Religion

One of the survivors said on tv the other day that the church does not hesitate to call the cops when a priest steals money from the church. All he was asking was that child sexual abuse--the theft of innocence and trust and even sometimes a life--be treated the same as petty theft, that the accused be turned in to the cops.

But I do believe that "there are so many good priests" is a piss-poor defense. For one thing, where were all the good priests while the bad ones were carrying on like a Roman (pun intended) orgy? No one noticed anything? I'm sure you read the report from PA. How could all that have gone on without *someone* noticing? None of the "good priests" had the kind of relationship with a victim or victim's family that would allow them to confide in him? Doesn't speak well of the pastoral abilities of the "good" priests. Is there any record of a "good priest" dropping a dime on a predator priest?

And, come to think of it, where is the outrage from the "good" priests? Why haven't there been calls from the pulpit for justice--real justice--for the victims? Has any "good" priest publicly condemned, by name, a "bad" priest? If he has, I haven't seen it. I hear lots of mealy-mouthed "concern" for the abused, but no one, it seems, is willing to do or even say anything that might truly help.

Pope Francis had me when he said "Who am I to judge?," which is the most Christ-like thing I've ever heard from a pope (and I majoried in Medieval Studies!), but his foot-dragging (and worse) on this topic disappoints and disgusts me.