Accountability Needed

Posted

I am so sick of clergy sex abuse cases. How come the #MeToo movement doesn’t apply in this context, fellow Catholics? I have my faith, but it’s no wonder the Church is falling apart and membership is down in some localities. Fortunately, I was never abused there, but anyone abused anywhere can empathize with victims. There’s not enough accountability being taken and itemization of funds being spent on legal fees. If this were government, it would be a more pressing issue.

Catholics are afraid of repercussions. But we cannot separate sin from crime here. Social capital matters more to some people than justice. Don’t even think of promoting your platform until you learn how to treat some of our most vulnerable populations. Call me liberal, but too many Catholics are afraid to speak out against injustice because they’ve lost the ability to understand the difference between guilt and moral responsibility.

They’re also afraid of losing their identity. This is why some people don’t talk about such atrocities in their Catholic social circles. They’re afraid of being ostracized by their friends and community. But we need to talk about this more, and we will.

Greg Lucid
Circle Pines, Minn.
The writer is a native of Sacred Heart parish in Yonkers.