The media are reporting that Pope John Paul II broke his silence on the sex abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church. William Donohue commented on these reports today:
“In August 1993, Pope John Paul II ventured to Denver for World Youth Day. Without equivocation, and in direct response to the problem of priest pedophilia, he said, ‘I have already written to the bishops of the United States about the pain of the suffering and scandal caused by the sins of some ministers of the order.’ Yet today many in the media are going ballistic with their invented news that the pope has finally broken his silence about this problem. Those guilty include the print and electronic media, wire services and internet news sites.
“There is a reason for this hyperventilation: for some in the media, bad news about the Catholic Church is good news for them. Who cares about the facts? So what if the pope has addressed this issue many times, extending back nine years? It’s good for ratings and sales to float the idea that the Holy Father just woke up yesterday.
“Every Catholic I know—priest, religious or layperson—is furious about this problem. But they are just as furious about those pundits and media outlets that seek to exploit this issue to serve their own agenda. Ditto for those activists who hate the Church, including those Catholics with one foot out the door.
“The Catholic League wants an open and honest discussion of all the permutations coloring this issue. Underline all.”
