it… priests. While these names were known to the public, this is the first time the Archdiocese went public with the full set of names. O'Malley stated that the archdiocese's attempt towards compiling a comprehensive list of all those accused clerics was "a step toward taking responsibility for clergy sex abuse". He continued, "I carry with me every day the pain of the church's failures." O'Malley, in this case, could be referring to 2002, when it was uncovered that many priests who had committed pedophile acts were being shifted from church to church so as not to be caught. Advocates for abuse victims say lists such as the mentioned are crucial to helping victims receive some form of closure. It provides victims with validation– a public recognition of the wrongs they endured. Reverend Richard Erikson said that it took so long to complete the list because they wanted to make sure it was thorough.
Still, one can't help but wonder: How many more priests are there out there who simply have not been caught yet? However, if this list helps insure that even one child will be spared from the scars of sexual assault, that is what counts.
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