The scandal of the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic Clergy is more prevalent today than it has every been.
Almost daily, new stories of criminal sexual abuse tell tales of horror and suffering visited upon youngsters at hands of those they trusted for spiritual guidance and support.
Articles in newspapers, blog posts, podcasts and tweets instantaneously and to an infinite number of recipients repeat the latest story of perverted and deviant attacks against innocent victims by Priests, and increasingly by Bishops, even a Cardinal or two.
Thus far, each time these incidents surface, the Church feigns surprise and shock.
How could this happen? Is it possible that such a popular, well respected Prelate could have done such a terrible thing? How could so many who knew or should have know been silent?
The timeline repeats itself incesantly: (1) the incident is reported; (2) feigned surprise and shock from diocesan officials; (3) spokespersons representing local Church leadership promise investigations; (4) weeks pass with no word from the diocese; and (5) reports of financial settlements are announced at a hurriedly-called news conferences.
Here’s my word to the Bishops: this isn’t working anymore.
The longer the Church pretends to be shocked and appalled by these stories of sexual abuse of minors, the more the Catholic faithful become mistrustful and suspicious, and the more they become convinced that corruption within the ranks of the Clergy is pervasive and unchecked.
But, along with the feigned shock, comes the second kicker: fake enlightenment and false promises.
This is perhaps even more damaging to the credibility of the Church than the crimes of abuse themselves.
This deception takes a number of forms but has the following common characteristics:
(1) an announcement that the offending Cleric has been removed from his assignment and all forms of public ministry in order to protect the faithful from further abuse; (2) the findings of panels of so-called experts looking into the patterns of abuse; (3) publication of policies and guidelines which the diocese will follow in investigating future incidents; and (4) assurances that these policies and guidelines will protect Catholic youngsters from future abuse.
It’s all nonsense.
Church officials tells us that Clergy-abusers are so fundamentally and psychologically disordered that they should never have been Ordained and certainly will never be allowed to public minister in the future. Some are do disturbed that they must be laicized and cease to be numbered among Catholic Clergy.
Yet, the same Church officials promise that such disturbed and disordered pyschopaths will be attentive to diocesan guidelines and allow their deviant inclinations to be ordered by them.
And such deceptive double-talk actually poses the risk of harming even more people who are foolish enough to believe it.
Simply put, the Church tells people what they want them to believe, knowing all the while that there is no certain or sure way of protecting their youngsters from criminal sexual abuse by the Clergy now or any time in the future.
And when the inevitable story of yet another incident of abuse occurs, the backlash is often even worse than before because the feigned shock and fake enlightenment which followed earlier incidents is seen as nothing less than lies and deceptions by Church leaders who only pay lip service to concerns about the safety of young people.
If the Church is going to experience any progress when it comes to addressing the scandal of sexual abuse of minors, it is going to have to be radically honest. That will be painful and difficult indeed.
It means that the Church is going to have to first admit that anyone in ministry (Ordained or not) is human and subject to all the foibles, follies, and frailties of sinful humanity. Not every person in the Priesthood or in Church ministry is trustworthy and capable of that ministry.
It means that the Church will never be able to guarantee the protection of every child and youngster in its care. No policy or guideline is foolproof, but reasonable steps can be taken and both those in ministry and those they serve need to be mutually cooperative in overseeing the safety and security of young people.
It means that the Church will take the initiative in reporting incidents of abuse and swiftly remove from positions of ministry and authority all those who in anyway were associated with the abuse including even the top echelon of authority within the diocese, the Bishop himself.
This depth of honesty and commitment will not guarantee that incidents of future abuse will not occur, but will assure the faithful that they will be dealt with immediately, openly and honestly.
That in and of itself may bring much healing to a critically wounded Church.
No comments:
Post a Comment