Dotcommonweal, As Seen on TV

By Jerry Slevin
Christian Catholicism
December 24, 2013

https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog

As a billion Catholics during this holiday season focus on baby Jesus, the most famous child in history, many of them will ponder a top priority: How can their Church, that worships Jesus as God, curtail its continuing child abuse scandals? Jesus knew many children and advocated strongly for them. The shameful and seemingly endless sexual abuses perpetrated, often with impunity, by childless men are unacceptable, especially to Catholic parents. See, for example, the troubling recent remarks of an abuse survivor and former priest at:

[Herald News]

Will Pope Francis make the difference? As Pope Francis’ poll numbers skyrocket, the obvious question arises–so what? If Francis fails to make bishops accountable and the priest child abuse continues, for how long will polls matter?

Pope John Paul II enjoyed high poll numbers until the media began reporting on the Boston priest child abuse and similar scandals. Pope John Paul II and his successor, ex-Pope Benedict XVI, dismally failed to address effectively the abuse scandal. Ex-Pope Benedict has, in effect, been exiled to a convent for life for his failures. John Paul’s shameful legacy, including his protection of the perverted priest, Fr. Maciel and his cult-like Legion of Christ, is still reverberating, see:

[National Catholic Reporter]

Will Pope Francis curtail the priest abuse scandal by making bishops accountable, a clear necessity to curtail the scandal ? Francis’ actions to date, perhaps influenced unduly by the cardinals who elected him, suggest he may try to protect bishops mainly and hope to ride out the priest abuse scandal.