Changes Have Been Made in the Church/ But Catholics Must Know the Whole Truth -Get Rid of Clerical Culture and Reform the Church

Changes have been made in the church
By Judge Nick Kuntz • April 26, 2010
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100426/EDIT03/4250367
Comments (3)
This article first appeared in The Sunday Enquirer, April 25, 2010.

"One of the greatest responsibilities adults ever face is the protection of children under their care.
That is a duty that falls heavily upon those who minister in the name of the Catholic Church because children are entrusted to the Church in so many ways - in schools, in religious education, in Scouting, on field trips and in sports. Parents have a right to expect that their children are as safe as humanly possible in all of these situations.

In earlier years, the Church's actions to prevent crimes against children under its care and the reactions to abuse when it happened were often inadequate or worse. I can assure you, as chair of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Child Protection Review Board, that things have changed."

My Reflection:
Thank you Judge Nick Kuntz for sharing your proactive approach and the actions your community has taken to protect our children. Every Catholic parish in the world needs to have a model similar to the Diocesan Review Boards to educate and provide transparency in dealing with best practices, and reviewing policy and complaints. And, of course, this includes reporting allegations to civil authorities for investigation.

As you said, the past abuse of youth was often "inadequate or worse."

In fact, I believe that the past needs to be dug up and dealt with now. If the bishops and Vatican want to heal the gaping wound that is piercing Catholicism's heart, why do they oppose removing the Statue of Limitations in sexual abuse cases against clergy? When are the victims going to get justice? And even more searing, when will their bodies, minds and spirits be healed? They are our beloved brothers and sisters, part of our family. This is now a global crisis.

Catholics around the world need to know the whole truth, put in place policies and practices such as Diocesan Review Boards. But Catholics also need to embrace the systemic changes that dismantle a clerical culture that played such a destructive role in the cover-up. Otherwise, we are only putting band-aids on a gaping wound.
Bridget Mary Meehan