(St. Edmund's Church, England where Deacon Sean Murphy Serves)By Deacon Sean MurphyWhen they are required to address the evil of sexual abuse by priests, religious and others within the Church, it is not uncommon for those wanting to protect the ‘good name of the Church’ to refer to the perpetrator as a ‘bad apple’, or some such.
A Voice for Victims of Sexual Abuse archregina.sk.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from archregina.sk.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
(St. Edmund s Church, England where Deacon Sean Murphy Serves)
By Deacon Sean Murphy
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the crime of sexual abuse of children and other vulnerable people at the hands of clergy, religious and others working in the name of the Church. I referred then to Pope Francis s verdict, in his
Letter to the People of God, that this appalling scandal, and the systematic covering-up of the crimes, was attributable to an over-concentration of power in the hands of clergy. Clericalism, the Holy Father wrote, whether fostered by priests themselves or by lay persons. supports and helps to perpetuate many of the evils that we are condemning today. To say no to abuse is to say an emphatic no to all forms of clericalism. His message was clear: the clergy s monopoly of power within the Church has to end.