WISCONSIN
LaCrosse Tribune
Vince Hatt
For years I have postponed writing this commentary. I just have too many feelings to sort out. There are just too many ways to frame this. Limited to about 750 words, I must leave out important information.
But here goes: My thoughts and feelings about the sexual abuse of children by priests.
When I first heard about it, I was sad and embarrassed. Sad because some priests had hurt and taken advantage of the most vulnerable of those whom they were called to love and protect. Embarrassed because as a Catholic I would be challenged by those who like to tear down the church. As I learned more about the profound damage that sexual abuse does to children, I became horrified.
Later on, a priest I knew was listed among those abusing children. I was dumbfounded. This priest was known as a “good priest.” He preached well, was attentive to the needs of his parishioners and had young people excited about their faith. Here again I was confronted most starkly by the human reality that all of us are a mysterious mix of saint and sinner.
Then I learned that some bishops quietly moved many of these priests to other parishes. Maybe these bishops thought it was only a moral issue. These priests could confess, be forgiven and change. Maybe these bishops weren’t aware of the deep psychological damage done to children. On the other hand, maybe these bishops wanted to look good to other bishops and to the pope when they traveled to the Vatican every five years to give an account of their stewardship. I don’t know. Regardless, it was a tragic mistake that did horrible damage to many more children.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.