The revelations about the abuse of minors by priests and religious has driven a knife into the heart of the Church. There is no going back on this. What has been done cannot be undone. The church will have to live through this. It cannot deny or escape this guilt.
The direct consequence of this uncovering has significantly contributed to the departure of many a faithful from the church. People no more feel safe in the church and prefer to stay away. Vocations to priesthood and religious life had drastically fallen. Many even prefer to be categorized as 'irreligious', if not atheists.
Yet, it is interesting to note that the priests and religious are not the only sex-offenders to be exposed. Football coaches, Hollywood bigwigs, famous politicians, too have been charged, and found guilty. Yet parents have not stopped enrolling their sons for football training camps; young women still try their hand at modelling and in the movie industry; youngsters still aim and strive for a political career... there hasn't been a reduction of these (at least not significantly or recorded). Why then is the whole church singled out for this treatment, unlike football, or movies or politics?
The basic difference is a matter of trust. The Church was considered the moral conscience of the society and priests and religious the models of virtue. This was something the Church leaders aimed for, took pride in and the lay faithful joyfully and sincerely endorsed. However some took advantage of this trust and let their human tendencies prey on innocent believers. Others instead of confronting it, covered it up.
So it is not the media coverage and the ensuing outrage that has wounded the church but the very act itself. The church is betrayed by the ones most trusted. Again, not the whole church but individuals. Yet the church will have to take the blame, if it still wishes to be true to its name. The victim and the abuser, both are the church!
The direct consequence of this uncovering has significantly contributed to the departure of many a faithful from the church. People no more feel safe in the church and prefer to stay away. Vocations to priesthood and religious life had drastically fallen. Many even prefer to be categorized as 'irreligious', if not atheists.
Yet, it is interesting to note that the priests and religious are not the only sex-offenders to be exposed. Football coaches, Hollywood bigwigs, famous politicians, too have been charged, and found guilty. Yet parents have not stopped enrolling their sons for football training camps; young women still try their hand at modelling and in the movie industry; youngsters still aim and strive for a political career... there hasn't been a reduction of these (at least not significantly or recorded). Why then is the whole church singled out for this treatment, unlike football, or movies or politics?
The basic difference is a matter of trust. The Church was considered the moral conscience of the society and priests and religious the models of virtue. This was something the Church leaders aimed for, took pride in and the lay faithful joyfully and sincerely endorsed. However some took advantage of this trust and let their human tendencies prey on innocent believers. Others instead of confronting it, covered it up.
So it is not the media coverage and the ensuing outrage that has wounded the church but the very act itself. The church is betrayed by the ones most trusted. Again, not the whole church but individuals. Yet the church will have to take the blame, if it still wishes to be true to its name. The victim and the abuser, both are the church!
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