Over the past week, I’ve been watching an HBO documentary called Mea Maxima Culpa in increments. I finished it this evening. The film concentrates on the United States’ first-known public acknowledgement of abuse in the Catholic Church - Father Murphy, a Milwaukee priest, abused over 200 children attending a school for the deaf from the years 1950 – 1974 (before being removed and assigned to work with children in other parishes). It follows the chronology of four of the victims, now grown men, who tirelessly pursued their abuser despite the roadblocks put up by both the legal system, due to statute of limitations and the Catholic Church’s inactions and cover-ups. Their case took upwards of 30 years to settle. The documentary also highlighted some of the other widespread cases during that span of time, primarily those in Ireland and Italy as well as all of these cases pointing to the cover-ups by the church. They worked their way up the Catholic food chain, ultimately landing on the desk of the current pope.
Pope Benedict XVI announced his retirement last Monday. What a shame that he gets to live the last years of his life in a comfortable apartment without having to be held accountable for his overarching cover-up of abuse.
Funnily enough, this film came out just 5 days after retired Los Angeles Archbishop Cardinal Mahoney was stripped of his remaining duties (although still a priest in good standing) due to his wide-spread cover-up of abuse committed by priests. Even after being mired in all of this, Mahoney is going to the Vatican at the end of the month to participate in the conclave that will choose the next pope.
Having removed myself from organized religion years ago due to its rigidity and stance on so many things, this stance is probably the most appalling, sickening. Upon the news reporting to the public of each case, as they unfolded over time, it was bad enough. Being reminded of them, one after another in the 2 hour film illustrated, more than ever, the magnitude of the secrecy. It’s hard to believe there are still members on all levels of the church that take the stance that there was no wrongdoing. I read a couple of reviews of Mea Maxima Culpa that were so scathing and so unapologetic. I don’t know how a sincere apology isn’t the first words out of their mouths, every single time.
I've been dealing with this for the past 20 plus years. Since the reports about the world war two evacuees from the English cities who were sent to Canada and Australia to children's charities and the "Christian" Brothers. Kids were killed working on heavy machinery in Alberta and falling from scaffolding into concrete foundations and covered over. Lots of them.
ReplyDeleteBut what had changed. Well I think what changed was the hard line JP2 took on social issues, condoms and the like, caused people to say hold up here. And when they stopped to question they questioned everything.
How these scum survived is simple enough. Once you design a system where everyone is in error then you create an 'us' and 'them'. And in the catholic church the fear of the 'them' is worse than the fear of everyone outside.
In my case, I study history. Irish-Celtic history. And the core placement of the catholic church after 1000AD in the darn near destruction of my race cannot be exaggerated.
I really have no business engaging in this discussion with you as my knowledge of it severely pales in comparison. But I'll try. :)
DeleteIt seems as if this is another example of "too big to fail". The church has their mark on so many aspects - politics, communities, charities, etc. - and a lot of it has been for good. And, while it's lost some of its followers, there are still so many who have been able to look past or maybe just compartmentalize all the good and the bad and carry on as good Catholics. Those groups who have taken a stance are stigmatized as crazy, religion haters. The church hasn't had any real need to change.
I had to find a modus under which to read all the reports otherwise I would've been useless. But even now after all these years I can get incoherent with rage when those that are supposed to protect are more orientated to protection of the organization.
DeleteI'm sorry if I come over as a bit cold and distant. But I think if we get angry at the perpetrators solely then we leave in place the very structures that allowed those scum to flourish. So if you remember your upbringing, you were trained as a 7 year old to think the church needed defending not that the church defended you. That's a very big difference.
I completely agree with you about the structure remaining in place...that's truly the biggest problem. A perfect example of that is sending Mahoney to place a vote for the new pope. The person who was behind ALL the cover ups over the last several years here, is still allowed to partake in the process. The process that will ultimately continue in the same manner because the people who are part of the problem make all the decisions. Yes, I think the more its thought about, the more outraged I became. Gah! It's so nonsensical.
DeleteIt is very sad. I think that abuse is covered up by so many people. Not just the churches. I am glad that our society has evolved in such a way that abuse is no longer accepted or covered up on most fronts. I would love to see this documentary.
ReplyDeleteThe deaf children were easy targets because during that time period they were thought of as mentaly ill in some places, so who'd believe them. It's so sad.
DeleteI do agree that as a society WE are evolving in our stance on it and no longer blaming the victims or wanting to just ignore the problem because we are told to.
Once again I will email you my comment. This ust sickens me!
ReplyDeleteYou're so funny! Your emailed comment was not inappropriate to post online in the least, but I can appreciate your caution. It is sick. Terribly sick.
DeleteThis is ridiculous. SA is hugely Catholic and I pray none of that is going on here or if there is, the boys get help.
ReplyDeleteMy class got cancelled due to low enrollment! :( I'm so bummed!
Unfortunately, I don't think San Antonio is so lucky. SA too has had several cases covered up and millions of dollars in settlements since the 1950s.
DeleteI'm sorry about your class. Hopefully something nearby will come up again. If not, the internet is a good place to look for work-at-your-own-pace classes.
Kimberly, This is such a hot button topic, a little like gun control. The catholic church has alot to answer for and victims who should receive justice should be more that prayed for.
ReplyDelete