Letters

Sexual abuse of children

Arnold Jago

Contents - Jun 2015 Canonisation: Pope Francis canonises four heroic nuns - AD2000 Report Cardinal Pell, Archbishop Fisher respond to Ballarat allegations - AD2000 Report Life issues: Reflections on the death penalty - Anne Lastman Sacred Heart: Burning appeal of the Heart of Jesus - Archbishop Julian Porteous Jesus: the extra-Biblical evidence - Andrew Sholl Family: Pope Francis upholds Church teaching on the family - Fr Ken CLark OLSC Letters: Using e-Readers at Mass - Gerry van Hees Letters: "Our homeland in heaven": a rejoinder - Dr Frank Mobbs Letters: Sexual abuse of children - Arnold Jago Books: THE ENVIRONMENT, by Pope Benedict XVI - Paul Simmons Books: THE CHURCH AND CREATION, by Luis Colomer - Paul Simmons (reviewer) Books: THE UNICORN IN THE SANCTUARY: New Age and the Catholic Church - Br Barry Coldrey Reflection: Faith: dialogue of mind and heart - Audrey English

Australia's Royal Commission into institutional sex abuse of children probably doesn't have wide enough terms of reference.

Abuse in institutions is merely the tip of an iceberg.

Over 90 per cent of abuse is committed by immediate family, extended family or "family friend" -- nothing to do with the Church or any institution. (Adults Surviving Child Abuse Survey, 2012: http://launchgroup.com.au/wp/national-peak-body-supporting-survivors-of-child-abuse-expands-services-with-new-premises/#sthash.p03CjjfQ.dpuf)

Our child abuse problem is worse than we like to imagine. The government seems reluctant for us to realise how bad or widespread it is.

To reduce child abuse drastically would require drastic changes -- not just in institutions, but inside our homes and inside our heads, including embracing loyalty exclusively to traditional man-woman marriage, and elimination of all forms of pornography.

Not a lot of votes in any of that.

ARNOLD JAGO,
Nichols Point, Vic.

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 28 No 5 (June 2015), p. 7