It has finally become clear to me why it is that the clergy and administration of the Catholic Church have been so reluctant and so slow in positively addressing the ongoing and evil sexual abuse scandal.  If the truth is inconvenient or controversial it is poo-pooed, belittled or treated hostilely, (like the revelations of the sexual scandal have been treated). 

When what has been dubbed, “Obamacare” was first introduced the bishops of the United States of America banned together in their outcry that it is evil and anti-Catholic.  They saw and reacted to the very real attack on religious freedom and liberty.  I think that the very vigorous outcry from the Catholic bishops stunned the Obama Administration. Clearly the administration underestimated the bishops.  Kudos to the bishops for standing up for the truth!  For the record universal healthcare is something that the Church supports. The Church does not support abortion or abortifacient birth control because it is not healthcare and it flies in the face of Catholic Church truth based on scripture and tradition.

Now contrast that with the dead silence from most of the bishops that Catholic politicians who support issues like abortion and gay marriage receive.  Abortion flies in the face of the truth, of God who is the author of life.  These self proclaimed, “Catholic in good standing” pro-abortion politicians have the audacity to present themselves for reception of the most precious body and blood of Our Lord and Savior at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. (I was always taught that receiving while in mortal sin was a blasphemy and desecration of the Holy Eucharist.)  But it turns out many of our bishops are afraid to endorse the truth.  What the Church teaches via scripture and tradition can not be compromised not even by the bishops.  There is no gray area here.  Hiding behind the excuse that one doesn’t want to make the reception of The Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ in the eucharist a political issue is disingenuous and cowardly.  Even though it was the religious leaders of the time that asked for the crucifixion of Jesus it was the political powers that actually went ahead and condemned him to death.  It seems to be lost on many people today that the desired effect of denying someone the precious body and blood of our lord in the Eucharist is repentance of grave sin.  So if we take Joe Biden for example and refuse to allow him to participate in the reception of communion because of his persistent and  grave sin it is to give him the opportunity to repent, confess his sins and actually to become the Catholic in good standing that he claims to be… …but isn’t.   (Maybe if the Catholic Church was forced to pay for abortions they would stand up to politicians.  Oh wait, that has already happened with the introduction of  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) a.k.a. Obamacare which supports abortion.)

Now let’s take the leap, (not so much of a leap), to the reaction of the hierarchy to the clergy sexual abuse issue… … …out and out hostility toward victims.  There was a lot of blame placed on the victims for having the nerve to even come forward.  Of course the number of victims had reached critical mass so there was no stopping the truth from coming out. (The truth!)  Victims were often labeled enemies of the Church and there was the attempt on the hierarchy’s part to dismiss them yet again.  Of course there were so many of them dismissed by the hierarchy when they first came forward and there was such fear and shame in victims that many of them didn’t come forward because in all reality they couldn’t.  My own abuse, always remembered, did become real to me when I first spoke it out loud.  Up until that point it was just a surreal episode that I just wanted to and tried desperately to forget.    

Confusing the issue became the weapon of choice for the Church hierarchy and for many of the clergy.  First blame the victims, then blame the press.  Eventually perpetrators were blamed but still the press and ultimately victims again because sometimes there was a long time lapse between when the abuse took place and when it was made public.  And all of those things, all of those issues are an attempt to not only deflect blame where it rightly belongs, on the bishops, but to detract from the real issues.  Even seminaries were blamed and the kinds of formation that they offered men studying for the priesthood.  But the faithful know that the buck stops at the bishops, or at least it should. And ultimately the truth, God’s truth, the truth of our scripture and tradition will win…because God always wins.

To recap; The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) a.k.a. Obamacare has been vigorously fought by the Church because it would cost the Church money.  Pro-abortion Catholic politicians are given a pass, in spite of God’s truth, because to do nothing does not cost the Church anything and to confront them could damage the reputation of the Church in the eyes of some people, (I have to ask, Who & so what?!).  Dealing with abusive clergy not only costs the Church money but also sullies their reputation…and rightfully so.  The truth, God’s truth, the truth of our scripture and tradition will win…because God always wins.