Post by Administration on Mar 25, 2010 14:12:34 GMT
A cover-up beyond forgiveness
Published on 21 Mar 2010
www.heraldscotland.com/comment/ian-bell/a-cover-up-beyond-forgiveness-1.1014819
Pope Benedict has called it “the child abuse crisis”.
Crisis of what, exactly, and for whom? In his general audience at the Vatican last week the pontiff also spoke of “this painful situation”. Is it still possible to hope that something important was lost in the translation of those miserable words?
One by one, even the defences of the well-meaning are being stripped away. The hopes of the remaining faithful, still attempting to live their lives in Christ, are being shattered. All those who have done no harm, who love their church, whose anger and horror are a match for any secular cynic, have less and less to offer.
What remains? The claim, as though in excuse, that there will always be an inescapable few who are tainted and twisted? It no longer holds.
The stream of documented cases, far less the flood of allegations, says that the suggestion is an insult. Ugly words – institutionalised, globalised – are now apposite. Could you black out the organisation’s name and simply present the list of known crimes – only those – to Scotland Yard or the FBI, a stunned assessment would follow. This, it would say, is the world’s biggest paedophile ring. A pastoral letter from Benedict, to be read out at masses across Ireland this morning, is a pathetic gesture. More new guidelines?
So how many countries now? Ireland, Germany, Italy, Holland, Austria, Brazil, Australia, Switzerland, Britain, all points of the American compass: whom shall we spare? And how many must – must – have known? Secondary to the claim that a few vicious men wrought havoc is the belief in a handful of careerists procuring silence and concealment. The cover-up, despite its precise repetition in place after place, is also called an aberration.
Not plausible. Not tenable. The vast geographic extent of systematic rape and torture, far less its reach across generations, is compelling evidence that a great many people – otherwise good, otherwise blameless, their consciences “troubled” – knew perfectly well. They knew or could guess every detail. And the Vatican knew.
Or have I read too often of its matchless “intelligence service”, and of a bureaucratic self-knowledge, stored in the archives, that spans centuries? Has no-one in the church ever signed an unusual cheque, or authorised a quiet pay-off, or arranged for a certain priest to follow his calling a thousand miles away? In Rome, they knew. Benedict knew.
Published on 21 Mar 2010
www.heraldscotland.com/comment/ian-bell/a-cover-up-beyond-forgiveness-1.1014819
Pope Benedict has called it “the child abuse crisis”.
Crisis of what, exactly, and for whom? In his general audience at the Vatican last week the pontiff also spoke of “this painful situation”. Is it still possible to hope that something important was lost in the translation of those miserable words?
One by one, even the defences of the well-meaning are being stripped away. The hopes of the remaining faithful, still attempting to live their lives in Christ, are being shattered. All those who have done no harm, who love their church, whose anger and horror are a match for any secular cynic, have less and less to offer.
What remains? The claim, as though in excuse, that there will always be an inescapable few who are tainted and twisted? It no longer holds.
The stream of documented cases, far less the flood of allegations, says that the suggestion is an insult. Ugly words – institutionalised, globalised – are now apposite. Could you black out the organisation’s name and simply present the list of known crimes – only those – to Scotland Yard or the FBI, a stunned assessment would follow. This, it would say, is the world’s biggest paedophile ring. A pastoral letter from Benedict, to be read out at masses across Ireland this morning, is a pathetic gesture. More new guidelines?
So how many countries now? Ireland, Germany, Italy, Holland, Austria, Brazil, Australia, Switzerland, Britain, all points of the American compass: whom shall we spare? And how many must – must – have known? Secondary to the claim that a few vicious men wrought havoc is the belief in a handful of careerists procuring silence and concealment. The cover-up, despite its precise repetition in place after place, is also called an aberration.
Not plausible. Not tenable. The vast geographic extent of systematic rape and torture, far less its reach across generations, is compelling evidence that a great many people – otherwise good, otherwise blameless, their consciences “troubled” – knew perfectly well. They knew or could guess every detail. And the Vatican knew.
Or have I read too often of its matchless “intelligence service”, and of a bureaucratic self-knowledge, stored in the archives, that spans centuries? Has no-one in the church ever signed an unusual cheque, or authorised a quiet pay-off, or arranged for a certain priest to follow his calling a thousand miles away? In Rome, they knew. Benedict knew.