Local PA stuff (very timely and in the news)...
I've been wondering what I should say about this all day, and I haven't been able to figure it out, so I'll just "wing it" and see what comes out. I tried to get to the meeting mentioned in this story (you have to register), but I was unable to get anywhere near the church basement because of the heavy turnout. The only way would have been to park my car on the lawn of a resident of Reading Avenue in Yardley, Pa. because every single parking space in the church and school lots was filled, and I refused to do that. I don't think the resident should have had to sustain property damage on my account.
St. Ignatius of Antioch is our parish, and Msgr. Samuel Shoemaker was our pastor. I say "was" because of an account I read on the NBC-10 web site that stated that he resigned. I hope that was inaccurate, but we'll find out of course.
Msgr. Shoemaker was referred to in a recent Philadelphia Inquirer report as an "enabler" of pedophile priests, creating situations that allowed these animals to prey on innocent children. Though that does not entail any sort of legal liability, it is obvious that Shoemaker has been tried and convicted by many in the court of public opinion.
I'm not trying to malign the people who called for his resignation. I'm sure this is an extremely difficult matter for them also, and I have to assume that they have deliberated long and carefully over it. But in my experience, I believe Msgr. Shoemaker is a good man (I come down more on the side of Barbara Durning in the linked story).
Besides, just try to find a priest who was a member of this archdiocese in the '70s and '80s and held a leadership position of any type who didn't get mixed up in this. I'm not saying that to malign all of them or give blanket exoneration either, because there are many more good priests than bad ones. I'm just pointing out the fact that many of these men are victims of a sort also in this (and as far as I'm concerned, Msgr. Shoemaker definitely is also, along with Msgr. Francis Statkus, another good priest).
Having said that, though, these are the only "reforms" I want to hear about in an effort to curtail this epidemic:
- Either lengthen the statute of limitations for charging pedophile priests or eliminate it altogether.
- Start ordaining women as priests.
- Let priests and nuns marry as they do in the eastern Orthodox faith.
If these reforms aren't implemented, we will journey down this painful, tragic road again and again.
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