Like the proverbial ton of bricks a sudden realization almost crushed me.  When the faithful, (I use the term loosely), are presented with the gospels, with the love & peace Jesus left in his Church and with the true meaning of the Mystical Body of Christ, they have a very narrow idea of what that is. 

I’ve come to realize, and this most certainly does not apply to everyone, the members of the body that they care about fit into three categories.  The first is family.  The second is friends and acquaintances.  The third are nameless, faceless people who are helped by charities they contribute to.   

Because of the recent court awarded monetary settlement to Mr. John Vai I have been witness to incredible unconstrained venom released towards him and other clergy abuse victims.

Slander is really what it is.  And God help me I would very much like to start punching people.   Harsh sweeping statements like, “The victims are just in it for the money.” are insulting to me, a victim, who is not in it for the money.  I desperately want the healing of victims.  I’m a victim and not in “it”, (whatever it is), for the money.  Those kinds of blanket statements only show the ignorance of the speaker.  (It seems like infinite ignorance but since we are finite creatures I know it’s finite too.)

If you look at this like the 100 sheep, 99 who stay with the shepherd, what are we told  God looks for that one out of love.  And we are told God loves all the sheep in the fold.  So what if 99 victims of clergy sexual abuse just want money, does God love them less?  Is their pain and suffering less?  And what if 1 of the 100 just desperately wants closure but doesn’t know how to get it so sues.   Then isn’t it sinful to lump that one individual with the 99.  Take it a step further since God loves all 100 of them then isn’t it incredibly prideful to slander and hate them?  (I’m making my own head hurt.)

I’m starting to come to the conclusion that there are many people who are in the Church who are either hateful or just don’t care.  That is a sad realization.  I hope I’m wrong.