The world’s highest-ranking bishops met in Rome over the past few days to discuss the sex abuse scandal rocking the Catholic Church. There were many moments when it seemed at least some of the Church’s leaders understood that the real issue has been the Church’s lack of transparency. For survivors, it no longer matters what the Bishops, Cardinals or even the Pope say but only what they do that means anything. Ending the secrecy is imperative if there is to be any hope of reversing the steadily growing mistrust of, and diminishing faith in, the Catholic Church’s hierarchy. This is true not only for survivors but also regular parishioners who grow weary of the steady stream of sickening revelations.
Ending clergy sex abuse of minors today and in the future is essential, and the Church has made significant progress in preventing more crimes against children from being committed. However, the actual abuse is not the only crime that requires justice. The calculated way these crimes were covered up and the perpetrators were shielded enabled further crimes to be committed and additional children to be harmed.
What was known about those crimes, when it was known and by whom? What was done with any allegations at the time? How were the victims who came forward to report abuse treated?
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November 6th, Election Day 2018, is nearly upon us. Many politicians, pundits, and ordinary people are saying this could be the most crucial election in our lifetimes. It’s impossible to gauge if that will turn out to be the case, but there is a lot on the line this year, for everyone.
The recent Pennsylvania grand jury report that covers six of the eight Catholic dioceses in the State of Pennsylvania names 301 “Predator priests” and over 1000 victims. The jurors themselves state that in their belief, they have not identified even half of the actual number of victims.
NY Republican Senators need to take a good hard look at whose bidding they are doing and whether or not they want to be associated with an institution more corrupt than even they are.
. . . was born 101 years ago, today, on July 17th, 1917, in New York City. He only got to walk this earth for 81 of those years, due to his love of golf. Well, not exactly. But he did die in a hospital recovery room after successful knee replacement surgery but unsuccessful patient care afterward. Although I’m sure this affected most areas of his life, especially any that required mobility, his stated reason for the operation was so he could play golf with less pain. Unfortunately, he never got to play another terrestrial round of golf to test that out. This November will complete our 20th year without him.
Everyone who knew him would say they could see parts of Phil Toale in his children, whether a physical resemblance or a corny sense of humor and gregarious nature. I know I can easily see my father in the facial expressions and mannerisms of both my siblings. And much to the chagrin of others, when any two of us are together (beware if it’s all three!) there results in an inevitable attempt to out-wit each other with the most clever puns, in Dad’s honor, of course….
The Roman Catholic Church is like an ocean liner, in the sense that it is heading straight toward an iceberg but can’t seem to make course corrections significant or impactful enough to change direction and avoid disaster. It’s a disaster that is inevitable. Eventually, all empires grow too corrupt to sustain themselves and must fall. Unfortunately, while steaming along to this inescapable end, countless lives have been destroyed as the direct result of clerical elites attempting to preserve a status quo they have come to enjoy and believe they deserve.