Tom Myles on The Dishonoring of My Regiment
The following response to Msgr. Harry Byrne’s The Dishonoring of My Regiment! is by Tom Myles of Sayville, New York.
I received it by email on 8.7.2008 and share it with you with the author’s permission.
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Dear Monsignor Byrne,
I write this reply to your July 24th blog (The Dishonoring of My Regiment) in the name of, and in support of the thousands of anonymous victims of sexual abuse by members of the Roman Catholic clergy in the United States.
You write “My formerly honored regiment of Catholic priests has been disgraced by an infiltration of pedophiles into its ranks.” Yes, the Catholic priesthood has been disgraced by pedophiles, but the bigger disgrace is the absolute silence by the members of the priesthood while thousands of victims of sexual abuse suffer the effects of their abuse. It seems that you are much more concerned about the “honor of your regiment” than you are about the victims.
It is easy to blame the bishops and therefore avoid your own personal responsibility. You state that a tiny minority of priests abused children. Do you not know that by the bishops own reporting there were more than 4,000 credibly alleged priests enumerated in the John Jay Study? By all accounts, the number is much higher. Even if only one priest abused a child, the characterization as a “tiny minority” displays your insensitivity to every victim.
You also state that the US Bishops Dallas Charter (USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People) has been a great success to protect children. I have given more than twenty talks on the Charter and have been referred to as an expert on this document. In my opinion, the Charter is not worth the paper it is printed on in protecting children. Nowhere in the Charter is the laity given any authority to remove pedophile priests. All authority remains totally with the bishop. I ask you, given the history of the bishops in using their power to suppress allegations of sexual abuse, why would anyone trust a bishop?
There is an easy remedy. If the Catholic Church permitted each community to select its own pastor and priests, the responsibility would rightfully belong to the community and not with a secretive process controlled entirely by the bishop. Surely there is precedent in Scripture for this solution.
Finally, you state “The Church will begin to solve its problems and resolve its tensions, when, and only when, clericalism and its adherents reverse priorities and place truth and justice ahead of institutional image.” You look to the institutional church to resolve its problems. Why not start with yourself and the members of your regiment?
I know of only several priests who have publicly proclaimed their knowledge of the cover-up of any sexual abuse. Given the extent of the crisis, there must be thousands of priests who have some knowledge that they have kept secret. It is obvious that the members of your regiment are more concerned with the institutional image of the Catholic Church than they are with the tens of thousands of anonymous victims.
On its website, the Diocese of Rockville Centre reports that only 1% to 10% of childhood sexual abuse cases are ever reported. Given that more than 4000 alleged pedophile priests were enumerated in the John Jay Study, and that it is commonly accepted that pedophiles are usually serial criminals, the number of anonymous victims of clerical sexual abuse must reach into the tens of thousands. I strongly urge you and the members of your regiment to aid these victims by taking the following actions:
· Any priest who holds any information of the cover-up and transfer of credibly alleged sexually abusive priests to publicly acknowledge this information and to ask for forgiveness.
· Among your ranks, encourage your fellow priests to come forward and speak the truth.
· Even if it means civil disobedience, hold your bishops accountable for their actions in the cover-up.
It has been more than six years since this crisis became public knowledge. Just think of all those victims who have suffered while your members have tried vainly to protect their image. It is obvious that they have failed not only protecting their image, but they have also failed all sexual abuse victims and the entire church. The image of the priesthood can only begin to be restored when priests such as you stop being concerned about your image and start being concerned about the thousands of children who have been scarred for life.
Tom Myles
Sayville, NY