America's Largest Catholic Newspaper
Like many others, I am extremely disturbed by the recent news of sexual abuse occurring within the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania and New York. However, I cannot say that I am entirely surprised by it. In the Aug. 16 issue of Catholic New York, there was an article that presented the details of the news. What was missing, however, was any kind of condemnation of these events from Catholic New York itself.
And while I appreciate the fact that there are now programs in place to help the survivors, what is necessary is an examination of power structures within the Church that allow these things to happen in the first place. The fact that the abuse was so widespread indicates an issue within the Church at large, not just individuals. I expect more from an institution that claims to hold itself to a higher standard than the rest of society.
The fact that a Catholic publication cannot even take a strong stance against sexual abuse speaks volumes about what, and who, is most important to the Church.
