Leave it to the Church…

Pope John of Poland was a sweetie.  We always loved his jovial smile and consistent kind and devoted demeanor.  While Pope John was running things at the Vatican, Jimmy Swagert, Jim and Tammy Baker and so many more revelations of personal wrong doing came into the public eye.  The issue of Priest and the Catholic cover-up of systemic homosexuality and choir boy abuse was just starting to become grist for the mill.

Pope John passed away without any much dirt on his skirts and escaped the Inquisition and analysis of the Catholic and sectarian laity.  Pope Benedict seems destined to become the center of a  growing controversy. “What did he know?”  and “When did he know it?”  This type of interrogation hardly ever reaches the soles of the Pope’s feet…unless a smoking gun or personal experience is exposed through a direct charge.  Blame is immediately laid upon those of lesser rank.  Having anyone meet that level of “standing” would be hard pressed without video evidence.  Just saying that the Pope let a few or several other Priests escape the Catholic equivalent of  “Internal Affairs”….is probably not going to hold much water.

The Catholics however are not standing alone in the great world of Church abuse and or endemic sexual intrigues.  Rabai’s, Preachers, Preists, Deacons or Church  Counselors of virtually every sect and others related to Church activities….all are now being outed with impunity.  As they said in the Godfather: “This has to happen every 10 or 20 years to get rid of all the bad blood!”  Incidences of serial physical abuse, serial wrong doing, serial rape, sodomy of both boys and girls and in many cases, women parishioners, and volunteers of all ages and stripes.

One thing is certain:  If a Priest or Preacher has been found to have molested one boy or girl, the chances are extremely great – that they have been doing so for their entire careers within the Church or Organization.  The issue is no different with Teachers, male or female that abuse their power and take advantage of a targeted victims.  There are few boys 13 to 15 that could easily say no to the advances of an attractive female high school teacher.  Much less, male teachers that take advantage of young girls and charges wanting to make grades for college entrance.  Abuse of power is abuse!

All in all, Institutions need a constant cleansing from within and without.  We cannot expect the Pope or anyone else to flip over a system that has been infected with wrong doing for hundreds of years.  Some say, these issues have accelerated in the last few years.  The truth is probably closer to the fact that these types of events and abuses have been going on for much, much longer.  These issues are going to require an investment and participation by everyone.  Law Enforcement first and foremost must be engaged in this process.  It is child abuse whether in a school, a hospital, a government agency or a church.  We need to find open ears to those that can substantiate claims through not only single testimony, but through the claims of others.  We must be a nation of laws that are followed by all.

Jesse James and Tiger Woods would not be so skewered in the press, if they had only had one slip up.  Even Prince Charles only had one Camilla.  When the numbers rise and the attitudes are exposed….it shows serial bad behavior that people must look at and determine that these people should not be either role models or allowed to support aberrant and stupid behavior which harms others with impunity!  The time has come to cleanse our institutions and that desire should become an overwhelming wave.  Regardless of power, position, money nor influence – bad behavior must be prosecuted, or we will find that nothing is a big deal anymore….nothing!  We implore Pope Benedict to start his day tomorrow with a new Edict of Verona – which banishes those that cannot through their own failings meet the requirements of Priesthood.

About Ron & Anna Winship

Independent News Producers/Writers and Directors for Parker-Longbow Productions. Independent Programming which includes a broad variety of Political, Entertainment and Professional Personalities. Cutting Edge - a talk show...is the flagship of over 30 URL websites developed or under development. The Winships have been blogging for the Orange Juice since back when nickels had buffalos on them, and men wore onions attached to their belts, because it was the fashion back then.