Silly me. Of course they’re not interested in this supremely teachable moment, what with a hugely anticipated film about the Passion hitting screens on Ash Wednesday. They’ve got other things on their minds.
And that just about says it all. Sums up what this church has been about for forty years – too busy preparing and reading reports about our own activity to bother with all of the teachable moments that have just passed on by.
Not to speak of being too busy with the activity described in the reports: coddling and protecting sin will do that to you. It will color the way you speak, it will select out the areas you address, it will add a distinct air of unreality to the proceedings because, you know, if you get real – who knows what will have to be confronted.
If you read the story I’ve linked, from the Washington Post, you can see the spin. Here it is:
Look at us. We’ve taken the lead among the many institutions that work with children in exploring this problem. Don’t you wish the rest of the world could be more like us?
Nice try.
(And yes, sexual abuse and exploitation of youth is a scandal where ever it happens. For example, there is an enormous, largely unstudied problem of abuse by education professionals. Education Week has looked at the issue twice. Here, from 1998, and Here, from 2003.)
But back to the spin. It frankly sickens me, because in the wake of these findings which all, including the bishops themselves, promise will be distressing, the only response is profound repentance.
ESPECIALLY when the study’s findings are being released on THE FIRST FRIDAY OF LENT, for pete’s sake.
So sure, we’re not there yet, and who knows what will accompany the release of the report. Maybe all the spin will happen before, and afterwards, we’ll see more seemly reactions. Because remorse, repentance and an acceptance of full responsibility is what these findings call for.
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