“A Secret Yet to be Told”

On January 2, 2019 in conjunction with a retreat of the Catholic bishops of the United States near Chicago, Nikki Battiste of CBS News reported the story of Trish Cahill, a woman who was sexually abused by a nun during her high school years. (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/women-describe-alleged-abuse-by-nuns-the-secret-not-yet-told/).

SNAP (Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Priests)

Mary Dispeza of SNAP, also interviewed by Battiste, claims eighteen people have come forward with complaints about nun abusers. Little has been said about this. Hence the headline: “A Secret Yet To Be Told.”

Church’s long overdue response

Pope Francis has summoned a cadre of the world’s bishops to an historical meeting in the Vatican February 21-24, 2019 with an agenda to develop strategies that will end both the sexual abuse and cover-up that is prevalent world wide. Kudos to Francis. I sincerely hope and pray good will come from this meeting.

• That the pain of victim survivors is heard
• That the Church thoroughly examines its abuse of power and identifies the root causes of such abuse
• That priests and nuns are held accountable for their sexual abuse and for the coverup by persons in authority
• That the Church recognizes a responsibility to make restitution to victim survivors, no matter their age
• That both abuse and coverups lead to expulsion

Now that would be a miracle! But didn’t Jesus say: “Ask and you shall receive?”