Clergy Sexual Abuse 101

I just discovered another new blog covering misconduct -- in this case Catholic misconduct. The author, Frank Douglas, has uplifted Father Tom Doyle's unpublished paper from 1993, which he characterizes as Clergy Sexual Abuse 101. While the focus is on Catholics and pedophilia -- I agree. It's a first-rate introduction.

Here are some quotes which strike me as every bit as applicable to Unitarian Universalism and sexual abuse of adults.

• "By trying to cover the matter up, the diocesan officials only made it worse."
• "We must accept the fact that Churches are held to higher standards of moral and ethical conduct than secular organizations. Sexual abuse by ministers of religion is bad enough but the appearance of denial and cover-up by the religious leaders is worse."
• "Some church leaders have said that the number of priest-abusers constitutes but a minuscule minority of the total number of priests. This is totally beside the point. The havoc wrecked by this minuscule minority over the past several years has been enormous."
• "The victims and their families see themselves as an alienated and marginalized minority. Their anger and frustration stems not only from the fact that sexual violation took place and was betrayed. This is a group of people who had been very close to their Church. Their anger is also grounded in the feeling that their Church was taken away from them. In spite of the incredible pain many have suffered at the hands of the institutional church, they still yearn for some tie with it."

Source: Voice from the Dessert