LOS ANGELES (CA)
The Legal Examiner
Nick Kahl
Attorney
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles posted files concerning child-abusing priests on its website—more than 12,000 pages of documents—after being order to do so by the Federal Court.
In a letter to the faithful, Archbishop Jose Gomez addressed the release of documents, and the failures of his predecessors to protect the children of the parish. Archbishop Gomez veered widely from the standard Church language by acknowledging “The behavior described in these files is terribly sad and evil. There is no excuse, no explaining away what happened to these children.”
However, the National Catholic Reporter is not satisfied with the response, taking Archbishop Gomez to task in an editorial decrying his “we didn’t know” defense. Some within the clergy are also not satisfied, and are speaking up on behalf of saddened, disillusioned parishioners.
The release of these files demonstrates that the tragedy here is manifold.
It is tragic for the victims of abuse and their families. But, it is also tragic for all the faithful that the institution of the church showed great concern for protecting the institution qua institution — and no concern for protecting the very people that the church exists to nurture, guide, and protect.
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