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Article: The faith of the fathers; Lexington.(problems of the Catholic Church in the U.S.)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- March 23, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Catholic church's deepest challenge may not be paedophilia, but the withering of its cultural roots
THE archdiocese of Boston has given the police the names of over 80 priests suspected of sexual abuse. Two consecutive bishops of Palm Beach have resigned because of their taste for young boys. Two priests, from Baltimore and St Louis, have been arrested as members of a child-pornography ring. All in all, some 2,000 priests stand accused of sexual abuse--the ultimate betrayal of the trust that is embodied in the word "father".
The scandal is not just the number of offenders. It is also the church hierarchy's complicity in evil--its preference for ...