Clerical abuse reports being exploited to discredit Catholics, Elizabeth Lev charges [CNA]

[CNA_News]

Washington D.C., Mar 24, 2010 / 03:03 am (CNA).- A prominent Catholic writer says “selective” and “salacious” reporting of Catholic clergy in the aftermath of clerical sexual abuse scandals is being used to discredit a “powerful moral voice” in public debate. Acknowledging genuine abuse, she says present day anti-clericalism echoes the slanders of pre-Revolutionary France.

Full article…

 

[mlund]

I find it a good general rule that if someone pens an article about sexual abuse by Catholic clergy without providing any necessary factual context they are probably writing from somewhere between a state of dangerous ignorance and a state of maleficence.

The popular media has, largely run between these two extremes on the issue. If they were actually informed and caring benefactors of the public they’d also be addressing the issue of much higher rates and far more recent instances of sexual abuse by Public School Teachers.

The sad fact is that anti-Catholic bigotry and anti-religious sentiment dominate news rooms in the United States. The bigotry and a biases in favor of the NEA and local Public School Teacher’s Unions secure a dishonest narrative where Catholics are vilified, but public employees are given a pass to continue to abuse children who are compelled by the government to attend such institutions.

• Marty Lund

 

[Guyonthestreet]

We are all sinners. There’s no news in reporting the occasional bad or corrupt priest. Most people would expect there to be the odd one or two - same as we don’t bat an eyelid if we hear about a corrupt lawyer, doctor, police officer, border guard.

The all encompassing levels of individual and institutional abuse being reported takes it to a whole other level.

 

[Adira]

During the height of the abuse scandals in Boston, I stopped reading the local papers. I only listened to the news in time to catch the weather report and turned it off after that. It was awful.

It could have been worse because a couple of the Boston papers weren’t known for being anti-Catholic. I think they handled things as best as they could. Much of the media, however, seemed to go after the story with glee.

Not only was the fact of the abuse deeply painful to us, but to be surrounded by the media blitz only added salt to the wounds.

Although it was very painful to have abuse stories constantly in the papers, on TV, and radio the good thing was that at least the victims were FINALLY able to tell their stories. Once the abuse victims got to have their say, however, the stories in the media still went on. It was like a feeding frenzy.

Some of the frenzy was due to the Church hierarchy stalling and not admitting the abusers had been known about for decades and were just passed from parish to parish. Other parts of the media storm just seemed malicious.

It was like living through a nightmare. We were furious at the way the Church handled things and furious about it being the main topic of news for months. Thank God, through His Grace, most of us have been healed and are doing much better.

After what we went through in Boston, I confess that I’m angry the Church didn’t make sure it had rooted out abuse elsewhere. Hearing about Ireland opens some old wounds. (Especially with Boston’s families’ connection to Ireland.) I don’t understand why things weren’t dealt with so Ireland wouldn’t have to go through what we did.

It’s tremendous fodder for the anti-religious press to have these scandals still continue. I obtain my news solely on the Internet now. I can pick and choose what I want to see and read.

I love the Church and for that reason I want to see abuse exposed and dealt with MUCH better than it has been.

I would rather have our clergy & hierarchy speak more forcefully about exposing abuse – removing the abusers and enablers – than chastise the anti-Catholic press when it writes about the abuse.

Let’s clean house and then chastise the press.

 

[Soutane]

We are all sinners. There’s no news in reporting the occasional bad or corrupt priest. Most people would expect there to be the odd one or two - same as we don’t bat an eyelid if we hear about a corrupt lawyer, doctor, police officer, border guard.

The all encompassing levels of individual and institutional abuse being reported takes it to a whole other level.

It is at a level now that defies belief or rather comprehension.The Church’s "leaders"have shot us all in the foot and we richly desrve honest media criticism,It is the thinly diguised shadenfruede,or glee exhibited by the obvious anti-Catholic secular media that turns my stomach especially when efforts at halting this abuse are not reported on,or that other religions ,institutions and families have a higher rate of abuse are not reported either.It doesn’t excuse our situation but ALL the Truth should come out.
They have a specific agenda to destroy the Church’s credibility because they HATE the Truth She nornally teaches on abortion,euthanasia,pornography,pre and extra-marital sex,same-sex “so-called” marriage,etc,etc,etc…

Satan smells blood.If it takes a Dominican Inquisition with SEVERE consequences for the guilty and the complicit by ALL means let’s have one.If this situation doesn’t qualify as some sort of quasi-heresy at least in practise then I don’t know what does.

THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE CRISIS.

I want an end to the fouling and disgracing of Christ’s Body.Whatever happens has to be RADICAL,PUBLIC,and SEVERE.I’m tired of the "we’re all sinners "bleating.These are sins committed against the lambs of our Church and we’d better get some monks skilled with stonework carving thousands of millstones…And I’d better not hear one reference to the woman accused of adultery.If Christ chastises ANYONE in Holy Scripture it is the RABBIS,PRIESTS,PHARISEES and SADUCEES.They are men “set apart” by God and as they act in personae Christi their crimes are greater.Even Christian-haters realise that.They can,be defrocked, publicly repent,confess, and kiss the rear end and beg the pardon of every one of the 97% of innocent priests they have disgraced and every Catholic they have shamed on their way to the crow-bar hotel,and spend the rest of their lives in contemplation of their sins.(With apologies to Mel Gibson)

 

[mlund]

THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE CRISIS.

While I agree on the gravity of the problem, I believe there is also rampant sensationalism and misrepresentation going on.

These complaints are almost all from the 1950s to the 1970s. Rates of abuse had plummeted because those within the Church learned about these problems and instituted changes. Those changes took place over the last 3 decades at least. They were not spun out of the aether when the Boston Scandal broke out just because the newspapers decided it was finally in their best interests to respond to the reports they had ignored or buried throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Publicity largely just caused those changes to become prominently displayed in public and talked about openly.

Rates of abuse among Catholic Clergy don’t track higher than rates among other organizations - religious and non-religious. In some cases they track significantly lower. In the sexual abuse reform era those rates are greatly reduced. The rate will never be 0.00%. That’s not to say we shouldn’t strive for that goal, but we should not habitually flog the Church every time a deviant turns up.

It also does not good to direct all hysterics and media attention towards the Catholic Church while completely ignoring institutions with much higher rates of abuse - such as Public Schools. This type of selective news reporting and outrage is harmful if it creates cover under which abuse can continue to go on elsewhere.

• Marty Lund