Child Abuse Continues to Plague the Catholic Church Across the Globe By Cassandra Clifford.
The Catholic church continues to be plagued by the growing child sexual abuse scandal. The reporting of abuse cases has reached astonishing heights in Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Poland, 70 new cases of abuse are reportedly under investigation in Switzerland. In addition, news broke this week that the Catholic church child sex scandal hits Brazil as priest, 83, is arrested over alter boy abuse allegations (Daily Mail).
While allegations and cases of abuse seem far from new in recent years the breaking new of abuses has led to a breaking of silence and more and more victims have continued to step forward. The level of abuses has undoubtedly rocked not only the Catholic community across the globe but all faiths. However it is the extent of cover-up for such acts and perpetrators has been handled with-in the church over the last two decades that has left the vast majority of the population in utter dismay.
Across Europe the past few weeks has brought with it even more distrust and belief as more abuse cases are being brought forward. This follows an escalating child abuse crisis in Ireland involving more than 15,000 children and cover-ups by church leaders from the 1930s to 1990s. The Pope issued an apology to the Irish victims of abuse last month, however many found it futile, as there was no resolution regarding the punishment of clergy many feel are responsible for the abuse. Victims and critics say the apology failed to clarify Vatican rules on clerical obligations to report abuses to civil authorities and internal investigations into church abuses, skirting around addressing the cover-ups which kept the cases of abuse in the dark (The New York Times).
The abuse cover-ups are far reaching and seem to be more shocking as they emerge from the headlines across the globe. While the “scandal” emerged as silence broke on decade old cases, the extent to which issues of abuse have been kept a private affair appear to have become deeply rooted. Earlier this month a Catholic priest who had been criminally charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Minnesota six years ago was found working in his home diocese in India despite warnings to the Vatican from an American bishop that he posed a risk to children (The New York Times).
In light of Mixa’s resignation today the churches actions against abuser in the ranks continue to be mixed. Many accused abusers receive little more than a slap on the wrist and a consensus on apologies and punishments appear to be mixed. DerSpiegel, questioned the reason for many church represenatives citing, “relief” at the resignation;
“Relief from what, exactly? Is it a relief to have finally gotten rid of someone who has long been seen as a burden, given his loose tongue and his conservative attitudes? Or is it a relief to make a reconciliatory gesture to an enraged public which is demanding concrete action on the abuse crisis?”
The abuse scandal is truly a global one and as more and more cases are uncovered the Vatican is going to have to seek stronger action and consistency across the board to keep the faithful from loosing faith and placing the Catholic church in a position to which it can never bounce back.
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