As accusations of clerical sexual abuse continue to emerge, most recently in Ireland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, a conversation I had recently with a Vatican official offered a timely reminder not to forget what is often overlooked: the well-being of priests in all of this.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that while each case must, of course, be treated with the utmost seriousness and justice be done, often innocent priests are the ones who have to bear most of the fallout. The perpetrators also receive precious little help or compassion from the Church.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has been such an overreaction that most priests are now warned not to even touch a child,\u201d\u009d he said. \u201cAnd I\u2019ve not seen the slightest compassion shown by anybody to a priest caught up in this stuff.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Stressing that while the crime is deplorable, he said a very small minority of priests are guilty of the crime. Furthermore, he reminded that the perpetrator is \u201ca priest and a Christian and deserves some kind of help and respect \u201d\u201c they\u2019ve almost been treated like dogs and it\u2019s horrible.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n