Irish Frieke
Member
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2009
- Messages
- 91
- Reaction score
- 1
What is even more horrifying to me, however, is the extensive cover-up, apparently even at the highest levels of the Church. There is no question that many, maybe even most, Church authorities put the convenience and comfort of the institution (not to mention their own careers) over the well-being of its most vulnerable members. At least with the actual pedophiles, we can recognize their illness, even without excusing their behavior. But how else can we judge their bureaucratic accomplices, who made rational decisions to abet evil, except to condemn in the harshest terms the obvious evil of those decisions!
This scandal needn't destroy anyone's faith in God or even their trust in the vast numbers of individual priests who deserve our respect and gratitude for their devotion to piety and good works. (The priests I have known personally are been great humanitarians, in my judgment.)
Okay, there. I've said it. Mods will delete this if necessary. In my view, however, I am not attacking anyone's religion. The issue here is institution crimes and misconduct, not theology.
Nova, you said it just right. I have also known scores of good priests and used to be involved in my local parish. After my mother died, I became more sceptic and now, I want to believe, but am not sure.
these scandals don't help and the best the church hierarchy could do is beat a great big "mea culpa", but we all know that will never happen.