Benedict speaks out on Sex Abuse Scandal

Though I am surprised it is still such an issue, it really is important. The sex abuse scandal was a terrible chapter in the history of the Catholic Church in America. Benedict spoke on it, and on healing, noting, of course, that "Sometimes it was very badly handled." He goes on to discuss the ultimate problem:

What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today? We need to reassess urgently the values underpinning society, so that a sound moral formation can be offered to young people and adults alike. All have a part to play in this task - not only parents, religious leaders, teachers and catechists, but the media and entertainment industries as well. Indeed, every member of society can contribute to this moral renewal and benefit from it. Truly caring about young people and the future of our civilization means recognizing our responsibility to promote and live by the authentic moral values which alone enable the human person to flourish. It falls to you, as pastors modelled upon Christ, the Good Shepherd, to proclaim this message loud and clear, and thus to address the sin of abuse within the wider context of sexual mores.

There it is, the child sexual abuse scandal in context: society is messed up. We can talk all we want about things we can do to handle pedophile priests, but what a disservice we do to our children by bringing them up in this immoral day and age. We need to reign in our sexual immorality. Pornography is available to anyone, basically unimpeded, on the internet, and indecency is of course rampant everywhere. You can hardly turn on the TV or walk down the street in Summer without being exposed to this. This is an immeasurable harm that will be hurting us as a society for years to come.