NCR's John Allen offers his take on Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley's decision to publish a list of priests accused of the sexual abuse of minors. Anticipating a wide variety of response to this move, Allen sets the questions in a larger ecclesial context and suggests some implications for the wider Church.
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A marvelously charitable (and I would say, accurate) description of Cardinal Seán in Mr Allen's third or fourth paragraph!
ReplyDeleteI am inclined to see the list as "too much," especially since deceased priests are named about whom "no formal determination of guilt has been established": in other words, priests who are de jure (and possibly de facto) innocent but who cannot defend themselves. Our archbishop speaks of healing and transparency -- but what of healing for the families of the priests who have been posthumously tarred with the "abuser" brush?
And yes, Mr Allen is astute when he notes that some critics of the Church will never be satisfied unless a "going out of business" sign appears on the front door of St Peter's Basilica!