UNITED STATES
Crossmap
By Brian Nixon – ASSIST News Service On January 30, 2016
ALBUQUERUQE, NEW MEXICO (ANS – January 28, 2016) — In the new Hollywood movie, Spotlight, the story is told of how journalist of the Boston community took on the Roman Catholic Church over the issue of sex abuse. The priest at the center of the abuse was John J. Geoghan.
According to the Boston Globe, the “church allowed abuse by priest for years.” Writer Matt Carrol and Michael Rezendes, state, “By 2002, more than 130 people had come forward claiming that former priest, John J. Geoghan, allegedly fondled or raped them [1].”
This is all-too-common and disturbing news; something any denomination or group of godly clergy never want to hear coming from it’s ranks. But it’s the truth. It happens. And hopefully the truth will set the church free, finding healing, help, and hope for both the victims and the perpetrators of abuse. Justice and judgment need to be enforced, but so, too, does love and longsuffering-extending support and spiritual sustenance to those affected by clergy abuse.
I recently participated in a Spotlight type event in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A few months back I was approached by a friend who told me his story of being raped by a priest in New Mexico at the age of 12. I was horrified by what I heard. As clergy, my heart broke, and my sense of justice was ignited. We talked, prayed, and I listened.
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