"Vatican's Sex Abuse Prosecutor Says Church Must Amputate To Heal" /National Catholic Reporter

by John Allen/NCR

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/vaticans-sex-abuse-prosecutor-says-church-must-amputate-heal

"When the innocence of children is “trampled upon, broken, sullied, abused, and destroyed,” then “the earth becomes arid and the whole world sad,” the Vatican’s top sexual abuse prosecutor said this morning in Rome.

Monsignor Charles J. Scicluna indirectly critiqued the clerical culture in which abuser priests were routinely given second chances."

Monsignor Scicluna's critique of the clerical culture is a small step in admitting the sex abuse scandal is rooted in the abuse of power in a system that protected the predators. However, Scicluna does not go far enough. The Roman Catholic Church must adopt structures of accountability that are transparent and managed by the People of God, not controlled by the Vatican. It is never wise to let the fox guard the hen house. The Catholic Church, which is comprised of the entire church, the people of God including the hierarchy must hold the Pope and the bishops who kept this secretive system in place accountable.
A first step is to establish an international commission with decision-making power to implement changes such as removal of bishops who kept pedophiles in ministry, and to put in place a policy for the global church to protect children from sex abuse . A second step is to reclaim our early church tradition of a married priestly ministry that is inclusive of women priests who are already functioning in our Roman Catholic Womenpriests Movement. In order to change the clerical culture, we need a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals. Anything less is band aid solution that won't stop the bleeding of an open wound at the heart of the church! Bridget Mary Meehan