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I am horrified that you were abused, and I think your perspective is very important.

Right now the focus is not only on the direct offenses, but on the widespread shielding of perps within the institution.

This was, in part, corrupt institutional self-protecting. They were protecting the institution, not the abuse victims. This is disgusting, sinful and in some times criminally actionable.

But it was also IN PART, AT ONE TIME, wrong-headed but well-intended. In the 60’s-80’s the main focus in both the Church AND the State was the therapeutic model. Not only didn’t bishops turn the perps in: parents didn't either. They begged not to have it go through the legal system, didn’t want their kids dragged through this in public, didn’t want kids re-traumatized by the trial process, AND agreed that both their kid and Fr. Judas A. Huggybear probably needed psych intervention or counseling.

Police didn’t want to arrest, just like they didn’t want to arrest in domestic violence incidents: they wanted “community corrections” and “pre-trial diversion.” Prosecutors AND JUDGES didn’t want to prosecute: they wanted to refer to remediation outside of the court system.

I remember this all through the 1970's in the Diocese of Erie (Pennsylvania) when I was an active volunteer both in juvenile and prison issues.

All that has gone by the wayside because it is NOW recognized that offenders actually don’t respond well, long-term, to counseling: they-offend. Plus, people under-estimated the long-term harm this did to the victims. Some actually thought “making a big thing of it” would harm the children: the kids might be temporarily upset but best just smooth it over and all memories will heal.

I was told that by psychologists!! --years ago when I worked as a volunteer in shelter work for kids who were in protective residential placements, and prison justice initiatives.

I do not at all think “most” of (today's) priests or “most" of (today’s) bishops are either abusers or concealers. What we’re getting is a telescopic picture of the mid-to-late 20th century and its lingering consequences; not an ongoing pattern for the future.

As I see it.

The main thing now is to uproot the real corrupt-o-crats in the higher clergy, who are mostly wizened, pampered old reprobates who have been in CYA mode for decades. They are hell-bait. I hope they repent before they die.

It may take criminal indictments to do it.

I am all for criminal indictments for perjury, concealing of evidence, obstruction of justice and related crimes, even if it goes all the way up to the Pope.