Print friendly
Since my ordination to the priesthood 12 years ago, the millstone of sexual abuse revelations within the Catholic Church has weighed heavily. Indeed, such is the extent of the crisis, that in some circles priest and paedophile have become interchangeable words. It is as if we have moved from an unhealthy ‘A priest would never do that’ to an equally unhealthy ‘He’s a priest, so he probably did do that’.
I do not presume to speak for anyone else. I am not a spokesman for the church. My intention is to help break open a new and broader conversation in which truth might hold sway against a collective silence and inertia.
The spectre of sexual abuse has become a defining moment for the Church; one that, if not addressed more universally, more openly, and more humbly, poses a serious threat to the Church’s life and authority. We are, after all, dealing with something akin to crimes against humanity. Read more
Sources
- Peter Day in Eureka Street
- Image: The Guardian
Related Posts:
News category: Analysis and Comment.
