How to answer why we stay Catholic amidst abuse scandal

  • Thread starter Thread starter 30Something
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
3

30Something

Guest
Hi all! I am a convert of almost 5 years, and have no intention of leaving the Church.
But I’m trying to figure out the best answer to why I remain Catholic amidst the abuse scandal. A fellow sister in Christ reminded me that we are to follow Christ first and foremost.
I just read a disturbing article in Vogue mag about a mother who left the Church because she refuses to be “party to abuse”.
How to explain to people that staying in the Church is not supporting abuse?
Thank you!
 
Every other church and secular organization for that matter has abuse issues.
The Catholic Church seems to make the headlines though, since we have over 1.5 billion members.
My child is equally at risk beating alone with a teacher, coach, volunteer, tutor, mentor, family member, coworker, supervisor, etc etc.

The Catholic Church has no higher correlation of abuse than any other religious or secular organization out there. This has been proven many times.
Maybe the Church should be held at a higher standard, and no amount of abuse is acceptable ever, but you find it everywhere. Baptists, Lutherans, Mormons, Jehovas Witnesses, Jews, public schools, everywhere.

Since this all blew up around 2002, the Church has been fiercely fighting abuse issues and doing a lot of deep cleaning from within. The vetting processes and background checks being used in recent times rivals that of most government organizations. So yeah, steps are definitely being taken to address the problems.
 
Last edited:
As with a few things in the history of the Catholic Church that were wrong, it happened, these people were sinners, these people were wrong, these people were criminals.

The Church and society is addressing it.

Take the example of Jesus walking on water back to the boat. Peter sees him and says Lord I am coming out to you, Peter starts walking on water. His eyes are on Jesus and his mind too. AS soon as Peter starts looking around at the waves and the storm and the water, he takes his eyes off Jesus and starts sinking.

Thats the Church, its the people of the Church. Its how we maintain the Church in the world. Its a great example of what we are to do. Keeping our eyes and mind on Jesus.
 
Last edited:
The thought has crossed my mind because some bishops have abrogated a civil responsibility to report a crime.

I suffer from hypervigilance as it is. My expectations of the Church are very low, although I have been a Catholic all my life. Going to church has become an experience like walking in a dark alley at night – never know what is going to happen next.

But, to your question: This is one of the worst scandals in the history of the Church – the sex crimes, the lavender mafia, the global scale, billions of dollars, etc. I shouldn’t be too narrow minded – any sin is a scandal in the Church.

The fundamentals are still there in the Church. Ours is a “full gospel” church. The scandals are just a big and serious distraction. I believe in the power of prayer for our Church.
 
30Something said:
I just read a disturbing article in Vogue mag about a mother who left the Church because she refuses to be “party to abuse”.
Click to expand...
While she’s at it, she may as well abdicate her membership in the human race, too. I’m not going to give up my US citizenship because of the crooks and jerks in Washington, DC.
 
Exactly! My husband gave a similar analogy. That even though we may disagree with some politicians, we believe in the principles and greatness of our country and won’t leave just because of a few.
 
I wrote this in another post.

“There has always been scandal in the Church. We have had a lot of councils during the Millenia to decide what the Catholic faith is all about. There was about 200 years during the Medevial ages when none of the popes of that time have been declared saints by the Church. People like St Francis of Assisi, St Dominic, St Albertus Magnus, St Bonaventura and St Thomas of Aquinas pointed to serious issues with the Catholic Church and were made saints instead.”

The scandals are different in different centuries. Now secular laws have declared abuse, of all kinds for crimes which wasn’t before. Therefor it is possible to take people to court if they are suspect of committing a crime.

It takes about 30 years on average for victims of abuse to start speaking about it. Hopefully those victims will start speaking earlier and their abusers will be tried in court and the proper sentence is given. It will be a long process but at least it has started and a lot more needs to be done to prevent future abuses.
 
30Something said:
I just read a disturbing article in Vogue mag about a mother who left the Church because she refuses to be “party to abuse”.
Click to expand...
How is she contributing to protecting the souls of innocent by avoiding the situation?
 
John 6:68
There’s no where else for me to be. I can’t fix my home by leaving it, and I don’t favor the deterioration just because I’m seen there.
 
You explain why you are catholic to begin with.
In my case, It’s the only place where I can receive the Eucharist. That’s more important to me that anything else. Plus, I’m more inclined to work to clean things up from within than leave and be unfulfilled.
 
I agree with everything you said. The question I can never answer has to do with the accusations of covering up the activities of pedophile priests by the highest level Church officials. Do you have a good way of addressing those type of questions?
 
