$166,000,000.00 is a serious amount of loot! Will one dime of it make a difference?
According to KTUU-TV in Fairbanks:
“…A clergy organization representing Jesuit priests in Western states has reached a $166.1 million agreement to settle approximately 524 claims of clergy sex abuse. The settlement is one of the largest in U.S. history relating to the Roman Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal.
Under the settlement, the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus — which represents Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Montana — will pay $48.1 million into a trust for the victims, while one of its insurance carriers will pay $118 million. In addition, the society will publicize the names of perpetrators, issue a written apology to victims, release their medical records to them and take steps to protect children from future sexual abuse…”
From scanning various news sites, newspapers and blogs they all tend to lead with the huge amount of money that may change hands. Is this really the meat of the story? Is it really all about money?
This tragedy, repeated globally, just doesn’t want to come to a close. How do you “move on” as a victim, or as one who has overseen the victimizers? Are we all ready to accept a dollar amount for any trespass? Allow clerics to shake the guilt off their hands while asking everyone in sight to move forward through the broken bones of spirits destroyed? Is the carpet of money promised going to reconstruct the destroyed childhood of thousands? No-
Maybe its time for the “holy men” to come down off the mountain, and live where the rest of us dwell, garnering forgiveness through living the words they profess. Get out of your buildings, dismiss your bodyguards, cooks, wine merchants, spokes people, drivers, lawyers, insurance agents, realtors, art advisors, and the bevy of apologists who rush to your defense – come to where your people are suffering.
Ironically, for the disclosed Jesuit trespasses, it was the great American Native Sagoyewatha (“Red Jacket”, Chief of the Seneca. Why do we need to Anglicize this name?) Who brought a great deal of reality to the missionary Reverend Cram, from the Boston Missionary Society, who was convinced the “savages” needed a load of Christianity to make their lives better. At Buffalo Creek, in1805, this “savage” spoke the truth:
“…Brother, we are told that you have been preaching to the white people in this place. These people are our neighbors; we are acquainted with them; we will wait, a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again what you have said…”
Well, we know the rest of the story. The Native peoples were essentially destroyed for a myriad of reasons. Their fate was sealed the moment Columbus set foot on their land. That priests would further torment these people speaks volumes to their commitments to their own theologies.
Religious leaders, of all stripes, embrace the words of Akbar when he addressed scholars, including Jesuits, in the 1500’s. He concluded that no single religion could claim the monopoly of truth, suggesting religious members of all faiths go forward doing no harm.
Naïve? Perhaps.
It is time to change the paradigm if there is going to be any credibility left to those who pontificate…
