MALTA
Times of Malta
Sunday, February 16, 2014
by Fr Joe Borg
The handling of child abuse cases by the Catholic Church in many countries had been, for many years, nothing short of scandalous. This attitude constituted a horrendous betrayal of the Church, its mission, and worse still, the vulnerable children it was bound to protect. It is true there was a time when the appraisal of the significance from the abuse, its effects and remedies was different from what it is today. But, at best, this can only slightly attentuate certain reactions.
The overall reaction was appalling and we are still paying a horrible high price for the lack of effective action taken. That is the way it was and that is the way it should be described: nothing more, nothing less.
Having said that, I add that the report penned by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child under the guise of a purported defence of children is also worthy of disdain. The report (at least in several parts) smacks more as an endeavour to engage in a culture war against the sexual mores and pro-life stand of the Catholic Church than a genuine attempt to protect and defend children.
Its recommendations for the Church to abandon its teachings on, for example, abortion, same-sex marriage, and contraception are not only beside the point but downright counterproductive.
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