Unfinished work: Examining 10 years of clergy sex abuse

[meow2u3]

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Ten years after widespread news coverage of sexual abuse by priests rocked the U.S. Catholic church, hierarchical response to the continuing crisis indicates the church has “lost its ability to be a self-correcting institution,” Jesuit Fr. Tom Reese told a symposium of experts on clergy abuse today.

Reese delivered the keynote speech this morning at a daylong conference titled “Clergy Sexual Abuse Ten Years Later,” being held at Jesuit-run Santa Clara University. Following Reese is a series of panel discussions from a wide-range of sex abuse experts.

Among the speakers are some who firmly defend the U.S. bishops’ response to the crisis, particularly since the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002 and others who sometimes vehemently point to its weaknesses.

The presenters include Kathleen McChesney, the first director of the U.S. bishops office of child and youth protection; Ohio Judge Michael Merz, a former member and chair of the bishops’ National Review Board; Dominican Fr. Tom Doyle, a canon lawyer known for authoring one of the first reports on the subject; and Barbara Blaine, founder and president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/unfinished-work-examining-10-years-clergy-sex-abuse

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Thank God a clergyman is exposing the corruption in the church hierarchy. The bishops need to back off the persecutions of Catholics to their left and get their own house in order. They're acting more like the Pharisees and less like Christ with every passing minute.

[47of74]

1. See the one comment in the article?

While every abuser is
Submitted by Proud Catholic (not verified) on May. 11, 2012.

While every abuser is ultimately responsible for his actions, the widespread clergy sexual abuse scandal was occasioned by the culture of dissent, especially in response to Humanae Vitae. One only has to read some of the material featured in the textbook Human Sexuality, to know that there was grave confusion in regards to sexual morality in many seminaries in the 1970s, and 1980s. The answer to the scandal is not further dissent, but a full embrace of love and truth.

Sigh. Here we go again with the 60s made them do it excuse. Assholes like this don't realize that priests were abusing children long before the 60s and Vatican II. There was this one priest for in Dubuque who was abusing children in the 30s, 40s, and 50s.

[CBHagman]

2. Especially since this happens with people of other faiths as well.

I stumbled across a reference to a similar scandal among people of another faith, and a reference to the knee-jerk response to the accusers (I'll have to go back and find the link).

In any event, it is the response of the hierarchy, and not some sort of confusion about sexuality, or a generally liberal response to dissent, that brought about the abuse. Exhibit A is the scandal involving the Legion of Christ, hardly the citadel of dissent.