ope Benedict XVI’s latest apology for the emerging global scandal of child abuse by predatory priests ”” an issue that the Roman Catholic Church should have engaged years ago ”” is strong on forgiveness but far short of the full accountability that Catholics need for repairing their damaged church.
With the scandal spreading across Europe, Benedict apologized to Irish Catholics last week for the “sinful and criminal” sexual abuse of thousands of children across decades. But he made no mention of the need to discipline diocesan leaders most responsible for shielding hundreds of priests from criminal penalties by moving them from parish to parish to continue their crimes.
The pope’s apology fell short not only for Catholics in Ireland, but for those in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, where hundreds of new allegations are emerging to be investigated by a Vatican office that has but 10 workers to do the job.
The day I listen to the NYT on how the Catholic Church should conduct herself is the day I start plucking pigs from tree tops.
Make no mistake we are seeing an opening salvo in the war against those who dare speak out in support of a Christian sexual morality. It is true that people in the Church gave the enemy enough powder to prep the muskets and for that we must seek forgiveness and offer remedy. But the attack would not be so concentrated nor so virulent if the Church would just get with the program and start preaching an empty gospel. One empty especially of any mention of sin.
Considering the NYT’s glad endorsment of policies that do harm to children I cast a very jaundiced eye towards their motives. Abortion, check. Premarital sex for teenagers, check. Gay rights, check. Gay adoption, check. Sex indoctrination (oh I mean education) designed by wanna be perverts, check. Planned Parenthood, check. In short there is not a fruit of the sexual revolution that the NYT does not find toothsome and delightful.
And the Church is the most obvious target. But no Christian body that dares to raise its voice against the agenda of the world will be safe for long. Any gross failure, any small failure, any deliberate act, any indeliberate act that exposes the existence of sinful and fragile human beings within Christianity will be used as a weapon to attack the legitimacy of the Gospel message itself.
Wrong was done. And I do believe the Church is taking steps to atone for that. But that is not what NYT wants. It wants the Church to be over. And that is not going to happen. For Christ still is in the heavens.
This NYT editorial reaches the same conclusion that the National Catholic Reporter’s John Allen did in his analysis. That the church has made strides in dealing with the problem of abusive priests but has done little on the episcopal front. Here’s the analysis, if anyone is interested:
http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/will-ratzingers-past-trump-benedicts-present
I think it’s also important to note that the “blame the media” defensive strategy during the American crisis, in which the Vatican implied that the scandal was limited to America and fueled by the American MSM, was a failure. Despite stories of similar abuse in other countries, it was framed as an “American” problem and dealt with as such. Along comes the “Irish” problem, and the “German” problem…um, how long can they keep this up before admitting it’s a systemic problem and, as Allen says, the bishops’ issues need to be addressed?
Lord have mercy if the wives and girlfriends of priests in South America and Africa suddenly decide they’re getting a raw deal and start their own campaign.
We must have read different article over at NCR. But then you would only glean anything that tainted the Church, nothing that was more objective as much of Allen’s article was.
And just what the heck do you mean by your last remark?
Tell you what Teatime, I give up. The Catholic Church is the most disgusting, heretical, dangerous, enslaving, mind controlling, evil organization on the planet. The Pope knew about every single case of sexual abuse and misconduct and he should be jailed. All priests and religious are sexual deviants who should not be allowed anywhere near children under the age of 15. Nothing the Church has ever done in the name of Christian charity will be enough to make up for all her past abuses. All Catholics should repent and leave the Church under penalty of law.
We are all going to hell for not insisting the Church is the tool of the Antichrist.
Happy now.
Apparently, those of us who have had this scandal touch them personally aren’t as quick as you are to exonerate the Church and blame the MSM, Paula. And your hyperbole isn’t helpful. In fact, it’s dismissive and condescending.
It’s quite clear in Allen’s analysis that more accountability must be demanded of the bishops. Or shall I make it even clearer? Right then…Directly from the article:
[blockquote]In general, the impact of Benedict’s “conversion” has been felt mostly on that first level — the determination to punish abusers, to adopt stringent policies governing future cases, to reach out to victims and to apologize for the suffering they’ve endured. So far, Benedict has not adopted any new accountability mechanisms for bishops. Aside from a few instances such as Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston, few bishops have been asked, or instructed, to resign.
As long as the perception is that the Catholic church has fixed its priests’ problem but not its bishops’ problem, many people will see that as a job half done.
In turn, that unfinished business is what makes the revelations in Germany so potentially damaging. To be sure, one could reasonably insist that Benedict’s policies as pope are far more important than whatever happened on his watch in Munich thirty years ago. Yet if other cases of abusers who were reassigned emerge, even fair-minded people with no axe to grind may be tempted to ask: Can Benedict XVI credibly ride herd on bishops for failing to manage the crisis, if his own record as a diocesan leader isn’t any better?
Much about the church’s capacity to craft an “exit strategy” from the crisis — and, perhaps, much about Benedict’s own legacy — may hinge on his ability to offer a convincing answer.[/blockquote]
As for my last comment, it’s rather common knowledge that many RC priests in other cultures feel “impelled” to be active heterosexuals. Read NCR, Google it, whatever you choose. In fact, I got this from a few of them firsthand when they served in our local diocese. The most publicized case involved that Milingo chap who publicly married his wife in a mass marriage ceremony presided over by Rev. Moon.
Whatever. It’s their issue, their decision. But they can’t continue to blame the MSM for not keeping their house in order. And Anglicans who think they’re going to find bliss in the RCC need to fully consider the reality.
I totally agree with the need for Bishops to be held accountable. Who said I did not? I do disagree with the pope’s action or inaction in the Munich case being compared to Bishops who knowingly covered up abuses and even urged victims to keep silent. I am able to make tht distinction, perhaps you are not?
And as much as I do admire Mr. Allen’s reporting skill I never forget that NCR is a notorious platform for dissenters from Catholic teaching.
And your so called common knowledge is what I refer to as gossip. It has no place in this discussion.
And yes much of the furor is fed by the MSM. This does not mean I am denying the problem. But I wait with bated breath for the MSM expose and condemnation of sexual abuse in the government run schools. Crickets?????