Suffer the little children

As a seventh grader, I sat in a Catholic school classroom receiving the parochial-school version of sexual education. It was a memorable period in life, one that cannot be described unless it is experienced. In one instance, we read about the different "types" of love. Eros was bad: all of the Greeks did it and went to hell -- just look at how their society collapsed. Caritas was good: abstinent people go to heaven for their restraint. Really, really good people were celibate, but we never spent much time on that one. A little odd, I realize -- but in their own way, the instructors hoped to inculcate a sense of ethics among us.

How burdensome it must be for the Church to teach morality to children these days. I am still a Catholic, although my attendance record is wretched and I disagree with certain Church laws. In light of the recent scandals, I waver between disbelief and despair. What do my beleaguered former teachers tell their pupils now? It seems grossly hypocritical for the Church to condemn birth control and premarital sex while unilaterally protecting pedophiles in the clergy.

The Catholic Church is not the only institution to face problems of this nature, although these instances have received more media attention than most other child-abuse stories. In some cases, the criticism borders on demonism -- I recall one MSNBC show in which the guest essentially accused all Catholic laity and clergy of being depraved accessories to the cover-up. Nevertheless, despite occasional ugly generalizations, one cry resounds: trust has been shattered. Little effort has been made to mend what remains.

It is difficult for many Catholics, let alone other individuals, to understand the complex hierarchy of the Church. Technically, the Pope issues final decisions, but hosts of cardinals, bishops, orders and parish priests also play integral roles in the relationship between the Church and the people.

The hierarchy, and the Church's preference for disciplining its own ranks, has increased the scale of the problem. A meeting of American bishops in Dallas produced a decision to move repeat offenders out of parishes or to defrock priests -- remove them from their official roles -- in order to prevent their contact with children. This is a start, but it does not enlarge the scope of responsibility to incorporate other clergy members who remained silent in the face of accusations about fellow priests.

The most infamous member of the Church in this respect is Cardinal Bernard Law. Cardinal Law oversees the Boston Diocese, which has suffered spiritually and financially in light of abhorrent revelations of sexual abuse by John Geoghan, Paul Shanley and others. Cardinal Law allegedly knew about the errant clergymen and chose to retain them in parishes despite complaints from parish members.

During testimony in Shanley's ongoing trial, Cardinal Law claimed that he did not review the priest's file before promoting the priest to parish leadership, although previous accusations against Shanley had already been made. In response to questions about letters sent by concerned members, the Cardinal replied that these were kept in "disparate places," shifting blame to the administrative system for his own inexcusable decisions.

Cardinals and bishops are trusted figures in the Catholic Church, respected for years of service. These awful few tarnish the entire group. Senior members of the Church must answer for their actions if they have permitted suspected pedophiles to serve as the leaders of unsuspecting congregations. Cardinal Law and those like him must resign or be excommunicated unceremoniously for the betrayal of trust -- jail time is reasonable. Irreparable harm has been inflicted upon children and the Church at large; a deep rift between parishioners and clergy threatens to become a schism in the United States. Cardinal Law's departure would be a first step towards healing.

These abuses touch every Catholic; two of my former priests have stepped down after adult victims came forward with haunting stories of childhood abuse. The official Church position makes the accused into the victims. It points to their outcast status and requests our absolution. It is the children, however, who suffer the most; the men called to protect them from the world's evils instead violate a sacred trust.

Forgiveness is a tenet of the Church, but it cannot salve these wounds; we must forgive, but they must be penitent. A sex offender of any type cannot remain in a position that ministers to children, and the offender's protectors must be held equally accountable.

Recently, parish organizations like Voice of the Faithful have called for Church reform. We need to cleanse Catholicism, to re-sanctify it by removing the priests who have defiled its name. We also need to reopen communication channels between Church members and the clergy. Without the support of the faithful, the Church will falter, mired in a scandal it still fails to acknowledge as its own. We should commit to forgiveness, but we must also demand accountability.