TORONTO, March 31, 2010 – The only reaction any decent person could have to the abuse scandal is a determination to prevent such things from happening again, and to offer whatever help is available to the victims. Considerable progress has been made on these priorities in recent years, especially in Canada.
Cases of abuse in the Church tend to get a lot more coverage than cases occurring elsewhere, even though all institutions serving youth experience the problem at about the same rate. Nevertheless, we can hardly blame the media for the abuse scandal. The problem is that there is too much focus on the blame game, and little or nothing on the needs of victims. Much of the anonymous commentary on online message boards suffers from the same preoccupation.
In the commentators’ zeal to tar the entire Church with the misdeeds of a minority, there’s plenty of vindictiveness and no shortage of self-righteousness, but little sign of concern for the victims.
– Joanne McGarry, League executive director, Globe and Mail, March 30, 2010
– Letter from Bishop Pierre Morisette, president of the CCCB
– A response to the New York Times, by Fr. Raymond De Souza, National Review online.
– Wrong to point finger at Pope, Bishop Fred Henry, Calgary Herald
– Archbishop Collins homily at Chrism Mass, March 30, 2010