I’m not hearing much response from the faithful in answer to the slander of the media.
Very good point. What’s puzzles me is that nobody seems to raise the question as to the legal status of the report. Perhaps it is my lack of familiarity with the US legal system, but to me it is entirely unclear what the report’s legal value is. Is it
evidence in the legal sense? If so, what kind of evidence? Eye witness? Anecdotal? Hearsay? How was the info obtained? Victims were interviewed? How were they found? They self-identified? Were alleged perpetrators also interviewed? Is the report an indictment? An accusation? Is it a basis for legal prosecution? Will it hold up in court? If not, is it slander?
And what is a “Grand Jury”? Surely it is not a jury in the courtroom-sense of the term? Is it an investigative committee? If yes, how is such a committee put together? Who decides who gets to be on such an investigative team? Is there any mechanism in place that prevents bias? How many are on this “Grand Jury” anyway? 2 people? 200? Who are they? Were there any Catholics on this Grand Jury?
I find it strange that nobody seems to be discussing
any of this. Are we at the stage where clergy are presumed guilty (especially of sexual abuse!) until proven innocent? To me it is starting to feel this way.
And before anyone blasts me for this post, please note that I’m not saying that none of it is true. I’m saying we need to get rid of this witch-hunt feel that currently characterizes the matter, and deal with it soberly, rather than assuming that the report is some infallible document and that every incident that it reports is proven beyond doubt without any of the alleged perpetrators having had a chance to comment or defend themselves.
