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By Rev. Michael McFarland, S.J
 The daily newspapers
and evening news broadcasts offer disturbing reports with
disheartening regularity as the sexual abuse scandal continues
to unfold within the Catholic Church. In the months since
the allegations first were made public, Catholics in parishes
across the country have reacted viscerally and vocally as
names of victims and perpetrators continue to be revealed.
Members of the Holy
Cross community have grappled with the issues raised by
what many see as a multilayered and far-reaching breach
of trust. Groups of Catholic faculty and staff, and students
gathered independently to draft letters in response to
the crisis in the Church to Worcester Bishop Daniel P.
Reilly, asking him to consider their concerns when he attends
the annual Conference of U.S. Bishops in Dallas this month.
Several forums and panels on the scandal also were held
on campus; many classes took up the discussion, and the
current crisis in the Church has been the subject of homilies
and informal dialogues. Holy Cross President Michael C.
McFarland touched on the crisis in the Church and breaches
of trust in other sectors, in his most recent letter to
President's
Council members, which is excerpted here:
"… Certainly the sex abuse scandal in the
Catholic Church, especially in Boston, has been appalling.
As naive as it seems now, for most of us, myself included,
it was until recently unimaginable that this kind of behavior
could have gone on and been so widespread. We grieve for
the innocent victims who have been traumatized, and in
some cases, had their lives ruined. We are outraged at
the abuse of power and trust on the part of priests and
those who covered up their behavior and allowed them to
continue to operate even when they knew them to be dangerous.
Those of us who are priests, even if we have had no direct
involvement, feel that we have somehow failed our people.
We also feel that we are under suspicion in the eyes of
some. The situation in Worcester is not as bad as Boston,
but there have been some accusations here as well, including
the pastor of Sacred Heart right down the hill from us,
where a number of our students regularly go to Mass.
"The Church has been through worse crises; and we
will work through this one. If handled appropriately,
this crisis can be a purification that can make us stronger
as a community of faithful. The first priority must be
making sure the victims are cared for and receive the justice
they deserve. That means cooperating with civil authorities,
where there are accusations of criminal behavior, and working
toward a fair resolution through the courts. Second, it
is essential that all dioceses and institutions have effective
policies for screening and overseeing personnel, responding
to accusations of abuse, and guaranteeing that anyone who
is known to be a threat is kept away from potential victims.
This should not be difficult. Many places already have
such policies in place, and they have worked well since
being instituted. Once the immediate issues have been addressed,
there still looms a much broader discussion about authority
in the Church, the need for more openness, and a greater
role for the laity. Given the very strong anger and distrust
this crisis has generated, I think that discussion is inevitable
and much needed.
"The scandal in the Catholic Church is not the only
misuse of power in cherished institutions. The Enron/Arthur
Andersen fiasco is the most spectacular, but hardly the only,
case where companies have been charged with misleading their
investors and the public on earnings and other vital information.
The host of lawsuits and criminal investigations underway
question the integrity and business practices of some of
this nation's corporate pillars. Most disturbing
of all, of course, is the continued downward spiral of
violence, hatred and distrust in the Middle East and the
inability of our government, with its close ties to the
combatants, to bring about any movement toward peace.
"All of this underscores the need for Holy Cross,
where we are developing a new generation of leaders—leaders
who know how to use power, while understanding that it
is not to be used for selfish purposes, but to protect
the defenseless and promote the common good. That is what
we see as our mission. Fortunately, amid all the grim news
that the media continues to report, the strength of our
community and our steadfast commitment to honest, constructive
dialogue offer great consolation and hope.
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