Catholic Shame
Not that today's story is any different from the news which has been breaking over the past 2 years (Lawyer for Church Says He Hid His Own Sexual Abuse by Priest) but it does make me wonder what the Jewish communal response should be?
Obviously, we identify with any victim of the Catholic church. But we can either (a) stay silent and let the church hang itself on their own rope, (b) advocate victims-rights across the board, keeping the religious and historical issues moot, or (c) actively go after the Church.
We have already been doing (a). But what are our principles?
As I've stated before, I am unhappy with the Orthodox organizations. I fear that there may be leaders in the Jewish community who will side with any established religious organization out of the bizarre but commonplace socio-psychological phenomenon that all bureaucracies - across all borders - are brothers no matter what ideology or creed.
But are we afraid - like always - of being too high profile? Will our Diaspora cowardice force us to ignore yet another fight?
Personally, I'd like to go after the Church. I'd like for the Jewish community to expose the evils of Catholic politics. Is the current uproar any different from the hypocrisies of the past?
Bottom line, though, is that we should at least do category (b); vigorously support the victims' pleas for justice. It's a safe way to do the right thing.
Not that today's story is any different from the news which has been breaking over the past 2 years (Lawyer for Church Says He Hid His Own Sexual Abuse by Priest) but it does make me wonder what the Jewish communal response should be?
Obviously, we identify with any victim of the Catholic church. But we can either (a) stay silent and let the church hang itself on their own rope, (b) advocate victims-rights across the board, keeping the religious and historical issues moot, or (c) actively go after the Church.
We have already been doing (a). But what are our principles?
As I've stated before, I am unhappy with the Orthodox organizations. I fear that there may be leaders in the Jewish community who will side with any established religious organization out of the bizarre but commonplace socio-psychological phenomenon that all bureaucracies - across all borders - are brothers no matter what ideology or creed.
But are we afraid - like always - of being too high profile? Will our Diaspora cowardice force us to ignore yet another fight?
Personally, I'd like to go after the Church. I'd like for the Jewish community to expose the evils of Catholic politics. Is the current uproar any different from the hypocrisies of the past?
Bottom line, though, is that we should at least do category (b); vigorously support the victims' pleas for justice. It's a safe way to do the right thing.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 at 11/25/2003 11:40:00 AM.
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