VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Benedict XVI told bishops from New York state that "all other institutions" in society should be held to the same "exacting standards" as the Roman Catholic Church in preventing and reporting sex abuse.
I am confused by Ratzinger's claim that the catholic church actually operates under any standard for preventing and reporting sex abuse. Incidence of abuse by catholic and other clergy is still high and questions remain over reporting of clergy abuse. The religion industry relies heavily upon reputation and image so it is naturally reluctant or even resistant to reporting sex abuse incidents, especially child sex abuse by church employees.
Touting the exacting standards for preventing and reporting sex abuse without mentioning the high incidence of sex abuse that forced the church to write them down is worse than disengenuous, it is deliberately misleading. Ratzinger is holding up a nice looking sign to conceal a horribly damaging history of sex abuse. Sex abuse iitself is a sly dodge because child sex abuse is the most prevelant form of abuse committed by church employees.
Putting that aside for a moment, it seems that Ratzinger's plea for all other social institutions to be held to the same exacting standards has been met for some time.
The U.S. Catholic Church's response to its child sexual abuse problem has raised the bar on sex abuse prevention for all U.S. organizations that serve children, said Monica Applewhite, an expert in abuse prevention strategies.
Writing in the Sept. 25 issue of America, a national Catholic magazine published by Jesuits, Applewhite said that when the U.S. bishops issued their "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" in June 2002 "the 'industry standards' for child protection changed."
"Formerly unwritten rules, like not allowing a sexual offender to work with children and defining specific boundaries for ministry relationships, were now clearly articulated -- not just for the Catholic Church, but for everyone," she wrote.
"Numerous churches, schools, camps and other child-serving organizations have implemented sexual abuse prevention programs since 2002, both in response to the publicity of the Catholic sexual abuse cases and in response to the solutions that were defined as a result," she said.
Another matter that Ratzinger mentioned rings less than candid:
"It is my hope that the church's conscientious efforts to confront this reality will help the broader community" to understand and respond to sex abuse, Benedict said.
I am certain that the broader community understood sex abuse at a deeper and more personal and more empathic level than culpable religion and clergy ever have. Child sex abuse is a term Ratzinger shys from using even though it is the most prevelant abuse committed by catholic employees. Ratzinger avoiding the term, child sex abuse, could indicate catholic reluctance to openly acknowledge, express, examine and firmly oppose the child sex abuse being committed by clergy and other employees.
The pope also encouraged the bishops in their efforts to confront the "grave challenges ... presented by an increasingly secular society," including "attempts to still the church's voice in the public square."
The grave challenges that Ratzinger alludes to are the shrinking customer base and opposition to recruitment efforts and advertising. Employees in the United States are so concerned about shrinking revenue and opposition to growth efforts that they established a watchdog panel to fight for religious privelege in the guise of religious liberty. The religion industry needs both money and power over populations to succeed. The money comes from their client base and power is often gained by manipulating governments.
I write this article to call out Ratzinger and every leader of any religion at any level. I want to debate you openly and hold you candid to what you actually do to people so that they do for you. You run a business. Defend it in open debate.
You speak for an imaginary super human agent yet have no authority to speak for it. You sell an eternal reward that you cannot prove or provide. We can start the debate there.
The source article can be read here
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