After a week of visits, speeches and reflections, in a trip that even secular outlets have found numerous aspects to praise, the apparent takeaway from “The DePauw” editorial board is that “victims of sexual assault need action, not papal platitudes”.
As a person who entered the seminary to study for the priesthood as the story of priestly abuse was breaking, I know well that the incidents of priests and bishops harming children is one of the most heinous examples of Catholics failing to live up to the teachings of Jesus in a long history of such failures.
I would note that most in the media have recognized that the Church has moved swiftly and dramatically to fix the problem.
1) The seminary formation process for priests (6-8 years) now has classes, presentations and workshops which both seek to ensure a deeper formation in what it means to live out celibacy, and also provide the necessary training on how to ensure the protection of children.
2) Steps have been put in place to ensure that EVERY person in every Catholic situation who might even POTENTIALLY be around children must first go through an online training program which also includes a background check and ongoing formation.
3) Bishops have been empowered to move instantly upon accusations of abuse by priests, and the Vatican now has procedures in place to remove bishops who fail to do so. As the Vatican noted after the Holy Father’s visit, bishops who have not handled abuse situations properly are removed.
Other Christian denominations have begun putting similar steps in place, and even corporations and non-profits have been turning to the Catholic Church in the US as they have sought to shape similar formation and training programs for their organizations.
The Catholic Church has come a long way since 2001, and, as always, darkness and evil are eventually exposed by the light. There is much more work to be done. I believe the Church has done a lot more than offer “papal platitudes”.
Respectfully submitted,
Fr. John Hollowell
Pastor of St. Paul’s Catholic Church
And Catholic chaplain to DePauw University
