But is it really the image of the Roman Catholic Church that is crucial? This is not a P.R. campaign, after all, but painful reality to the victims. I also think that the credibility of our law enforcement system is at stake. Crimes have been admitted to. Where are the arrests? If not confessed to, strong evidence of possible crimes exist in many more cases. Why aren’t grand juries called and/or preliminary hearings held, and trials conducted if warranted, so that justice can be done?
I know of no exemption from criminal law for abusive priests or their superiors who covered up crimes. What am I missing?
I also think that celibacy is not a healthy, positive, offering-up of physical sacrifice for one’s faith. It is just not our nature, as — some say — a creator made us. It has contributed to the abomination that is the scandal of abuse of the powerless by priests. I have no illusion that my opinions will have any impact on the Catholic Church, but I feel conscious-bound to address what I believe are the real questions here.
