Church can't tolerate sexual abuse
The Observer Editorial
Observer editorial staff
The Catholic Church took a commendable step forward on Tuesday when Pope John Paul II acknowledged that sexual abuse by priests is not only an American scandal but also a global issue that the entire Catholic Church needs to address. While the pope recommended a strong zero-tolerance policy for cases of sexual abuse in the Church, American cardinals issued a vague proposal Wednesday that failed to establish a clear strategy for handling sexual offenders, leaving victims unsatisfied and the Church at risk for future problems.
The cardinals presented a proposal not as severe as the plan the pope recommended. The cardinals' plan only addressed priests who have a history of sexual abuse and called a one-time offense a mere "fall from grace." This response is insufficient and irresponsible because it allows sexual offenders to go unpunished.
The cardinals' statement suggested the abandonment of Catholic moral teaching caused the sexual abuse scandal, but they need to go further. When the cardinals reconvene in Dallas in June, they must determine what motivates certain priests to commit acts of sexual abuse and find a way to prevent them from occurring.
While identifying and examining the roots of the problem is imperative, Church leaders should also invest effort in eliminating sexual offenders from the priesthood. Any priest accused of sexual abuse in the past, present or future must face an internal investigation by the Church. The Church needs to dismiss any priest it deems responsible for sexual offenses, whether the accused is a repeat or first-time offender.
Furthermore, Church officials should recognize their moral and ethical obligation to turn over materials pertaining to sexual abuse allegations to the proper legal authorities. The Church is negligent if it fails to disclose information and thus hinders a decision to press charges, regardless of whether or not legal institutions decide to prosecute accused priests. Only the Church has the authority to dismiss or retain priests, but it is not in a position to determine legal guilt or innocence.
A zero-tolerance policy is the only way to enforce unambiguous and stringent guidelines for penalizing offenders if the Church intends to stop sexual abuse by priests. The Church cannot allow any room for mistakes in an issue this grave. It is time for American leaders of the Catholic Church to set an international example and establish a firm, universal position that announces the Church does not, under any circumstances, tolerate sexual abuse by its priests.
All Viewpoint Stories for Friday, April 26, 2002
