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| Arakuzha Syro-Malabar Catholic Church near Muvattupuzha. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Dear Catholics,
Those who pigeonhole you do you a disservice. Surveys show that many of you do not agree with the Pope on many important issues (e.g., contraception, reproductive freedom). You probably don't consider him divine or infallible. That is good; it shows you are willing to think for yourselves and ask difficult questions.
Much like we non-Catholics, I suspect that you are concerned about the epidemic of child sexual abuse happening in the Catholic Church. When the abuse itself is combined with overwhelming evidence that the Church has concealed it, lied about it, and enabled it to continue through practices such as transferring known offenders to other locations, we all have cause for concern.
I don't blame you personally for any of this. You aren't abusing anyone, and you aren't covering anything up. If it was up to you, I suspect the clergy who rape children would get exactly what they deserve, right? And the priest you respect at your local church probably isn't abusing children either.
As a non-Catholic, I suppose what I am most curious about is why you would want to remain a member of a church that has done (and is continuing to do) what yours has done. You see the same evidence I do. Is it that you don't believe it, don't care about it, or just don't find it personally relevant? Look at it this way: a portion of the money you give to your local church goes back to the Vatican. In a way, you are helping to fund this corrupt organization. Doesn't that bother you?
I agree with Dangerous Talk on the following:
It is time for current Catholics to decide whether or not they can in good conscience remain Catholic. Are they going to continue to give their tacit and overt support to the Pope and the Vatican, or are they going to side with their conscience and help to prosecute those who raped and sexually assaulted children and those who have tried to cover it up by leaving the Church and ending their support to the Catholic Church?
It is time to do the right thing. It is time to stop supporting this church. Whatever benefits you receive from being a part of this church, the price is too high.
