Sex Abuse and The Church

As a onetime Catholic, the hardest part about the past few years has been the constant barrage of the unceasing sexual abuse scandal that seems to have embroiled the Church in a never-ending wave of disgusting, horrible revelations. As I was entering college, going to Church became 'optional' for me and I realized that I was going to Church not out of any particular devotion to God or my faith, but because it was what I did on Sundays. That didn't strike me as particularly honest- neither to myself nor to God, so I stopped going.

A couple of years and some bad patches later, I began to question my absence from the Church. Something was missing. Human beings, I feel, are fundamentally spiritual in nature. There's a need to feed the soul, whether through prayer or some other devotional aspect of one's life and at the time, I felt tugged back towards that. Then, of course-- the first wave of the sexual abuse scandal broke. I was disgusted.

The hierarchy protected abusers. They moved them around. They covered up the abuse of children and they did it because, at the time, people didn't talk about sexual abuse. At the time, it was quiet, kept hidden far, far away from the sight of anyone and everyone. But in the succeeding decades, that began to change and the full extent of the crimes of the hierarchy became clear. Did they learn from their mistakes? Of course not- the Church did what it always does, which was to circle the wagons and try and shield itself from the scandal. And so it continues- where the Church fails to hold members of the Hierarchy that covered sexual abuse scandal accountable, the faithful lose faith in the Hierarchy itself. Where they fail to make a clean break with the scandal, they only allow it room to continue, to grow and to now, it seems, lead to the Throne of St. Peter itself.

Recent allegations in Europe- and now Wisconsin have tied the Pope to the possible cover-up of sexual abuse. If that's the case, then it brings the scandal to new and dangerous heights for the Church. Making a clean break and holding their own accountable could go along way into retaining the loyalty and faith of the laity. Without the laity, the hierarchy has no Church and without listening to the Laity, the Church will continue to alienate Catholics everywhere and continue to bleed followers from the faithful.

So, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest something unprecedented: the Pope
should resign. I'm not entirely clear if that's even possible, but if it is and if he is truly implicated in the cover up of sexual abuse, then he needs to hold himself accountable- and set and example for the Church in the future. When it comes to matters such as these, with the laity lacking the means to hold the hierarchy accountable, it's up to the Pope to lead by example. To stand up and say that the Hierarchy must hold itself to a higher stander. That shrouding scandal in silence will only bring more shame to the Church.

Resign. And institute a little leadership by example.