COMMENTARY and More

Where is the Outrage?
by Casey Serra

Several years ago, when the scandalous cover-up in Boston was unraveling and Cardinal Law’s world was collapsing around his ears, Catholics, and for that matter, good people everywhere, said “Never again!” A group of parishioners in Boston met in the basement of a church and started an organization called “Voice of the Faithful” (VOTF). Their outrage was manifested in several demonstrations in the Boston area directed at the criminal behavior of Cardinal Law and other clerics who participated in the shameful cover-up. The entire nation was informed of the progress of the efforts of VOTF by the wire services. It was news! The results of their efforts are well known. Cardinal Law resigned in disgrace and fled to Rome where a Pope and a Vatican totally out of touch with the people in the pews, awarded Cardinal Law a prestigious position there. The outrage was strong.

The “old boy” network got busy. The bishops (who still don’t get it) insisted that the worst was over. The bishops set up a system of audits, which would “prevent” this type of cover-up from ever happening again. The audit system lasted all of one year. The bishops then decreed that since everything was going so well, each diocese would audit themselves! Incredibly, they set the fox to guarding the henhouse! Where was the outrage?

Now we have unbelievable events transpiring in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Hartford, Chicago and Ireland. In Philadelphia, scores of priests would have been indicted as pedophiles were it not for statutes of limitations. In Los Angeles, over 100 priests have been identified as pedophiles. The Cardinal has stonewalled and refuses to turn over records to investigators. There is a $22 million payout in Hartford to be divided among 43 survivors. So far, 14 priests have been identified as sexual abusers. The shameful record of abuse and cover-up goes back into the 1970’s. Worse yet, one of the identified pedophiles, Father Louis Paturzo, was reported to be no longer a priest, but he was listed on the Norwich Diocese web site as a prison chaplain in Brooklyn, CT, as of November 1, 2005. His residence was listed as Immaculate Conception Rectory in Hartford. This information was taken off the web site on November 2. The shameful events in Chicago are being exposed on a daily basis. In Ireland, it is estimated that the cover-up of clerical sexual abuse of children is decades old and was abetted by officials of the Irish government. Why have we not seen more news of these horrifying events in the local press? Has the “old boy” network effectively silenced the Fourth Estate? Where is the outrage?

In our own diocese of Norwich, the bishop has set up a very good program for protection of children known as “Call To Protect.” It is administered by the Office of Safe Environments in Norwich. This office is woefully under-staffed and, as it appears, apathetic. A survey of VOTF of Eastern Connecticut members revealed that only one parish in ten was complying with the bishop’s directives regarding the implementation of this excellent program. No effort has been made to follow up and insist on compliance by pastors. What has become of the vow of obedience? Has it become selective? Has the directive been issued with a “wink, wink” by Norwich? Where is the outrage?

With the current policy of self-audits, the bishop can now check the box that says that there is a program in place to protect children. He is correct. It is in place. Unfortunately, it has NOT been even remotely implemented. Why? Is it the fault of understaffing in the Office of Safe Environments to the extent that follow-up is not possible? Is it the fault of pastors who ignore the directives of the bishop? Is it intentional? Where is the outrage?

The “old boy “ network has successfully silenced the press and has told the people in the pews that the problem has been solved and there is nothing to worry about. Contrary to what the bishops would have us believe, however, the problem has not been solved. We cannot “put it behind us” and start anew. As Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Hartford, Chicago and Ireland have proved, the problem is still with us. The cover-up is real and continues. WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?

 



In the Vineyard
March 9, 2006
Volume 5, Issue 5
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