The Catholic Church has adjusted to many different social attitudes in the past 2000 years. However, the recent allegations against the Archdiocese of Boston require an immediate response from church officials, particularly from Bernard Cardinal Law. These charges of sexual assault against children are nothing short of horrific, and the Church needs to recognize and take responsibility for each of them. While Law announced Sunday he will not resign, he has a responsibility to the Archdiocese to abdicate his post.
The Archdiocese released to authorities 49 more priests Thursday who are believed to have committed sexual abuse against children, raising the total number of priests accused to 87. There is no excuse for this figure. The Church needs to take responsibility for these priests and realize the danger of keeping secrets.
Law’s actions over the past 10 years show a lack of responsibility for the victims of this abuse. For this negligence, Law should resign his post. By not reporting the abuse, he repeatedly put children at risk and put his own future at risk. He should not be hidden by the Church’s laws and ideas; he still aided criminals through his negligence.
However, even with Law’s resignation, internal problems that need to be recognized remain within the Church. These allegations serve as a reminder of the larger problems within the Church as a whole. Until major reorganization occurs within the Church, problems such as these can still occur. Law’s new policy of zero tolerance is not enough to protect members of the Church, nor will it atone for the abused children of the past. The Church must begin the process of weeding out the elements that led to these incidents, and it must begin at the top.
The Church needs to take responsibility for its actions, and asking for Law’s resignation is the first step in that direction. In the future, the Church needs to address the crimes of its priests and report these to protect the members of parishes. The problems here in Boston are a wake-up call to parishes throughout the world. By removing Law, the Church can show it too has awoken and can begin to reconstruct trust with the city.
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