The John Jay Report on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church could have been written by the U. S. Bishops and the Vatican. What a disappointment, and a waste of money! Let's not forget that the bishops' made a large financial contribution, and the report examined their data. Why in heavens name, did these investigators not do a more comprehensive investigation? There is evidence in court cases and research on fundamental issues, such as the clerical, male culture that could have been examined.
The report blames the pop culture, the permissive environment, of the 60's for the rape and cover up of sexual abuse of thousands of Catholic youth. Not long ago, the Vatican's exorcist blamed the devil roaming the halls of he Vatican for the sexual abuse scandal!
What these investigators leave out in this report is:
1) the bishops' role in the global cover-up
2) the Vatican's role in the global cover-up
3) the systemic causes including clericalism that preserved the bishops' power and failed to protect the victims.
Can we see an agenda here?!
Then to add insult to injury, the recent Vatican guidelines affirm the bishop's authority in all sexual abuse cases. The Vatican policy suggests that the bishop turn over credible cases to the police. Suggest! Did anyone ever hear of "obstruction of justice" Is the hierarchy of the Catholic Church above the law?
Would any other church get away with the coverup of criminal behavior?
Yet, why, is there not worldwide outrage when the Vatican comes out with such a reprehensible policy? The Vatican clearly states that it is the bishops who are responsible to decide which allegations are credible! Really! After spending 2 billion dollars in court cases and after thousands of priests were found guilty of raping, sodomizing, and/or sexually abusing minors and after a cover-up by bishops that extends around the globe, one would think the Vatican would offer mandates to the bishops, not suggestions that they report allegations to the police. One example, in the Philadelphia Archdiocese the Review Board did not even know about the allegations against some of the priests who were later suspended after the Grand Jury Report cited credible allegations of sexual abuse. Cardinal Rigali did not turn over all of the cases to his own Review Board. And the Vatican Policy supports Rigali's action! How tragic! It is obvious that the preservation of the hierarchy's power, not the protection of children from sexual abuse by the clergy, is the real issue! In some cases, like Cardinal Law, the Vatican has even rewarded bishops who covered up for abusive priests with top jobs in Rome.
Now the newly released official Vatican policy demonstrates that the Vatican refuses to make the major reforms that would create a more open, accountable, transparent church. The bishops are still in charge. They are only accountable to the Pope in this life. The foxes continue to guard the hen house.
Groups like Amnesty International, perhaps, the World Court, may be able to hold the institutional church accountable. The people of God, the court of public opinion, will continue to pray for and advocate for justice, truth telling, reconciliation and healing. Catholics who love their church will continue to speak truth to the hierarchy and call for reform. Some of us will work in grassroots communities, like the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, to bring about structural change by living Gospel equality and accountability now as we share the rich heritage of our faith in vibrant sacramental communities in which justice, compassion, and inclusiveness are hallmarks.
Here are quotes from some of the major media's coverage:
"The report's ultimate recommendation will sound familiar to anyone who has studied an institution in crisis: enact uniform policies that encourage transparency and accountability. But this is the American Catholic Church, in which each bishop runs his diocese largely free from scrutiny and oversight. Just last week, the head of the Philadelphia Archdiocese's in-house review board publicly complained that church leaders had been selective in handing over sex-abuse allegations rather than allowing the board to sift through every complaint. (Read about Pope Benedict XVI's daily life.)
Perhaps the best evidence that church reforms are still far off came on May 16 when the Vatican issued new guidelines for bishops to consult when dealing with sex-abuse cases. The guidelines are voluntary, meaning bishops will continue to have the final say over all matters within their individual dioceses. The bishop remains king, reporting only to the Pope and God." Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2072574,00.html#ixzz1Mqwy8rRk
As important as this report seems to be, more work and investigation is needed. In the Washington Post, the point is made that the organization is claiming it has done one of the most thorough studies any organization has done of itself. But it has not studied the organization failures. "
Priest sex abuse scandal was temporary problem, study finds
In The Washington Post
“This report misses the boat. What deserves the most scrutiny are not child sex crimes but continued clergy coverups of child sex crimes,” the advocacy group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said Tuesday in a statement. Study blames culture of era for church’s abuse crisis. Priests poorly trained, report to bishops says "
In Boston.com online
“The study seems to focus on the offending priests in a way that minimizes the gravity of their crimes, and gives short shrift to the ‘other crime’ — the enabling, concealing, and fostering of abuse by the US bishops and the Vatican bureaucracy,’’ said Terence McKiernan of BishopAccountability.org, in a statement on news reports concerning the leaked study last night."
Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP
http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/
sofiabmm@aol.com
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