Corruption in the Church Runs Deep


Today's addition of the Irish Times tells of a representative from the Vatican requesting that all documents from children's homes Catholics ran in 2003 be kept secret from the press and public.

While the Irish official who received the request told the Vatican official to take a hike, the request itself is indicative of how far the church will go to cover up sexual crimes within its ranks. We have seen in the U.S. dishonest efforts to shield the church from lawsuits by victims of sexual abuse. Not only were there sex crimes, but adopting parents paid big fees for babies.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, New York City Diocese, was told by the court while Bishop of Milwaukee he could not hide funds in a cemetery trust fund in order to avoid having the money subject for court awarded damages from child abuse victims. This is how far the church will go to protect its wealth and wrong doing from publicity and punishment.

When we think back about all the child abuse in some Pennsylvania Catholic churches one wonders how things might have been different if someone other than clergy had known about the shifting around of criminal priests. Maybe it would have been stopped before it became as serious as it has become.

There has been and continues to be a steady parade of corruption in Protestant churches as well. Religion seems not to help ward off the temptation of sex and money.

It would be wise for all religious people to recognize this.

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