Why People Were Wrong and Right to Be Outraged by the Priest Scandal

UNITED STATES
National Catholic Register

by Mark Shea Thursday, September 26, 2013

People were wrong to be outraged by the priest abuse scandal if the reason for their outrage was the notion that there was something singularly sick and weird about priests that made them and them alone commit crimes against children, or if they believed there was something unique to bishops in possessing an institutional instinct to cover up the crimes, circle the wagons, and perpetuate the victimization by attacking the victims as boat rockers, etc. As our school system keeps demonstrating, there is nothing uniquely Catholic about this. All institutions behave this way. And it ain’t because teachers are celibate or teaching is a male-only institution.

On the other hand, people were absolutely right to be outraged by the priest abuse scandal because the Church’s response to priestly abuse was not unique but average, like the average response of all human organizations to such crimes. Why single the Church out when the average response of schools or the military, or corporate cultures is also to let the same things go on and commit similar coverups? Because, blast it!, the Church is the Body of Christ, that’s why! It’s. Not. Supposed. To. Be. Average. It’s. Supposed. To. Be. Holy. Those to whom much is given, much will be required.

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