More Shame on the Church - NYTimes.com

IF these events happened after the Diocese committed to transparency and cooperation (2002 at the latest with the creation of the Dallas Protocols) and accepted the requirement of immediate suspension of the priest involved and reporting of the allegation to the Police, then 'charge away'. If Catholic leaders today commit such an offense as not following the current laws and protocols they should and no doubt will be charged and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.


IF HOWEVER these events took place prior to 2002, in a Diocese that still was guided by the ethos of putting the interests of preserving the taint of scandal rather than the legitimate questions of justice and protection for the victims of these predators, then it is little more than an example of 'piling on' by the NYT. We all know that the Church hierarchy acted abominably prior to getting caught with the pants down, figuratively, literally, legally and morally before finally being humiliated into accepting the Dallas Protocol under the weight of scorn and opprobrium that had been justly dumped upon them.

If members of the hierarchy acted as is alleged in Philadelphia AFTER committing to the faithful to do otherwise, then (to quote a good friend) "we may yet see 'cones-in-chains'. And not for being defensores fidei." To which I can only add... and rightly so.

More Shame on the Church - NYTimes.com