What's fascinating in the steady onslaught of new incidences of previous cover-ups of child rape and molestation in the Catholic hierarchy is the notion that the hierarchs tended to see child rape as a sin rather than a crime. Hence the emphasis on forgiveness, therapy, repentance - rather than removal, prosecution and investigation. Obviously, there's one reason for this: they were defending the reputation of the church by hiding its darkest secrets, and they were using the authority of religion to do so. But I suspect it's also true that this is how they genuinely thought of child rape or abuse.
That the Catholic Church cared more about its reputation than its flock is but one of the many reasons I have a crisis of faith in my life as a Catholic. As more and more information is revealed about child abuse in the Church throughout the years and how the Pope played a role, it behooves us to ask whether religious figures are immune, or in fact whether they should be, from human law. My heart tells me that the biggest failing of any system of faith is the refusal to admit to mistakes, and intolerance or outright hostility towards those with the courage to speak out. In times of crisis such as these, I think an honest show of contrition is just the beginning. More important is the action that follows.
Posted via web from Firesaw
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