This video is heartbreaking, in more ways than one. It aired on “60 Minutes” earlier this month. The Archbishop of Dublin, Ireland, shown in the video, new in his position, just recently released more than 65,000 documents related to various scandals, which previously the diocese of Dublin had refused to release.
John, in your years as a devoted Catholic, would you say you were - unknowingly, of course - complicit in the abuse of children?
ReplyDeleteNo.
ReplyDeleteOf course many of these bishops were not merely knowingly complicit, but they were enablers and even facilitators. And of course, as I've mentioned below, it was official, standard policy to be such.
"Of course many of these bishops were not merely knowingly complicit, but they were enablers and even facilitators. And of course, as I've mentioned below, it was official, standard policy to be such."
ReplyDeleteThese scandals were not failures of the laity, except in rare cases. The issue was the apostolate. However, now that the scales have fallen away from the eyes, the laity can no longer look away. To have the laity now excusing official coordinated facilitation and coverup is the same as being an accessory after the fact.
Of course many of these bishops were not merely knowingly complicit, but they were enablers and even facilitators. And of course, as I've mentioned below, it was official, standard policy to be such.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean by "enablers and even facilitators"? That makes it sound like church policy was explicitly "go prey on children".
Also, at what point do you decide this is due to "corrupted doctrine" as opposed to "corrupted humanity"? Why is the assumption that bishops bailed out priests "to protect the Church", rather than "to protect their friends". Case in point - why, it's even a Catholic example - did Joe Paterno make whatever mistakes he made "to protect PSU"?