The Irish Affliction- Sexually Abused by Catholic Clergy" -"Ireland is first country to bring force of Government to bear against Church"

http://inquisitionnews.amplify.com/2011/02/10/the-irish-affliction-sexually-abused-by-catholic-clergy/
'The revelations have been monstrous and the reaction fierce, but is that enough to break the grip of the Catholic Church.'

By Russell Shorto
..."The global sex abuse scandal is rocking the Roman Catholic Church throughout the world. In the U.S. 11,000 abuse allegations covering 95% of dioceses. Last year the scandal swept across Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. There have been highly publicized cases in Britain, Italy, France, Malta, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico, New Zealand, Canada, Kenya, the Philippines, Australia and other countries. Last March the scandal pointed toward the pope himself when it emerged that as archbishop of Munich he was informed of a decision to return a pedophile priest to church duty and then that as Cardinal Ratzinger he failed to heed the pleas of American bishops who asked the Vatican to defrock a priest in Wisconsisn who molested 200 deaf children between the 1950's and 1970's. "

"Ireland is the first country to "bring the force of federal government to bear against the church. There have been three commissions in Ireland and all were government funded, all chared by judges. Thomas Doyle, canon lawyer and Dominican Priest observed: "In other places with a traditional Catholic presence and where there have been sexual abuse, there is intense interest in what is going on in Ireland. Quebec has now begun an investigation. There are signs of it beginning in the Netherlands, Austria, Belgiusm, Italy, Spain and Fraince. Ireland, then provides a model for investigative legal action on a host of fronts."

"..The Vatican is trying to do damage control by sending a team of bishops from other countries to investigate. "The Rev. Sean McDonagh, a leader of the Association of Irish Priests, which formed last year after reports were published, suggested that to get at the root of the problem, the team of investigators "should begin by scrutinizing Rome's own handling of sex abuse allegations... "

Bridget Mary's Reflection:
The Association of Irish Priests put it bluntly. They acknowledge that the the blame for the sexual abuse scandal goes right to the top in the Vatican. The church hierarchy are the cause of the sex abuse scandal because they shielded abusers and neglected the victims. As Marie Collins, once a victim of sexual abuse and now an advocate for victims, states: "It's so hard to reconcile what the men at the top do with what Jesus preached."

Let's admit it. We need change now in order to reform the Catholic Church. It is time for married priests, women priests and an empowered community of believers to renew the church.
Bridget Mary Meehan,
www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org