Hi Ivey, if you can’t tell by my username, I’m a faithful Catholic. I am absolutely livid that these abuses occurred and went unaddressed. It’s difficult to fathom a more disgusting betrayal of the church than a shepherd preying on his flock.

I am still beginning to digest all of the news reports, and I intend to read some of the source grand jury report. I am hoping you can untangle a few questions for me:

1. Was there evidence presented that the abuses are ongoing (ie after the policy changes in the 00’s)?

2. Is there any misreporting that is worth calling out?

3. Are there any clergy in active ministry that we’re clearly complicit in covering up the abuses? (I intend to review any names and push for their resignations if necessary.)

4. I’m hearing conflicting reports about Cardinal Weurl’s actions. Is there a particular report that you can link to that summarizes the points of view most cogently?

How can you in good conscience support the Church in light of all of the facts?

I'm a member of the Church because I believe in her teachings. I should highlight something that I think will help answer the question:

The clergy are not the whole of church. The clergy are Catholics with us laypeople, and they serve as deacons, priests, and bishops for us.

I am extremely upset at the clericalism that has seeped into the Church, and I intend to aid those who will help us root out the evil from within. Catholics should make no mistake, these clergy are supposed to be shepherds, but have acted as wolves. Men who rape their flock should not be protected by the Church. They should be imprisoned.

Do you at all feel like you have a little bit of blood on your hands by proxy?

I do not feel that I have blood on my hands. These abuses took place when I was young. Still, I feel I have a duty to correct the mistakes of the Church and to ensure that any risk of continued abuse is minimized. The culture of clericalism and abuse must be eradicated.

I've watched the movie, and I grew up in one of the towns where a priest was implicated in the Boston scandal.

I would also recommend any Catholic watch the movie. It's heartbreaking, and it is a very well made film.

I don’t think it has been eradicated yet. I think that the steps taken in the early 2000s have made a difference but we’re not a complete solution. We need all members of the Church - lay, clergy, religious - to be committed to ensuring that abusers are identified, removed, and referred to law enforcement.

Perhaps to clarify my comment, most of the abuses documented in the grand jury report happened decades ago. There are some that we’re more recent, and I am sure that some abuse and coverup continues. We need to make sure that it stops, and I welcome the light that the PA AG and media are shining on this.

No. It changes how I perceive the clergy and problems within the Church. I can’t stand by and let leaders destroy it.

It also serves as evidence to me that evil truly exists, and the Church is not immune to infiltration by evil people.