UNITED STATES
The Garden of Roses: Stories of Abuse and Healing
Virginia Jones
A friend of mine, who I will call Emily, lost her job when she was in her fifties. It is hard to a job when you are a fifty plus year old woman. Emily struggled with despair and hopelessness. Her friend recommended that she visit a psychic she knew, suggesting the psychic might be able to give her some insight and comfort. The friend gave her reason why. She had gone to see the psychic herself. She was sexually abused by her father, but she had not disclosed this fact in public. The psychic instructed her sit with her in stillness and quiet while she meditated. After a while the psychic began speaking.
She said, “I see your father. He is in hell. He has hurt many people. I see him sitting in a chair. He is surrounded by mirrors. In every mirror he sees the pain he caused in other people.”
So personnel files were made public and it was revealed that Cardinal Mahoney tried strenuously to silence abuse victims and keep abusive priests in ministry. Why am I not surprised? Probably if personnel files for accused abusers across the country and the world were released, we’d see a similar pattern and many cardinals, archbishops and bishops would be relieved of their remaining duties.
Doubtless many people would like to see Roger Mahoney go to prison, but prison is expensive. I’d rather spend the money on therapy and drug and alcohol treatment for survivors of abuse. I think the better solution would be to surround Roger Mahoney with real life mirrors of the abuse he facilitated.
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