Where the Rubber Hits the Road

Rotterdam Bishop Ad van Luyn has called for an independent investigation into the sexual exploitation of children by priests, after 200 alleged victims contacted help services. His call follows the publication of the Dublin Inquiry into the Irish Church scandals, and the revelation of allegations of misconduct in Germany and even within the ranks of the Vatican itself. Catholics in North America are all too familiar with these scandals. Repeated media reports that clerics have violated their religious obligation to celibacy and chastity have sorely tested the belief of many. Even the Bishops have not withstood the scrutiny of inquiry for they have been found culpable in the victimization of the Church’s most precious gifts - the trust of its members and the welfare of its members; actions which have brought untold suffering and confusion into the hearts and minds of many. The United States Bishops have taken one crucial step that, to date, has not been implemente...