The Church has moved on from the 1970s – the Rupnik scandal shows the Pope must do so too
by Gavin Ashenden, Catholic Herald:
One of the worst accusations against the integrity of the Catholic Church arise from the continuous sexual abuse scandals that have emerged in recent decades.
In particular the “Spotlight scandals” of clerical abuse in Boston found their way into the news in 2002. The Church authorities responded by saying they were shocked and appalled, offered heartfelt apologies, held meetings, and promised to make changes, insisting abuse would not happen again.
When Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s long history of abuse finally made its way on to the public stage in 2018, Church authorities responded again by saying they were shocked and appalled, offered heartfelt apologies, held meetings, and pledged to make changes, so that abuse would not happen again.
Yet while Pope Benedict XVI took action against Cardinal McCarrick, one of Pope Francis’ first acts was not only to reinstate him but invest him with diplomatic responsibilities with the Chinese government.
The record of Pope Francis in providing sanctuary and employment to clergy who have been accused either of sexual predation or covering up for sexual predators has added to the impression that the Church has been continuing to put the protection of clergy before the protection of the vulnerable and innocent.
Matters have been made considerably worse with the latest clerical abuse scandal involving the (former) Jesuit mosaic artist Fr Marko Rupnik.
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