04.05.10 My Top Ten RIGHT NOW
In place of my usual column of ten cultural events, I feel the need to take a pause and address something by far more important and culturally damning than any trifle I might have experienced this past week.
I have spent a good deal of the past couple of weeks reading the New York Times’ coverage of the abuse scandals that have finally rocked the papacy, taking on an even more freshly wounded feeling reading about them as a good portion of the world celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. The concept of priests molesting children, unfortunately, is not a shock on any level (right up there with Ricky Martin coming out of the closet). I must sadly admit that I’ve become dulled to the statistics and sporadic details. It horribly has become common.
What I have not become dulled to, in fact have only become more outraged by, is the church’s reaction. I’m going to step over the most recent claim that the current rash of publicity is tantamount with anti-Semitism, that’s just too fraught and actually was spoken by only one member of the church. What I take great offense to is the constant cover-up and backpedaling that has been done. At the end of the day, it seems like everyone knew something and absolutely no one was doing anything more than shuffling pedophiles from one community to the next, spreading the problem rather than containing it or stopping it.
My most recent shock came from the much-publicized Father Murphy case. Sure, the combination of deaf children and sheer number was a shock, but my outrage stems from the specifics of his case and what it revealed about the church’s dealings. In the initial reports of his actions, he got a slap on the wrist. There seemed to be even little reaction when a caseworker was able to pinpoint the exact type of boy he’d most likely go after, black hair or blonde, socially awkward and sexually naïve. The most reaction and potential to take this case to “trial” (within the confines of the church, not government) and potential punishable action came only when it became clear that Father Murphy used the confessional as a place to prey on children.
Now let’s stop and think about this concept. Abusing boys is bad, but abusing little deaf boys through the “sacred” confessional is the actual offense? No, I cannot accept this. The second that abuse occurs, that a child is robbed of what little innocence is left in this world, that’s when action needs to be taken. It is sickening to think how many people were abused, and how many people were aware of the abuse, and how little anyone did to stop it. The thought that there is a governing body over people’s souls, that lays claims to faith and obedience, to moral codes, can be maintained at the cost of a child’s virtue? That is truly repulsive.
Some part of me is thankful that this is all coming out and at the expense of the people who have spent their lives covering it up and hiding it from parish to parish. Religion and I certainly haven’t seen eye-to-eye most of my life. I spent much of my early years calling it an opiate for the masses, claiming that services were for sheep and that blindly following doctrine was a surefire way to miss out on what life has to offer. As the world has grown more muddled and gray, both in reality and in the simple fact of growing up and leaving the protective bubble of youth, the thought that there are these places of refuge has actually grown quite attractive; that there are places where a sense of community can be fostered in a world ever more divided by technology and personal struggles.
But if these communities are spending time and money hiding such atrocities, what real refuge can they offer?
