catholicsphere

Cardinal George apologizes for not having acted sooner on McCormack abuse case.

I do not doubt Cardinal George’s sincerity. From what I’ve seen he has had a commitment to helping victims of abuse.

Yet, this case seemingly “slipped through the cracks”. Perhaps there’s a reason for that. There is still an abundance of reports of abuse that appear in the media. How many more are made to the dioceses that don’t make the media? Then, how many are found to be credible enough to involve action (keeping in mind that national policy requires that all cases be remanded to the authorities)?

This is an explanation, not an excuse. With the high number of cases that are being reported, it has perhaps become difficult to keep up with — Cardinal George, I’m certain, is also checking in on high profile abuse reports in other dioceses. And, there are a high number of cases that are either dropped, or the priests acquitted … which compounds the problem.

But the Cardinal promises reform to ensure that there is not another breakdown in the lines that might allow an abusive priest to continue abusing after allegations are brought to light. I am sure of Cardinal George’s commitment to ending this crisis.