How Long Does It Take a Man of God to Admit Child Rape is Wrong? [View all]

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http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/joannabrooks/6780/how_long_does_it_take_a_man_of_god_to_admit_child_rape_is_wrong/

January 23, 2013 1:28am
Post by JOANNA BROOKS

Today, the Los Angeles Times published a front-page story reporting that Archbishop Roger Mahony of Los Angeles sat on reports of felony-level sexual abuse of children by priests for almost 15 years before he took action, and that the Los Angeles Catholic diocese waited at least 14 years before reporting abuse to law enforcement.

The LA Times report was based on letters written by Mahony in 1986 and 1987 recently entered as evidence in a civil suit. More documents will be disclosed in the coming weeks.

Here at RD, I have argued that it was the feminist movement’s emphasis on bearing witness to sexual abuse that raised consciousness and created critical mass among Catholic laity towards breaking the abuse scandal open.

And it sure doesn’t take a degree in gender studies to see how a hierarchical patriarchal institution will protect its own before it protects children.

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