A Church in Crisis

Valley Breeze
January 23, 2019

http://www.valleybreeze.com/2019-01-23/woonsocket-north-smithfield/church-crisis#.XEx1Nlwzbb1

In a recent newspaper article, I read where the Vatican is preparing to defrock Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop of Washington, for sexually abusing children.

Another report indicated that the Illinois district attorney is working to expose the names of 500 priests who have also been charged with sexually abusing kids. It’s disgusting. Where does it end?

The shock of widespread clerical sexual misconduct has been reported on an almost daily basis. No crime is more repulsive than the abuse of a child.

Clerical sexual abuse of children may prove to have cataclysmic results. A church with 2000 years of history is passing through a time of crisis.

The movie “Spotlight” highlighted the extent of clerical sexual abuse of children as it took place in Boston and the surrounding Massachusetts area. It showed how a culture of secrecy protected degenerate priests from being brought to justice. The systematic practice of the church to transfer discovered predator priests from parish to parish didn’t solve the problem; it made it worse. What has been reported already makes one wonder just how pervasive this problem is.

The Rhode Island District Attorney has promised to break through this curtain of secrecy; he promised to investigate, expose, and prosecute reported predator priests in R.I. So, I hope that Bishop Tobin provides the transparency that will be necessary for the D.A. to accomplish this.

Only when the truth of this wickedness is totally known and prosecuted will the victimes of this abuse get true justice, and the church experience true reform. Until then, a cloud of doubt, mistrust, and suspicion will persists.

Jerry Bousquet