Letters

Sex abuse apology (letter)

M.J. Gonzalez

Contents - Sep 2008 - Buy a copy now Editorial: World Youth Day 2008: the challenge ahead - Michael Gilchrist WYD08: World Youth Day 2008: what the media missed - Deborah Baker WYD08: Impressions of youth - Bridget Pati and Berni Sullivan WYD08: Faith: alive and well! - A pilgrim's progress - Catherine Sheehan WYD08: A reflection on WYD - Tim Cannon WYD08: Memories of homestay hosts - Emidio and Phyllis Restall News: The Church Around the World WYD08: Theology on Tap: young Catholics' response to relativism - Patrick Langrell The physical and mental scars of abortion - Charles Francis Foundations of Faith: Priesthood and the sacraments: Divine help for eternal salvation - Br Barry Coldrey Liturgy: No smoke without fire: Benedict XVI and true liturgical reform - David Birch Vatican: Restoration work completed near tomb of St Peter Letters: World Youth day (letter) - M. & L. MORRISSEY Letters: Courage of young Jozef Ratzinger (letter) - Frank Bellet Letters: Invaluable work of Anne Lastman (letter) - Errol Duke Letters: Moral equivalence (letter) - Leo McManus Letters: Abortion grief - Anne Lastman Letters: Buddha in church (letter) - E. Makaus Letters: Sex abuse apology (letter) - M.J. Gonzalez Letters: Vatican II (letter) - Frank Mobbs Poetry: The Sermon at Templestowe - Bruce Dawe Books: Saving Those Damned Catholics, by Judie Brown - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: THE WISDOM OF NAZARETH: Stories of Catholic Family Life - Siobhan Reeves (reviewer) Books: SAINT BENEDICT'S RULE: A New Translation for today, by Patrick Barry OSB - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: FAITH AND FIDELITY, by Anthony Meredith SJ - Michael Daniel Books: Books available from AD2000 Books Reflection: Archbishop Burke of St Louis: the responsibilities of a bishop - Archbishop Raymond Burke

The demands of some that the Pope and Catholic Church apologise for the scandalous misdeeds of a very small percentage of Catholic priests and religious in recent decades are open to question - notwithstanding Benedict XVI's generous, sincere apology during World Youth Day.

First of all, neither the Pope nor the Church per se committed these deeds. Certain individuals did. True enough, they were 'clerical/ religious' members of the Church, not just lay members. For this reason, the 'official' Church might be expected to deplore the grave sins of the offenders and to regret that these people committed them. This is quite different from 'apologising'.

These people acted on their own, completely contrary to the Church's teachings on these matters, and not as Church representatives. So to say that the Church is somehow responsible for their actions is drawing a long bow indeed. Neither the Church nor the Pope can appropriately apologise for their actions.

However, the hitherto lack of firm and appropriate action by bishops has been utterly deplorable as were their lax methods of screening out such misfits from entry into seminaries.

People with unnatural sexual tendencies have no place in the priesthood nor the religious orders. While they are to be treated with compassion and shown how to deal with their problems, they should not have been allowed to become priests, brothers or nuns.

Let's get things into perspective.

M.J. GONZALEZ
Willetton, WA

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 21 No 8 (September 2008), p. 15