The Catholic scandal that just won’t die

Last updated on: December 22, 2010 at 9:12 am by Dave Griffey

The Catholic scandal that just won’t die 2010-12-22T09:12:00-04:00 Dave Griffey

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In the end, the sex abuse scandal has been an embarrassment to the Catholic Church. There’s no denying it. And it’s not because priests were raping babies, or even the more balanced reality that priests were abusing all age groups of minors within their care. Most fair minded individuals know that the pandemic of sex abuse and pedophilia goes well beyond the borders of the Catholic Church. The stats are clear, the facts obvious, and only those with anti-Catholic bigotry in their agendas will try to suggest that the abuse of children is somehow unique to the Catholic Church.

But anyway, we needn’t argue that sexual abuse is not a result of anything uniquely Catholic. That’s not what bothers most fair minded people. What bothers said people is the systemic, almost institutionalized cover up by the hierarchy. While many are trying to put faces and names on that cover up (as in, Pope Benedict), even without a clear link to the Pontiff, it’s clear that cover ups happened, and that it was more than just a few renegade bishops. That is what sets the Church abuse apart. Not that cover ups don’t happen in smaller environments, such as a Protestant congregation, a local school, or a university. But this is where that single attribute of Catholicism – the single, bureaucratic hierarchy that links a global faith with over a billion adherents – comes back around to haunt the Church. Because each and every time a bishop or a priest did do something, the entire Church stands guilty.

And since it appears that there was more than just a few renegade bishops, that there were ongoing attempts, if not to cover up, then at least to cover the rear ends of ‘The Priesthood’, it plays to the old notions of a giant, corrupt, self-serving religious spectacle. And that alone is bad.

In this story, victims rights groups are accusing a bishop – Bishop David Zubik of Green Bay – of destroying the psychological records of priests, ostensibly as part of the cover up. The Bishop is saying it never happened, that destroying any records was simply a matter of policy, and records of any priest under litigation were never to be destroyed.

But here’s what caught my eye. The following paragraph in which the bishop outlines the practices and procedures of his diocese:

“[I]t had been diocesan practice in Green Bay not to destroy documents in priest files — even after a priest had died — if there was litigation involving that priest or any pending claims. I reinforced that practice by having it formally written into the diocesan records retention policy in 2007.”

Two things. First, a reminder to the non-Catholic universe. As much as the Catholic Church can give the appearance of a giant business where the Pope is CEO and President of Catholicism, Inc, it really doesn’t work that way. Truth be told, the Bishops are still the driving force of the Church, and contrary to popular belief, they have much leeway when it comes to how they administer their charges. Oh, there are standards to be sure. But the Church does not micromanage everything. Just look at the key words in the sentence: ‘It had been diocesan practice in Green Bay not to destroy…’ Practice in Green Bay. Doesn’t that mean it’s different in other diocesan practice?

Also, the very fact that they had procedures in place to handle priests accused of this or that suggests what? That priests have been accused of things for many, many years. And this is what folks need to remember. The biggest problem with the Catholic Church is the same problem any organization has: people. We used to say in my Protestant days that if you find a perfect church, then stay away. Because as soon as you walk through the doors it will stop being perfect. Same with the Catholic Church. The Church, filled with tens upon tens of thousands of priests, bishops, and other leaders both lay and ordained, has its hands full. Especially with the scrutiny brought on by the abuse scandal. All it takes is one single case to be exposed, and suddenly the press winds up the story of the Catholic Sex Abuse Crisis all over again. Even one. Out of tens of thousands and hundreds of millions of faithful. It only takes one.

So try to keep things in perspective. Obviously the Church, being filled with people, has been aware for many ages that priests can sometimes do wrong, and has policies for dealing with those problems. Those policies give testimony to the Church’s admission of its own frailties. Likewise, remember that just because one priest or one bishop did something, it doesn’t mean the 2000 year history of the Catholic Faith is guilty. As we are so forgiving of modern Islam despite the bloodshed and violence, so should we be forgiving of the Church.

This isn’t to say the Church hasn’t dropped the ball. As I said, many of its actions and reactions have angered people, especially when it appears that the first priority of the hierarchy was CYA. That will usually be a mark against the best of them. But keep it all in perspective. Ignore the obvious anti-Catholic bigotry, and look to what really happened, and what really didn’t. The best way to solve a problem is to be honest about just what the problem was int he first place.

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