Catholic Sex Scandal 'Overstated'
Fresh off telling Africans not to use condoms because they are laced with AIDS, the Vatican is claiming the Priest sex scandal was overblown. "The scandals in the United States received disproportionate attention from the media," Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano told Reuters in an interview. "There are thieves in every country, but it's hard to say that everyone is a thief." "The vast majority are generous pastors," said Sodano, 75, speaking in the ornate chambers of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. "Why should there be so much aggressiveness toward them, and so many unjust generalizations?"
Of course, there was never a general agressiveness towards priests. The open hostility was towards the Church's higher-ups - a few Cardinals and the Vatican in general. Nobody reasonably expects the Catholic church to have no 'thieves'. But they rightfully expect the Church to be upfront about their theives and to remedy each situation as it arises. Instead, the Church's inaction made it appear that they didn't care enough about the harm caused by these few 'thieves' operating under their banner had caused.
Of course, there was never a general agressiveness towards priests. The open hostility was towards the Church's higher-ups - a few Cardinals and the Vatican in general. Nobody reasonably expects the Catholic church to have no 'thieves'. But they rightfully expect the Church to be upfront about their theives and to remedy each situation as it arises. Instead, the Church's inaction made it appear that they didn't care enough about the harm caused by these few 'thieves' operating under their banner had caused.
# | October 10, 2003