The clergy sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church continues to accumulate world wide media attention by the secular press. Catholics worldwide are well aware of the stories of the victims of sexual abuse have made public through many means of social communications. There are support groups for the victims, collective lawsuits and ongoing litigation even as you read this article. One group of victims the clergy sex abuse scandal has not taken into consideration are the many bishops, priests and deacons that have had allegations raised about their conduct and have never had the opportunity to defend themselves in a public forum.
Seemingly, accused clergy are removed from public ministry pending the outcome of an investigation by both Church and civil authorities. Then these ordained men, mysteriously disappear from parish ministry and are never heard from again. For the average Catholic, they are not aware of the disposition of any of the allegations lodged against their former parish priests. In some cases, the accused priests are laicized and permanently removed from ministry in the Catholic Church and are quietly absorbed into the world of academia. In other cases, these priests quietly live in a communal environment, with similarly accused priests and pursue a life of prayer and penance. Regardless of the disposition of the allegations made against them, these men are also victims of the clergy sex abuse scandal.
They are victims because they have never had the opportunity to take advantage of their constitutional rights of the due process of law. In most cases, their priestly ministry, their personal lives and their professional reputations have been destroyed without any civil charges being brought against them. Instead, these men, have suffered as the result of allegations that have never been brought to trial, but have already had punitive actions imposed on these priests and former priests.
While the Church has been quite responsive to allegations of clergy sex abuse in removing priests from active ministry, they have not been as forthcoming in disclosing the final determinations regarding these priests. As a result, the victims continue to accumulate, children victims, priests victims and ultimately parishioner victims.
I call all of these groups of individuals’ victims, because there has not been enough disclosure and transparency afforded by the Catholic Church regarding the whereabouts of priest perpetrators, exonerated priests and priests liaised and removed from active ministry. Catholic parishioners, ultimately continuing victims of this entire scandal continue to support and worship in their parish communities without any real sense of closure and finality to allegations which in most cases they have been unaware.
In order to fully realize and comprehend the vast complexity of the clergy sex abuse scandal, all parties involved need to disclose and acknowledge their collective victimization and fully disclose the status of everyone involved. This full disclosure and full transparency needs to come from the highest levels of Church authority and from the victims among the clergy and the laity. Any continuation of veiled disclosures, sudden disappearances of clergy and the continued practice of developing priestly lives of pseudo-community in prayer and penance will not solve the problems; just offer an extenuation of the scandal.
Victimhood in the clergy sex scandal within the Catholic Church is multifaceted and is an extremely complex topic of clericalism gone wild for too, too long. Now is the time to acknowledge all of the causalities that have resulted from this scandal, acknowledge mutual faults and move on towards healing and reconciliation in Christ Jesus.
Remember all of the victims, the children, the clergy and the entire People of God that need the healing of the Holy Spirit to bring closure and healing to this painful chapter in Catholic Church history.
We have fortunately learned from the scandal as well. We have learned the true insidious nature of sins of the flesh. We have learned there is accountability for everyone after an illicit transgression. We have learned most importantly that the most heinous crimes against humanity in all human history offer an opportunity for forgiveness, healing and rebirth.
It is time for the entire Catholic Church to join together as a living, praying and loving community of faith to resolve not to let this happen again. We have all been victims, now it is time to once again be faithful Catholics.
Hugh J.McNichol is a Catholic author and journalist writing on Catholic topics and issues. He attended Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, where he studied both philosophy and theology. He writes frequently at http://verbumcarofactumest.blogspot.com & http://nothing-left-unsaid.blogspot.com . Hugh writes about his Irish Catholic upbringing and educational experiences at http://graysferrygrapevine.blogspot.com . He has contributed works to Catholic News Agency, Catholic Online, The Irish Catholic, Dublin, the British Broadcasting Company, London and the Philadelphia Bulletin, Catholic Exchange, Pewsitter.com, Blogger News Network & The Catholic Business Journal,CatholicMom.com. & Catholic.net Comments are always welcome at hjmn4566@gmail.com.
4 users commented in " Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal…Multiple Victims Need Healing and Reconciliation ! "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackYou see i have a problem that these men were not brough before the courts.But a pay off was made,an the just disappeared,to do what!!!
If truly guilty,they could be molesting children even now.
If not guilty they should have had to prove that in a court of law
God will surly judge the house of God first,they are to be heald to a higher standard,because they are believer,an know the word.They know better.
No where in the word of God does it demand celibency.This was man made rule.an when you put that many men/wemon,who have lust,with children what did the church rulers think would take place.
No excuses for child abuse in any manner by any one.All should be brought before the courts,an it be determined by evidence,an testimoney ,if they are guilty.An punisged as any other child abuser is.Which the world is way more lienent of these such crime tahn i would be,an as Gods going to be on Judgement day.
