Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests Seattle - Comments Prior to Release of the National Figures on Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church by John Jay College
We know the numbers will be alarming. As much as the Catholic church, including our very own Archbishop Brunett, has played down the numbers in the past, a figure much closer to reality will be revealed on February 27th. The figures to be released will begin to tell the truth about the enormity of the problem in the Catholic church. A truth that the church itself has not been able to bring itself to tell.
And with all of this, Archbishop Brunett has the audacity to have a letter read at all church services under his control this past Sunday. It’s only more spin, there is no new news here, it’s the same form letter that he has been using for the past year. Expressing remorse on his behalf and on behalf of he predecessors, how noble of him. But the magnitude of the situation is becoming clearer to everyone. His predecessors lied to us all, and so has he over the years. The problem still exists today within the church. Maybe not the actual sexual abuse taking place, but the secrecy and cover-up that have existed for decades still exists. These sinners exist at all levels of the church. That is not to say that all priests are sinners, rather, that there people from the priests to the Pope who are aware of the crimes and have covered them up for years.
The sad fact of the John Jay College report is that it is not more specific. It will not detail diocese by diocese the crimes that have been committed, the rapes of children that have occurred and have been covered up. It will only speak at a national level as to how much worse things are than the Catholic church had admitted to this point.
If you want to get the truth, the whole story, go after the secret archives. Then and only then will we find out how deep the lies and deceit have been. That is the day when we can all look back to the Catholic church and say, “So you’ve finally come clean, you’ve now admitted to yourself and the world that you have been sinning. Now, you can finally begin to heal and resurrect the faith of so many that you have harmed.”
Only then will the Catholic church be able to move on from this travesty of its own people. Ironic isn’t it? The church has kept those secret archives so no one would discover the truth. But now, when the secret archives are finally opened it will actually set them free. They will no longer need to hide in shame from the information that is contained within. Rather, they will be able to release the devil and begin to reach out to those who need it most, the victims and survivors. Only then can the Catholic church begin to heal itself. More than anything, the church needs to be able to heal itself. The rest will happen on its own, once the church admits that it was wrong at the highest levels.
Jim Biteman
Director SNAP Seattle
206-854-5175