|
opinion:
our view
Vatican
meeting only a start
An unprecedented meeting of American Cardinals with Pope John
Paul II ended Wednesday with all parties agreeing on the immediate
dismissal and defrocking of any priest who has become "notorious
and is guilty of the serial, predatory sexual abuse of minors."
The agreement also stipulates that any priest who is "not
notorious" will face ruling by the local bishop on whether
he is a threat to children and should be defrocked.
But we feel that while the agreement at the Vatican is a start,
it is really doing nothing to address the problem of why so
many Roman Catholic priests are abusing children and what
is the best way to end the abuse.
The new agreement may only work is a mild deterrent to pedophile
clergymen but it may also only make abusive priests work harder
to hide their crimes.
Like drug abuse, sexually abusive behavior must be approached
as a mental problem that is slowly learned and worsens with
time. Defrocking an abusive priest may be a solution, but
only until the next one comes along.
The Roman Catholic Church must begin looking at it's long
standing practices, regulations and history, and really dig
to the heart of why shepherds would choose to insidiously
abuse their flocks.
It is very possible that the Roman Catholic Church's long
standing restrictions regarding marriage and celibacy for
clergymen may have slowly bred sexual frustrations in some
priests, causing them to act out desires onto those nearest
to them.
It is just as possible that sexual abuse is common in seminaries.
It is a fact that people who were abused as children are far
more likely to be abusive as adults.
But no matter where the abusive behavior comes from, the Roman
Catholic Church is not doing nearly enough to end the sexual
abuse suffered by children.
We feel that the church must take a long, hard look at itself
and make some important and strong decisions. Paying off lawsuits
and defrocking abusive priests is a start, but in the long
run it will not help to truly eradicate the problem.
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Search our site
DEPARTMENT
OF
JOURNALISM
ONLINE 49ER
DEPARTMENTS
ADVERTISING
ADMINISTRATION
DAILY
49ER ALUMNI
SUBSCRIPTION
SERVICE
GIVE
FEEDBACK
|