All sins can be forgiven,except Blasphmy against the Holy spirit.But to those who stand by God,an His teaching who know better,for themIt may be harder to get back under Gods Grace.If ever
aLSO WHEN I READ,AN STUDY gODS WORD.i SEE mARY AS A BLESSED WOMAN,ABOVE ALL WEMON.But she isnt the God head,nor can she pray for the living.Jesus say i will pray for you.No one can come to the father except through me(Jesus) So when it doesnt line up with Gods Holy word,how could they not expect for trouble to come.If the head is curroupt,the whole body id.God even said he would let those who chose to believe a lie-he would let them ,an they would be damned.
Did he not even correct the religious believer of his day,an through his word even now.Because they made man made rules,an laws.That were not given by him. The Cathlic church as a whole needs to repent.Because to be a priest doesnt mean in the Holy word they have to be celibent,that the churches man made rule,as in the religious leaders day when Jesus walked with them,in a fleshly body.
When repentence comes.An the man made laws in the church, are put aside,an the ones who did violate children are brought to trial,an recive the due punishment for their crimes.An those in high office who cover these crimes up be brought before the courts.An this should be handled by christian,God believing courts,Jury of believers from all different churches.Try the wrong doers.Then,an only then. maybe the Cathlic Church can heal as a whole.Look back at Gods people when they sinned before him,an the world,he punished,an sometimes even to death.Why do you think the church is going through all of this.Some have sinned,an as a whole God says put the evil doer from amoung you.That they may come to repentence.An if so,then they are to be excepted back in.However children are gifts from God,innocent ,an to be defiled,deflowered,raped,or molested.Im sure God is angry with the cathlic church rulers as a whole,an those who committed the crime,an those who covered them up.When,an only when God the great I am,That I am.The true Living God.When his anger is subsidedm,an he alone thinks the church has come to true repentence,then you will see him lift his punishment from off them,an only then!! nothing thats written,or descussed will help.Repentence,in sack cloth an ashes,i MEAN THE SACK CLOTH AN ASHES,IN A SPIRITUAL WAY,not the actual sack,an ash.
Read what they suffered in the wilderness when they sinned-
What Samson suffered from not listening to God,but Deliah
What Saul,an his sons suffered,when he disobayed Gods order,an saught a Medium,to call up the dead.Gods totaly against mediums.
Look what David suffered because of his lust,an what he did to the husband,to that woman.
Look what God allowed to happen with Job,when the enemy when in with the sons of God,as an accuser.Did God protect Job,yes from death,but he allowed the destruction to come against him,an his family.Could it have been Job though he was rightious enough that God wouldnt casten
.As the C Church feels it souldnt suffer,when children went through what the did,an they allegedy cover up.an didnt handle this awful matter as soon as it happened.(NO EXCUSES)
So i ask you should a Holly God,our God,the church members,an clergys God .Just turn a blind eye an let this pass because they payed money out.I THINK NOT!! he is Holy,an right judgeing,in his punishments.People arnt allowing this to happen to the CC.God is ,its punishment.for what we know,an what hasnt been revealed as of yet,what was covered up.There nothing hidden That wont come to the LIGHT!! i WILL NOT STEP AN PUT MYSELF IN THE WAY OF HIS PUNISMENTS,LEST I BE PUNISHED ALSO.
Holy God (not Holly) my spelling is always off,so i pray u understand whay,an what im saying.This will not stop untill they as a whole,an the head of this religious sect comes clean.By paying the who have suffered off.An no punishment being given for their crime(sins) against children.How does that help victims heal?? Rightfull eveil should be put out the church,Gods word,not mine.An punishment should be given to those determined in a court,to be guilty.But as of yet i see none going to prison,what men have happen to them if they do these crimes..They ,the victims,the true victims,recived money,an that punishes the victimizer how? they are sent,or allowed to walk free,an could very well still be harming children.Come on now!! somethings wrong with this.The priest who lusted,raped,or what ever they did to these innocent ones.They are not victims if the did this to a child.No ones stopping them from coming forward,but their selves.How many rapest,or molesters do you see walking out an saying hey,i did this punish me.No the sneak on an still do vile evil things .Untill they are put away from where children are,an they have access to them.
If they arnt guilty,they have had plenty time to come out an say so.Plead to all that they are innocent.Only the guilty hide.
Its a awful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.An i do believe this may have surly angered him.
How can the true victims ,the children who may be grown now.Ever heal,if these arnt brough to justice who harmed their very souls.This is deep heart wounds,that mear DR care wont heal.
Leave the pontif, and the church out of all political matter! No point pleading their cause. The battle is God’s.
Yes, the poor poor priests.
You throw about the word “victim” quite freely- obviously you’ve never known someone who was subjected to sexual abuse or you may not be so quick to draw compasrisons between those (actual) victims and the entire laity.
Also, might I suggest a phrase substitution: Instead of referring to pedophilia and child molestation as an “illicit transgression”, may I suggest one of the terms I just used, or “criminal sexual assault”. It’s much more appropriate and lessens the impression that you’re minimizing the severity of these crimes.
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