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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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The Press
August 10, 2002

Carmelites comment

I would like to thank The Press for calling the Catholic Church to account for the ills that have impacted worldwide. We are all grateful when other unjust and dysfunctional issues are brought to light and individuals helped.

I'm sure I speak on behalf of the vast majority of Catholics -- almost one billion of us -- (minus the paedophiles!) who stand stunned and shamed by all that has happened. I cannot help but liken it to the twin-towers calamity. It feels as if something like this has hit the Church, with a particular focus on the priesthood and celibacy.

We were utterly horrified at the perpetrators of September 11 -- it was totally out of the range of our experience and we all identified with the innocent victims. There was real danger of retaliation against the whole of Afghanistan and those of the Islamic religion as if they were all to be blamed. The Press wisely printed some helpful articles on Islam so that balance and proportion could be restored to public thinking, and needless acts of cruelty against that country and its religion were condemned.

This applies to our situation. The perpetrators of child abuse stand far outside the range of our comprehension, not to mention the way they were dealt with.

The Church as a whole cannot be blamed for this -- though we stand exposed and humiliated along with the guilty. To deprive all followers of Islam of becoming airline pilots because of the depraved actions of a few, would be the same as depriving the Church of its priesthood and the celibate choice (responsible for untold selfless service for centuries) for the same reason.

The Catholic Church only exists because God does, and it is a mystery lived out through countless individuals. We do not put our faith in persons whether they be pope, bishop, priest, religious or layperson, for more than obvious reasons.

Our faith is in God, whose existence is further proved by His justice in permitting these things to be exposed and checked, simply because the Church is his creation to bring God to us and us to God, and for that reason, is the very apple of His eye.

In fact, the Church is the antidote provided for wrong choices made over a very different apple, and consequently, we are all sinners in need of God.

The renowned Catholic convert, Chesterton, was once asked what he thought the greatest problem in the world was and replied, "I am".

That is the reality for every Catholic as Jesus has taught us through example, warnings, teachings, and numerous parables. No need to search for proof!

As with the woman caught in the very act of scandal, we stand rightly punished. Battered and profoundly sorry, we hear again those merciful words: "Go, and sin no more."