Crisis of Faith
I'm not Catholic myself and don't feel entirely comfortable writing about the mounting problems facing the Church here in America, but I can't help being sickened by the attitude of the Boston archdiosece towards the victims of predatory priests. Not only is the Church doing everything in its considerable power to protect the alleged perpetrators, it is now considering the extraordinary step of declaring bankruptcy to avoid financial liability and to prevent further investigation into the charges. For any institution to so blatatnly seek to deny justice and evade responsibility is obscene, but it is especially grotesque considering that the whole business of the Church is to tell other people how to live their lives.
The institutional problems of the Catholic Church have been with Western civilization for so long that they've become part of the historical wallpaper. It's hard to believe that, at this late date, the Church could furnish such potent new fuel for outrage, or be so inept in its handling of what must be a familiar situation. Catholicism practically invented the concept of shame and distributes it generously to the faithful. It's amazing that they can't seem to find any to spare on themselves in a situation where it's so richly needed.
Check out the Boston Globe for outstanding coverage of the situation.
8:39:44 AM 
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