May 1, 2002 3 min read

As Roman Catholic cardinals return home after a two-day gathering in Rome, initial reports are discouraging. Last week, the Vatican summoned the American clerics to talk at the highest levels about the sex scandals that are rocking the Catholic world. At least 177 priests suspected of molesting minors in 28 states and the District of Columbia have left their posts since widespread allegations of abuse began surfacing in January.

In the Greensburg Diocese, three active priests have been relieved of their duties; two more are under investigation and two retired priests have been prohibited from doing parish work.

Now comes an announcement from Boston’s Cardinal Bernard Law – under whose watch the scandal originally erupted – that expectations of reform following the Vatican summit were … too high.

Too high?

Creation of a national policy on sexually abusive priests will have to wait until a Catholic bishops’ conference. Bishop Anthony Bosco said a handful of cardinals didn’t have the power to legislate change, and that any policy on clergy sexual misconduct must wait for the bishop’s conference, a gathering that won’t take place until the June.

Tell that to the teen-agers in Las Vegas whose priest has been charged with fondling, hitting and photographing them.

Tell that to the families of four boys who allege that their priest in Los Angeles molested them repeatedly in the 1960s and 1970s.

And definitely tell that to the young man Law has accused of contributing to his own abuse – as a child of 6.

These outrageous comments came this week in the cardinal’s first legal response to charges that Rev. Paul R. Stanley of his diocese began molesting the child in 1983 and continued until 1989.

Law said, in part, that “the negligence of the plaintiffs contributed to cause the injury or damage.” This outrageous variation on the old “blame the victim” defense proves conclusively that reform cannot wait until next month, or even next week.

It took years for the church to confront the evil in its neighborhood parishes. Church officials do not have the luxury of time to dither over how to make the issue go away.

Not all Bishops have been as forthcoming and thorough as Bishop Bosco and as willing to turn files over to prosecutors.

If a plumber came into your home and molested your son, he would be arrested, charged and sent to jail. If the school-bus driver fondled your daughter, he would be similarly hauled off and prosecuted.

The church is obliged to instruct its hierarchy to report any criminal activity, past or present, to the civil authorities for investigation.

Every priest who commits a crime – like every teacher or candlestick maker, for that matter – should face the consequences.

What the church does to its pedophiles beyond that is its own business. Defrock them, excommunicate them, but first contact the local prosecutor at the first charge of wrongdoing.

And do not wait until June to do it.