After enduring withering criticism to its John Jay study on the root causes of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, some bishops and members of the John Jay study have come out publicly to try to stem the tide against the findings of the study.
However, their responses have been a regurgitation of the same tired explanations and responses previously offered, leaving the public and some Catholic faithful to wonder when the Church will finally respond in a transparent, forthright manner to a crisis that’s overwhelmed the life of the Catholic Church.
In 2002, when the crisis bubbled to the surface, it was thought by Church insiders that this was a uniquely American problem. In the past year, that premise has been soundly defeated as abuse scandals erupted in South America, Germany, Ireland, and Africa. It’s indeed a catholic (universal) problem.
While the scandal has proven to be parochial, the Church’s response has been parochial and flat-footed.