The Church's child abuse record doesn't disqualify it from opposing same-sex marriage

By Kevin Donnelly
Sydney Morning Herald
October 19, 2017

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-churchs-child-abuse-record-doesnt-disqualify-it-from-opposing-samesex-marriage-20171019-gz3w0m.html

Author Anna Krien's recent condemnation of the church's apparent hypocrisy (The Age, 17/10) in arguing that heterosexual marriage is best for children while being guilty of failing to address historical child abuse appears convincing.

A closer reading, though, reveals it for what it is.

While Krien's argument is emotionally persuasive she fails to provide a rational argument linking the two. Yes, the church clearly opposes same-sex marriage but to simply dismiss its arguments because of its failure to address paedophilia is wrong.

Firstly, the Catholic Church has long admitted it failed to protect children and that it did not do enough to bring the guilty to justice and to properly recompense victims.

Francis Sullivan, the head of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council, describes this as "a massive failure on the part of the Catholic Church in Australia to protect children from abusers".

In 1996 when then-archbishop of Melbourne George Pell implemented the Melbourne Response it, notwithstanding a number of shortcomings, represented one of the first attempts to properly address the issue.

And Pope Francis quite rightly condemns child abuse as "an absolute monstrosity, a terrible sin that contradicts everything that the Church teaches".

While there is no denying the Church manifestly failed to address the issue in the past those days have long gone.

By linking the two issues Krien also fails to acknowledge, as argued in the Catholic Church's Don't Mess With Marriage, that the Church's opposition to same-sex marriage is based on religious teachings and a deep commitment to religious faith.

After arguing that same-sex attracted people must be treated with "respect, sensitivity and love" the pastoral letter goes on to argue that marriage is a holy sacrament involving a woman and a man for "the good of the spouses and the procreation and upbringing of children".

Not surprisingly, Pope Francis describes marriage as follows: "We were created to love, as a reflection of God and his love. And in matrimonial union the man and woman realise this vocation, as a sign of reciprocity and the full and definitive communion of life".

Unlike those committed to a secular philosophy, Christians view marriage as an essential part of their faith and a union that reflects God's plan. And the majority of Australians still express a religious faith.

In excoriating the Church, Krien argues "let's ask these religious heavy hitters who claim to care so much for the protection of children; what happened in their jurisdiction?".

Ignored, while the Church was grievously at fault, is that the greatest incidence of child abuse involves those close to the child.

Figures compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that where abuse occurred for those under 15: 13.5 per cent involved a father or step father, 30.2 per cent a male relative, 16.3 per cent a family friend and 15.5 per cent an acquaintance/neighbour. A staggering 75.5 per cent.

While nothing will excuse the Church for the years of inaction the reality is that notwithstanding the millions of dollars spent on the Royal Commission and the anguish and soul searching about the issue, nothing is being done to investigate what is the principal and on-going cause.

Like many advocates of same-sex marriage Krien also makes the mistake of arguing that being equal means having the same rights and being treated the same. Ignored is that it is possible to be equal but different.

Men and women, for example, are genetically and biologically different (men have XY while women have XX chromosomes) but they have equal rights before the law and we now have universal suffrage.