Sins & Silence
Letters to the Editor
Story of abuse needs to be told

By Vinnie Nauheimer
Telegraph Herald [Dubuque IA]
March 19, 2006

http://www.snap-greatplains.org/dubuque/My_Homepage_Files/Page2.html

[See the main page of the Sins & Silence series for links to all the articles and letters to the editor.]

In response to Libby Streinz's letter of March 13: There is every need to repeat the stories on abuse. It is still alive and well.

It was recently disclosed that Cardinal George of Chicago was not following the Dallas Charter. He did not remove a priest who had credible accusations made against him.

The attorney general of Massachusetts recently disclosed that the Archdiocese of Boston hasn't implemented the reforms it promised.

The Catholic Church had a policy of shuffling pedophiles. According to the Dallas Morning News, two-thirds of the bishops in this country knowingly moved pedophiles and were therefore complicit in the rape, sodomization and molestation of children, which are all criminal acts.

These criminal acts were allowed by men (bishops) who vowed to emulate Jesus Christ, not school principals. One who uses the cry, "Why don't you pick on them?" is preaching moral relativism.

Sex abuse is, has been and should always be considered wrong. The Catholic Church is still dragging its feet, and that is why this issue should be addressed in every paper in every major city until those that produced this scandal understand the grave harm they've done, admit their part in it and take the steps necessary to change it.

Vinnie Nauheimer
121 Oneida Ave.
Croton, N.Y.

Editor's note: The author has written two books and a play on the subject of clergy abuse and was successful in having his son's abuser defrocked.