How long have there been allegations of pedophilia among priests? At least 20 years. During that time Priests have been moved, reassigned and maybe given a stern lashing with a wet noodle. It took years and mountains of testimony for the church to even admit a problem. And even longer for there to be a smattering of real consequences. All the while, children grew to adulthood without the benefit of protection, apology or any sort of justice.
As a Christian, I find this appalling, that an organization based on Christianity would turn a blind eye to depravity within their own churches, against their own children.
It is hard for an outsider to fathom that no parent, church secretary, teacher, or member of the congregation saw or felt anything concerning. Or if they did have suspicions why they didn't push the point. Even worse is that there was very little coverage of the situation or in depth investigation by news agencies.
It has taken Pope Francis 6 long years to condemn priest sexual abuse and to "Launch an all out battle" which seems to be long on words but short on an action plan.
In the meantime, I hope local law enforcement agencies will do what the church has been unwilling to do-punish the offenders to the full extent of our laws. This is one area where we can and should be a leader on the world stage.
