Pope Benedict XVI's courage failed in confronting church scandals

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Survivor Angie Story, 67, right, holds on to a picture of (Photo by The Associated Press)

To the Editor:

A Feb. 11 headline contained a reference to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI as an "act of courage". While retiring to a life of luxury is hardly an act of courage, there is no doubt that this pope has had many opportunities for courageous action. He could have
addressed the problem of child abuse by members of the clergy head on and ended it. Then he could have addressed church crimes of the past. Instead, he chose to continue protecting the institution at the expense of the most vulnerable.

It would have taken courage to order Cardinal Bernard Law back to the U.S. to cooperate in the investigation of abuse in the Boston archdiocese and face the consequences of any crimes he may have committed. By harboring Law, he sent a clear endorsement to Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony and others, who for decades facilitated and concealed abuse out of a perverted belief that protecting the church was more important than protecting children.

Courage would have been needed to say that in the modern world, the bans on married priests and women priests are inappropriate. This would have changed a system that attracts sexually confused young men to the priesthood.

Less courage would have been needed to endorse the Irish bishops' policy requiring the reporting of suspected or known incidents of abuse to the civil authorities. This was modeled after the legal requirement of educators and medical personnel in several U.S. states. Instead this pope was instrumental in discouraging this policy out of a cynical claim of concern for the victims.

As the church spreads to the developing world, the potential for future abuse is
daunting. Perhaps it will be an act of courage for this man to spend his retirement
contemplating the evil he has wrought.

Declan Quinn
Jamesville

Source: http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2013/02/pope_benedict_xvis_courage_fai.html

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