MARY'S PRAYER CONNECTION

Catholic haters across the world are having a field day with the latest news about priests abusing children. Since the time of Pope Pius XII many have sought reasons to condemn the Catholic Church and revel in the news about the short-comings of priests across the globe.

Yes it is true there are, there always has been and there will always priests who abuse children. There are, there always has been and there will always be fathers, uncles, grandfathers, brothers and cousins who abuse children.

The perpetrators of child sexual abuse across the world are often unknown because children do not tell parents or others of the abuse. Today thousands of adult men and women are suffering silently again. Hearing of child sexual abuse by anyone forces them to recall with sadness their own sexual abuse 5, 10, 20, 30 are more years ago.

In the 1940's and 50's abuse by a priest was unheard of simply because they were safe, hiding behind their Roman collars. They were safe because children suffered in silence and told no one. The priests counted on the child's fear of getting spanked or slapped for accusing a priest of abusing them. They were more afraid of their parents than the abuse. Priests were on a pedestal and considered by many to do no wrong. A child who spoke disrespectfully about a priest was a child whose parents punished him/her.

Our world is full of adults who were victims of priest pedophiles, fathers, grandfathers, unlces and others. Some children were able to avoid their abusers while accepted this as something they could never stop. It is understandable a child would hide this horrible secret the first time it happens, but it is difficult to understand why a child would not tell someone if the abuse continued. Unless you lived through this period of what now seems irrational, you cannot understand the fear which caused children to suffer in silence.

Pope John 23rd opened the windows of the Catholic Church. This led to many changes within the church. However, Pope Benedict is facing a time when not only the windows but the front doors of the churches will be opened up. Even the front doors of parish rectories will be opened up and faithful Catholics and others will force the leaders of the church to clean up the mess created by pedophile priests.

My personal prayer is for all who suffered at the hands of priests or others as children will one day find peace of mind and heart as well as the wisdom to forgive their abuser. Only when forgiveness overcomes anger, hatred and bitterness and the false expectation; peace of mind will come with public humiliation and court battles will victims find the peace of mind they seek. Forgiving an abuser is not something we do for the abuser, it is  a precious gift we give ourself.