Pope meets sex abuse victims

Yes, it was good of the Holy Father to do this. I'm glad, though, that it was done privately and out of the glare of the TV lights. You can't have genuine reconciliation with Barbara Walters or Jack Cafferty butting in with inane comments/questions. We'll see how it turns out. Let's hope the media leaves alone these victims who met with B16 and not try to hunt them down like prey. They have had enough grief in their lives.

Rod, your post got me to switch the channel from EWTN to CNN, just in time to hear Lou Dobbs pontificating -- as usual-- about things he knows little of. How did that guy ever rise so high in broadcast news?

But the article in the Globe was very hopeful. And God bless Cardinal O'Malley for helping it happen!

It was, of course, brillian PR, but Cardinal Law is still safe behind the walls of the Vatican.

Safe from what? Law's conduct was appalling, but he hasn't been charged with any crime, nor is there any legal basis to do so.

Rod, I thought about commenting on the earlier post when you seemed to indicate that you thought that the Holy Father's address to the Bishops fell short. Now, I did not watch that address on television, or read it, I listed to it via radio. I really listened, as one must, as PBXVI has a significant German accent. I heard something very different. I heard him giving a course in "Bishoping 101".

Frankly, I could hear his restraint as he described what Bishops are called to do, without raising the roof. He was very clear, I thought. OK, this is what I heard.

1) This is YOUR job, your vocation, your calling, your responsibility.
2) You are to address the issue of sexual abuse by "binding the wounds of the victims", knowing your priests, supporting their priestly vocations and caring for the laity. Get with it, do it, and do it NOW.
3) There are contributing factors in the culture of this country which are leading many astray. Pornography, violence, a loss of the sense of the sacred bonds of marriage. YOU need to address this issues with the priests and laity of your diocese.
4) YOU are the shepherds. Get your a**es out there and lead and protect your flock!

I heard the passion and pain in the Holy Father's voice. Just because he didn't use the language that I would use, doesn't mean that he wasn't laying down the law in no uncertain terms. Oh, and just because some Bishops, who shall remain nameless (we know who you are, Excellencies) choose to try to spin that address, doesn't mean that they are really unaware that PBXVI has thrown down the gauntlet. After hearing this address, I guessed that he would lead by example and try to personally help bind those terrible wounds. Yeah, I found out today that that is exactly what he did. He did it without fanfare or photo ops because it was The Right Thing To Do. I suspect that he also did it to lead his brother Bishops by example.

He is unlikely to start executing, flogging, or humiliating Cardinals, Bishops and priests in St Peter's square, but he is also unlikely to tolerate any further behavior that he sees as injurious to the Body of Christ. God bless you, Holy Father. May God grant him many years. (Thank you, Lord, for giving us the gift of Pope Benedict.)

I am not sure that anything the Pope could do would be enough for Rod. He is seriously ticked off about the scandal, and rightfully so, but still.....over at Mark Shea's blog, Mark wonders why Rod has joined the Orthodox Church, which presupposes an acceptance of Eastern ecclesiology about bishops, collegiality, first among equals, etc., and then expects the Pope to go all Innocent III on the bishops. I mean, which is it? Also, the scandal in the Catholic Church is big big news because we're the 800 pound gorilla, so to speak. I don't read everything Rod writes, often miss DMN for example so I don't know, Rod, are you as exercised about the scandals in your own Church? They seem every bit as nasty as the ones in ours, if not as widespread, but perhaps not as widespread due to the fact that there are just so many more Catholic priests and Catholic kids. People on Mark's blog were waxing indignant about the "rotteness" of the scandals in various Orthodox jurisdictions and I am not knowledgeable enough about this to know. If Orthodox priests screw up and molest someone, who takes them to task? Their bishop? What if the bishop doesn't do anything? Where does it go after that? Like, maybe the Metropolitan or something? I am not being snarky, I really want to know. At least churches with a hierarchy have some recourse, we had a horrible scandal in my area about 20 years ago where one of these independent nondenom guys was messing with boys and there was really no one to do anything, until I think one of the parents called the cops or something. Which makes me think, I know people don't want to put their kids through the whole legal process and maybe they were moved by the bishops' self-serving telling them not to drag the Church's good name into the mud, but it is a pity that more of these parents didn't call the law. I'm not criticizing them, mind you, but still, it would have been nice to see a couple of Father Perv's frog marched out of their rectories in handcuffs. Could have put the fear of God into some of these guys!

Well, God bless the Pope, anyway, with this meeting today and his actions with the late and unlamented Marcel Maciel, he is on the right track anyway!

I have teated many sexual offenders over twenty years, the Pope's statement was only that. Imagine a leader, boss, parent instructing, admonishing and lets look at studies that show behavioral change and outcome. Nothing , nothing will change without STRICT cause and effect and appropriate treatment groups. So far there is very very little done by the Catholic church in this arena. A dear friend and associate wrote a book to be out in the fall, his website is up he is a professional in the field, Catholic and has been abused. Please check out www.abovehisshoulders.com. I think one will find it helpfull.