LANCASTER (PA)
Lancaster On Line
February 17, 2019
By Rev. Allan Wolfe
Everyone with a heart recoils at the tremendous damage caused by the sexual abuse of children.
Most recognize that the wounds are deepened when the abuse is perpetrated by a person of trust — a parent, another relative, a teacher or a coach.
And we are outraged when this terrible crime, this grave sin, is perpetrated by a member of the clergy or someone else affiliated with the church. Religious faith is meant to bring people greater peace and wholeness. Yet it has been entangled with these profound violations, these acts of violence, these betrayals against the core aspects of the human person.
Having heard firsthand from victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, I am so sorry and grieve the suffering, pain and isolation they endure on so many levels.
Recognizing the evil of child sexual abuse is simple. Understanding the complexities of the factors and contexts contributing to these crimes and sins — and thus determining the best way to address this plague in society and protect all children — is much more complicated.
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