Recently, it was reported that in two sections of the country over 150 young people had been molested by Roman Catholic priests or religious leaders. This number applied only to one order of the Catholic church—the Jesuits. This is a staggering number that applies only to two areas of the country and only to the Jesuits. The other Jesuit provinces are preparing their reports, which will be released soon. Will the other orders make similar findings public? The report has hastened to note that many of those on the lists are deceased or are living in supervised settings. It is unconscionable that this number of priests and religious leaders were protected by the hierarchy of the church rather than being turned over to the local authorities. It is a well-know fact that over the years the leaders of the church would simply move those accused to another parish rather than handle the matter as the laws dictate. Such disregard for the impact that these actions have on the victims is unacceptable.
The magnitude of sexual abuse within the Catholic church has become a well-known public travesty. While thousands of young people have been molested and abused, their tormentors simply remain in their priestly conclaves. Those in positions of authority have turned a blind eye to this horrific scandal within the religious community. In the New York Times alone there were 181 articles relevant to the topic of abuse in the church from March 15, 2016 to December 7, 2018. This is only one media outlet over a period of approximately two and half years. It is questionable whether any one topic has been given this amount of attention in a comparable period. It is not just the actions of the offending clergy, but the lack of holding them accountable by their Archbishops and Cardinals. Following an investigation by the Justice Department it was found that over 1000 children had suffered abuse throughout Pennsylvania during the time that Archbishop Wuerl was the leader of the church in that state. He rose to the position of Cardinal and was the Archbishop of the nation’s capital at the time of his resignation.
In recent years individuals who were victims have come forward and have shared what they have been living with for years. For many young people, the local priest was someone to trust, honor, and respect, and when this is violated it certainly has a profound effect on the young person. As these individuals have lived through their tormented hell, they have often observed their molesters go unscathed about their priestly duties. Websites exist where victims can seek the assistance of lawyers who are specializing in this area of the law. Included in the websites are 800 numbers that can be called, and the initial consultation is free. Over 3000 lawsuits have been filed against the church in the United States and it has been estimated the settlements of sex abuse cases from 1950 to 2007 totaled more than $2 billion. A more recent figure puts that amount at over $3 billion.
An overview of some of the outcomes of cases filed against the church highlights the extent of the problem: The Diocese of Dallas paid $30.9 million to 12 victims of one priest; the Archdiocese of Louisville paid $25.7 million to settle 240 lawsuits naming 34 priests and other church workers; the Archdiocese of Boston settled a case for $85 million which included 552 alleged victims; the Diocese of Orange settled nearly 90 cases for $100 million; the Archdiocese of Portland Oregon agreed to a $75 million settlement involving 177 claimants; the Archdiocese of Seattle agreed to a $48 million settlement that included 160 victims; the Archdiocese of Los Angles reached a $660 million agreement with over 500 victims; the Diocese of San Diego reached a $198.1 million agreement with 144 victims; and the Archdiocese of Denver agreed to pay $5.5 million to settle 18 claims. The above cases are only a fraction of the cases that have been brought against the church. Several Catholic dioceses have been forced to declare bankruptcy due to sex abuse cases. It is a problem that has a multitude of ramifications for the individual victims, the perpetrators, the church, and society, and must continue to be addressed.
Whether one is a practicing Catholic, a nominal believer, or an observer, the extent of this problem must raise concern. What I have included is not meant to undermine the good that has been and continues to be the hallmark of the church. What has been included is irrefutable and steeped in facts over years of neglect to act. It will be interesting to observe what occurs at the summit on abuse in the church the Pope has called for in February 2019.