The Abuse crisis, and the Ostrich land of the Australian episcopate and its lay apparatchiks

Was this read out to you last Sunday? :

http://cathnews.com/images/documents/media/131112%20TJH%20Council%20Statement%20of%20Commitment.pdf

better than this arrogant statement of a year ago: http://www.sydneycatholic.org/justice/royalcommission/Royal%20Commission%20Bishops%27%20Response%20November%202012.pdf

The priest who read it where I went to Mass, who I consider to be a very saintly man, was obviously very pained by it and his distress at the monstrosity of the crimes and the poor response, and the damage to the mission of the Church were palpable. More so than for any bishop I have heard speak of it in this country I have to say.

And still what seems lacking is an owning of this by those who are actually in ‘leadership’ – quickly the statement slips to ‘the Church’ as if we were all party to these decisions and actions.

And still no material sign of repentance – bishops and priests should do public penance, and if the laity choose to follow their ‘leading from the front’ well and good but enough of this Black Adderish – “behind the front, 40 miles behind the front”

And then this from Francis Sullivan:

http://www.tjhcouncil.org.au/media/42843/131120-Media-Release-TJHC-calls-on-all-Catholics-to-take-responsibility-for-Church-response-to-sex-abuse.pdf

as Australia Incognita has said many times “they just don’t get it”

http://australiaincognita.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/breaking-up-club-can-we-really-do.html

 

 

Comments

[Paul]

The Australian Incognita article is very good. Yes, they "just don't get it".

The Church needs to send a very strong message to society to regain any kind of moral authority, and this means (1) public punishment of senior Bishops including resignations and sackings; (2) genuine support and compensation for the "whistle blowers", including public re-instatement; (3) genuine support and compensation for the victims; and (4) dramatic public acts of rejection of the perpetrators, such as removal of pervert Priests bodies from Church crypts and cancellation of all financial support (including exclusion from Church residences). Unfortunately there appears to be no appetite for any of these things. There is also no mention of the taboo topic: that most of the perverts were homosexual.

I also have a fear when I hear expressions like "how we push for reform and cultural change" that this evil will be twisted and used to justify ideological agendas including further liberalisation of the Church and further destruction of the Priesthood. It is actually liberalisation of the 1970s and 1980s (including homosexuality in the seminaries and unconventional interaction between religious and laity) that contributed to this crisis, and more of the same is not the answer.