Abusers should be held to account

Abusers should be held to account

Recent newspaper and TV news stories call attention to the pope and the Vatican’s involvement in the worldwide sexual abuse of children. Thousands of children have been abused in the United States by priests. Originally the Vatican claimed the abuse was a problem confined to the U.S., but complaints have been reported all over the world: Africa, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and even Italy. The abuse is so widespread the institutional church can no longer keep secret the cover up of abusers by the bishops. London protesters demand the pope resign: Austrians have begun a church-funded commission to investigate abuse claims probably to ward off investigations by civil authorities. The Vatican is out to defend the indefensible.

Previously the Catholic church has done an excellent job of defending itself against scandal and protecting the reputation of its leaders. Secrecy has been its stalwart defense. But the real problem for the church is protecting children. On this matter they have failed miserably. Despite all the flap about screening employees, fingerprinting, psychological testing of seminarians, zero tolerance, etc., the abusing clergy are still transferred from parish to parish, diocese to diocese, country to country. The children are unprotected unless the abusers are prosecuted, jailed or otherwise monitored.

But the real anger comes from the fact that the cardinals and bishops who hid abusers and enabled them are not exposed for their crimes — mistakes, sins, transgressions.

Arguments the church uses to defend itself are ludicrous:

1) The pope and hierarchy are victims of bad press. The media have done nothing but report facts and generally have been very kind.

2) The sex problem is not unique to the Catholic church. Does this exonerate the blame? It is like the immature school child trying to excuse his misbehavior by claiming: “everybody does it.”

3) According to Msgr. Charles Scicluma, a Vatican official, the Vatican insists on secrecy and in countries where there is no legal obligation to report sex abuse accusations to legal authorities, bishops are not forced to denounce their own priests. Good grief. Is there no shame?

John Wirtz, North Jackson