That would be the clean up from within that I would be inclined to be involved in. Laity has to take/be given a larger role in the process, so I’m waiting not very patiently for the meeting in February to address the issue. We can’t do anything about the fact that this happened, but we can work to make sure it stops. Additionally, since the scandal first broke decades ago, there have been changes within the Church that have had a positive impact. “Protecting God’s Children” is required of anyone working/volunteering in parishes in the US (I don’t know about other countries). This program is vital to the church.
 
And there’s an interesting article that I refer back to occasionally to remind myself of all the good that the Church does… Written by Sam Miller a prominent Cleveland business who happens to be Jewish… It’s too long to post here, but can be found with searching his name and the phrase “proud to be catholic”

The last paragraph of the article is apropo: "You see, the Catholic Church is much too viable to be put down by the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Cleveland Plain Dealer take your choice, they can’t do it, they’re not going to do it and sooner or later they are going to give up. But you’ve got to make sure that you don’t give up first."
 
Last edited:
I don’t think you need to answer. It is what it is, afterall.

If someone’s family member commits a horrible crime, one may wonder how it is possible to stay and support the criminal. The criminal may be contrite and taking steps to correct the error of his ways. Still, it is logical to think only a fool would stay by his side. After all, who could trust him after what he did?

If you choose to stay by your family members’ side, you don’t owe anyone an explanation. Obviously, it is a personal decision and you are “OK” with it. It is very possible it is 100 percent the correct thing to do. Yet, others may view it as a terrible thing to do. It isn’t their choice to decide what you do as an individual in this situation.

I would suggest considering that you don’t need to explain this to anyone. You aren’t going to change anyone’s mind. This is too fierce of a topic. You are entitled to your opinion, just as everyone else is. Surely you don’t defend what the Church hierarchy has done in being complicit with these terrible crimes. If you aren’t defending, there isn’t anything else you need to say.
 
Last edited:
I am a cradle Catholic. I learned as early as the First Grade that the Catholic Church is comprised of sinners. I don’t know if it was the week I prepared for my First Confession and First Communion. I was never taught to look for saints in Church. I was to look for God.
Yes, we look for Jesus in each other. We see Jesus in the leper. That’s another level of faith that develops over time. I need to look first at the “branch” in my own eye before trying to “pluck out the speck in my brother"s.” Yes, the Saints inspire us with their examples of heroism in the face of adversity, even within the Church.
There have been scandals throughout Church history. There have been bad popes. Peter betrayed Christ three times. After he was strengthened by the Holy Spirit, the Church grew under his leadership. Relics and indulgences were sold before the Reformation. There were corrupt cardinals like Richelieu during the French Revolution.

The bottom line is regardless of the sinfulness of a particular priest or member of the clergy, my faith is in Christ. It is the Bride of Christ, the Church that is holy, even if her members may not be.

Even the question of the validity of the Sacraments was answered in one of the early Church councils. This too should help with why stay. The Sacraments of the Church do not depend on the sanctity of the minister. Otherwise they would be invalid. As it is, each Sacrament is an outward sign of God’s grace. It has absolutely nothing to do with with the purity of the man who administers the Sacrament.
 
Last edited:
There is very little news about the positive steps have been taken by the Church in addressing this issue. I have taken the course, and continue receive the updates. I am now in a new parish, within my old diocese and I asked if I needed to retake the course. No problem with being told yes. I did undergo a criminal background investigation before being allowed to teach in my previous parish. Diocesan priests were required to read a statement from the bishop about what was being done.

Last night’s (12/18) news stated the pope wanted bishops to meet with abuse victims before the February meeting. I don’t remember who was interviewed. It was realistic in stating Pope Francis may have had a problem with enabling because of his emphasis on mercy. That mercy needed to be balanced with justice. I had seen an earlier interview from Ireland that praises the difference between the approach the United States as taken vs the effort that country has made (Sorry, no ref. or date).
 
Does she also not send her kids to public school or watch sports?
I also don’t pay Vogue the slightest bit of attention.
It’s 90% ads for overpriced carp.
 
Last edited:
My daughter had to take it through two diocese also. here in STL for her work with Youth Ministry in our parish, and in Oxford, MS, where she attends Ole Miss and teaches PSR.
 
I had someone I know ask me this very question.

Human beings are imperfect and we sin. With the sex abuse cases, it is the person who is sinning and not the Church. I love God and I love the Church, so as someone else above said, where would I go?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top