 May
2002
In the face of scandal
How should we respond as the nationwide sexual abuse
scandal continues to grow?
The coarse language and
venomous tone of the email shocked me. While addressed to me, it was an
open letter directed to all Catholics. The writer in no uncertain terms
told us to correct the abuses in our system or "get the ___ out of
our society." Wow. This experience made me wonder how many of us have not only felt anger and helplessness at this
scandal, but have also been the brunt of fierce attacks against the Church.
How
do we respond? Pastoral leaders across the nation have been asking these
questions. When we are confronted with this scandal, I believe that there
are three essential perspectives that we must bring to the conversation
first:
1. Put Victims First.
The nationwide outrage in this
matter has been fueled by a perception that Church officials have put the
needs of institution before those of the victims of abuse.
Whether or not this has been true, all Catholics must respond now with
compassion and caring for those whose lives have been shattered by abuse.
To me this means that we must have listening hearts, and allow people to
express the anger and hurt. We must resist the temptation to problem-solve
or rationalize.
2. Be Transparent.
In this climate of accusation
and scandal, I have at times felt a "knee-jerk" desire to
explain or clarify the facts for someone. In
some instances the media have manipulated the facts to place the Catholic
Church in the worst possible light. In others, Catholic leaders have made
regrettable comments. Regardless of who is to blame, or
who-made-what-mistake-when, the sexual abuse of innocents is
indefensible.
Our first response to the
outrage we encounter over these cases
should not be defensiveness, but openness and recognition that the outrage
is justified. Even one, single instance of sexual abuse is too much. We
must do all that we can as Church to ensure that this doesn't happen
again. We will do more to help by acknowledging the reality than defending
it as "someone else's problem."
3. Share Your
Feelings.
Where and when feasible and appropriate, share how this crisis is
affecting you, and how you feel about it. Many non-Catholics have been
heartened to hear how this has affected us. I think it has been extremely
helpful for other priests to acknowledge their sadness and hurt over the
scandal. It is helpful for those of us who are parents to express our
solidarity with those whose children have suffered abuse.
These three ideas should frame
our first response to the horrible
scandal: compassion, openness, and vulnerability.
...and then 4. Share
The Facts.
If, after all of this, the
opportunity shows itself, there certainly are ways we can help others to understand why all of this is happening, and what the
Roman Catholic Church is doing to address the issue. There are numerous
Web resources that can help us get accurate information. The links in the
sidebar provide a Catholic perspective on the issue, important facts about
sexual abuse and the priesthood, and statements from Church leaders.
Share these resources with people who really want to know how the Catholic
Church is responding to the crisis.
Having the latest information
will help to clarify many of the misconceptions that are out there. It
might also call you to be an advocate for justice within our Church
communities.
When will it end?
As we reel from emerging
accusations around the country, many of us are saddened by the price that
the entire Church is paying for the unspeakable acts of a select few. We
pray for a morning when we will not open the newspaper to see our Church
in the headlines.
To this prayer, let us add
another. Let us ask the Lord to bring all of this pain and sorrow out of
darkness and into his clarifying Light. Let us pray that this scandal will
not end until all children are respected, loved, and treated as
Jesus would treat them. Let us use this opportunity to renew ourselves,
that we may become a Church where everyone encounters Jesus Christ, alive
in the Spirit.
Chris Weber
Director
Catholic Education Ministries of Central Maryland
301-447-3707
Copyright © 2002 by the Catholic Education
Ministries Center of Central Maryland, Emmitsburg, MD 21727. All rights reserved.
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