Protecting the Church, Not the Children

Today in a NYT editorial:

German Catholics are questioning Benedict’s role nearly 30 years ago when, as archbishop of Munich, he allowed the transfer of a priest molester. That priest had managed to remain at work until last week when he was suspended as the scandal grew with news media scrutiny. There are also questions about Benedict’s directive as a Vatican cardinal in 2001 that bishops worldwide were to keep pedophilia investigations secret under threat of ex-communication.

The American church’s investigative board of laity cautioned “there must be consequences” for prelates who orchestrated cover-ups. This has not been fulfilled, even though the board criticized management of rogue priests by Cardinals Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, the nation’s largest diocese, and Edward Egan, the former leader of the New York archdiocese. The pope’s expression of “shame and remorse” for the Irish scandal is not to be doubted. But what is most urgently needed was well described by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel — “truth and clarity about everything that took place.”

The Pope's expression of 'shame' is not to be doubted? Believe me, I can doubt it. Words don't matter at this point, it's actions that count. Words are cheap, and in lieu of real action, themselves shameful.

The Roman Catholic Church can go bankrupt under the weight of law suits and disappear as an institution, for all I care, unless it comes clean as to this monstrous evil it has perpetrated (and is still hiding).