The Church still doesn’t grasp the depth to which the clergy sexual scandal has infiltrated the souls of the people of faith.

A bishop, and sadly it does not matter if he is innocent or not, the perception in this case is the reality. The perception is that the bishop was involved in covering-up a sexually abusive priest. Of course I am referring to  Bishop Juan de la Cruz Barros of the diocese of Osorno in the country of Chile.

How is it that I conclude that the Church still doesn’t grasp the depth of the pain of the people? The Holy Father, Pope Francis says incendiary things like, “foolishness”, and the Church in Chile has, “lost its head” in discussing the protests that have taken place several times in the cathedral in Osorno.

Pope Francis also blames the, “leftists”,  in the current socialist government for stirring up the controversy and that may be true.  The key issue that the Church always seems to forget is that if there was never a clergy sexual, some say homosexual, scandal, then there could never be anything; leftist, news papers, movies, reporters, (and bloggers for that mater),  could say against the Church or the hierarchy.

If I was accused I do not know how I would react. If cleared of the charges and still protested against I am sure it would make me very angry. Hopefully I would also understand that my presence among the people could be a disruptive one, as it is in Osorno.  Since the goal of all of us should be heaven and my presence, whether or not I have been exonerated, is causing strife then the humble thing to do would be to  resign and quietly take another position. Of course that is easier said than done. A page needs to be taken from St. Pius of Pietrelcina, and St. Mary Helen MacKillop.

Name calling and speculation on the reasons for the protests do in no way heal the still opened wounds of the people in Chile.