Pope Francis, under fire for promoting known perpetrator Cardianal McCarrick, bows head during a general audience. (Flickr via Catholic Church of England and Wales)
Like most American Catholics, I am disgusted.
I am shocked by the heinous crimes of the very men I’m supposed to look to for spiritual guidance. I am repulsed by the decades-long attempt to cover up and completely ignore the abuses. And I am angry, furious that my church continues to do nothing.
Following Attorney General Shapiro’s findings in Pennsylvania, the Church ought to cooperate with law enforcement and conduct an investigation into the church in all 50 states. Each and every priest guilty of crimes against the church’s most vulnerable—and every bishop guilty of actively concealing said crimes—should be excommunicated and tried to the fullest extent of civil law. This evil in the church must be expunged.
But nothing of the sort is happening.
The Catholic Church in Rome is proving itself to be exactly what critics have often claimed: a secretive good-old-boys club full of aged and, in some cases, perverted clerics who look out only for their own.
So instead of prosecution, priests found guilty of sexual abuse were and still are relegated to a “lifetime of penance and prayer” in the comfort of rectories and church-owned residences. Cardinals responsible for coverups and victim-silencing remain in their posts and are even promoted to high offices. Those not directly responsible only offer masses of “forgiveness” and pay lip service in the place of actual action or repentance.
It has become clear in recent days that Pope emeritus Benedict was prevented from taking action by an entrenched “deep state” and a secretive inner circle operating from within the Vatican. Even Pope Francis—who youth like myself often look to as a leader and shining light of progress, evolution, and modernity in the church— has been veritably accused of complicity in the whole coverup operation.
How can a fractured institution that permits, facilitates and conceals the systemic rape of children honestly hope to be trusted by anyone? It cannot. But if I cannot trust my pastors or my Pope, whom can I trust?
Perhaps I’m excessively harsh. After all, Catholics are called to love and forgive unconditionally. But if church leaders want to be forgiven and regain the the Catholics of the world world and my trust, they must repent and reform. They must, at the very least, show some tangible willingness to change, some signs of sorrow for what they’ve done and pay more than lip service to this spear in the church’s side.
As of right now, they have failed to do even that. They have failed their people.
Next to the greatest tragedy of victims who have been both assaulted and damaged—some for life—is the fact that millions of faithful Catholics are now left to deal with a massive stain and stigma left on their faith. Countless good Catholic priests will now be viewed with skepticism and paranoia due to the actions of their amoral colleagues. And the righteous indignation of many Catholic bishops who pushed vehemently for change will continue to be overshadowed by the inaction of their fellow leaders.
The overwhelming majority of the church is still full of wonderful people seeking to help the poor, comforting the afflicted, caring for the dying and making a difference in the world as Jesus taught us. But because of the despicable, hypocritical and disgusting actions of a corrupt and backward few, innumerable good Catholic laypeople and priests are thrust into the spotlight, and this mission jeopardized.
Because of the crimes of the degenerate few supposed who are supposed to lead and guide them, faithful Catholics everywhere face the task of keeping the faith and fighting the good fight amidst an utter catastrophe they did nothing to merit.
