I have had it up to here (imagine me touching the ceiling) about pedophiles in the Catholic Church. There are calls for the Pope to step down. That is so not gonna happen. There are calls for I dunno…justice. That is so not gonna happen. Maureen Dowd, of the New York Times, is busy condemning the Catholic Church and that is okay too. But, alas, there is something else. First please understand I am a confirmed Roman Catholic and I attended Catholic camp each summer for years. I decided to walk away from the Church as a practicing Catholic, when I witnesses a nun berate my mother for being divorced. This nun knew nothing of our family background nor did she consider that there might have been good reasons for the divorce, yet she upbraided my mother in front of me. My mother submitted to the verbal lashing because she just wanted me to have the opportunity to get a good education. I learned from that encounter that there is no such thing as Catholic Mercy. (Despite the many hospitals that carry the name)
My catechism was taught by priests. During my entire time in classes and in camp, I was never alone with priests, nuns or any other adults. The priests, nuns and camp counselors set it up that way! Folks there is simply no need for a child to ever be alone with a senior member of the Church. Period. End of story.
There are things the Catholic Church should do:
1) Allow pedophile clergy to be reported to authorities, tried in open court and suffer the same penalties as any other pedophile
2) Excommunicate pedophile clergy
3) The Church itself should call on lay members to provide a layer of security for children by chaperoning children.
4) Provide lay counseling, using qualified therapists not affiliated with the Church, to assist victims of pedophile clergy.
These are the things that Catholic Church should do at the very least, but it won’t. Institutions in general are only concerned with their own survival and will do anything necessary to ensure that survival.
Parents should recognize one thing: There is simply no reason for your child to EVER be alone with an adult member of the Church. Period, end of story. Parents whose children are in choir should come together as a group and develop a schedule to permit a parent to be at every choir rehearsal. Little Johnny needs tutoring and the priest volunteers to do it? That priest can come to Johnny’s home when at least one parent is home and tutor there. There is no reason for a child to be in the rectory unsupervised and another priest or nun is not adequate supervision.
Concerned as it is with preserving its hierarchy and wealth at all costs, the Catholic Church will never take action. But parents can and must.
What are your thoughts? Please comment.
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