"Sex Abuse and Legacy of Lay Passivity"/ Time for Catholics to Hold Hierarchy Accountable for Sex Abuse of Children

Sex abuse and the legacy of lay passivity
By Jamie L Manson
Created Mar 14, 2011
http://www.ncronline.org/blogs/grace-margins/sex-abuse-and-legacy-lay-passivity
"This past Ash Wednesday, while most Catholics were being told to turn away from sin, the faithful in Philadelphia were informed that the hierarchy had, once again, failed to do so themselves.
"Even with so much already said, there is still one question that troubles me. Why are we, the Catholic laity, still letting the hierarchy get away with it? "
...But why isn’t everyone speaking out? Why isn’t every church-going Catholic demanding repentance and genuine reform from church authorities? "


Bridget Mary's Reflection

Jamie Manson's article is right on! There are no excuses for Catholics who ignore sex abuse crimes against children. I understand the dissociation theory because it is so overwhelming. The sex abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church is like an unending tsunami that destroys everything in its path.

I don't understand how the institutional Catholic Church has got away with behaving like a crime family! Most accessories to crime do time in jail. How come the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is not held accountable? It is an outrage! Catholics who continue to support the hierarchy need to examine their consciences. The Grand Jury Report in Philadelphia is the last straw! Catholics must demand reform now, accountability now, a people-empowered church now! How can they continue to support such a sick, corrupt system? My niece, Katie, a young college age Catholic woman shared that, in her view, the Catholic Church did not seem to be very spiritual. No wonder many young women and men are walking away! The hierarchy has betrayed the the people of God, and the young are not finding a spiritual home in their own faith community.



So now what? We need to get back to basics, prayer, spirituality, social justice and inclusive liturgies. In a priest-short, scandal-ridden church, Catholics can reach out to their alienated Catholic friends and form new faith communities. Roman Catholic Women Priests and married priests are serving a growing number of these kinds of alternative Catholic communities ,We are living Gospel equality now --- no longer are we asking permission, we are leading the way by doing it within a people-empowered faith community. Some people are finding us though google and social media. Rise up, speak out, protest the cover-ups, demand transparency and accountability. Withhold Sunday donations until genuine reform takes place. Pick a cause that helps the needy and redirect your money there. Live your baptismal call to follow Christ and "be Christ" in our world in service of others. Be part of the solution, not the problem. We the people are church! It is our responsibility to bring about change, a peaceful revolution, in imitation of Jesus in the Gospel, who stood on the margins with the poor and marginalized. Think about making amends to the victims of priest abusers. Support organizations like SNAP and Voice of the Faithful. Visit bishopaccountability.org Support legislation that lifts the statue of limitations. The bishops often oppose such legislation. Now that is an outrage! Shout it from the rooftops.

Like Mary, who proclaimed the Magnificat, we need to speak truth to our pope and bishops. We need to take responsibility for our church. Would you tolerate a sexual predator in your neigborhood? Why do we tolerate a church who hid sexual predators? The Vatican guidelines do not mandate that the bishops must report clergy sex abuse to civl authorities! When the Irish bishops decided to finally do so, the Vatican opposed them. Check out the RTE Special Report. (link on my blog)
It is time for a holy shakeup in the Catholic Church. Now more then ever we need the wisdom and energy of young women, like Jamie and my niece Katie, to revitalize and reimagine our church.

Bridget Mary Meehan, RCWP

http://www.associationofromancatholicwomenpriests.org/