These are painful times to be Catholic. And though it is easy to vilify the press because of their sensationalistic reporting of the continuing abuse crisis now centered in Europe and the Vatican and the Papacy, I don’t know if the church in the United States would be where it is in terms of healing and protecting God’s children without their relentless prodding. It is a needful, but painful purifying that we are undergoing. In the midst of all that, a friend sent the following article by a Jewish Businessman, Sam Miller, from Cleveland that you might find helpful.
“Do you know – the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million elementary and high school students everyday at the cost to that Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. The graduates go on to university studies at the rate of 92%. The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students. The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people in the United States today
But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the institution of marriage.”
[The author quotes numerous statistics about abuse and pedophilia in other religious traditions that lend themselves to his conclusion:] “This is not just a Catholic problem.”
“A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again…
[I challenge you to find another corporation or institution throughout the world that is being more transparent and forthright and pro-active in dealing with this issue than the US Catholic Church since the Dallas Charter in June of 2002.]
“Walk with your shoulders high and your head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental entity in the United States today. Then remember what Jeremiah said: ‘Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls’. Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions and people. Be proud that you’re a Catholic.”