Yesterday, days after meeting with victims, Pope Benedict made a promise that the Catholic Church would at last take action to confront the pedophile priest scandal, marking his first public comments on the crisis.
During his weekly public audience in St. Peter's Square, Benedict recounted his tearful weekend in Malta with eight men who say they were abused as children by priests in a church-run orphanage. Benedict said: "I shared with them their suffering, and emotionally prayed with them, assuring them of church action."
Nice words, though, unless you have been sexually abused as a child, you have no idea the pain and suffering these people have endured.
As the Pope met with the men in private, the Vatican issued a statement saying Benedict had told the men that the church would do everything in its power to bring justice to abusive priests and would implement "effective measures" to protect children.
Of course, neither Benedict nor the Vatican has elaborated on what action or measures are being considered. It could be just more rhetoric to cast the light of shame and blame away from the church.
I hope not. I hope that, finally, the Catholic church will accept responsibility, and do the right thing from this day forward. The cynic in me, however, wonders if it's just talk and things, once they settle down, will return to the status quo of denial and protection.
I share your cynicism. From what I've read, this was a policy that goes back several decades, in which the RCC decided to handle these cases with utmost secrecy.
ReplyDeleteUntil they start turning these abusive assholes over to the authorities for prosecution of what is a CRIME, and stop blaming everything and everyone but themselves for said crimes (including the children themselves!), I will keep condemning them. It is disgusting.