In his homily, Collins said “the concern must be for the innocent young people who have been abused, to help them overcome their suffering” and take the necessary steps to prevent it from happening again.
The media attention is a “profound gift to the priesthood” which is being celebrated at the Mass of Chrism, he said, adding that people “instinctively expect holiness in a Catholic priest and are appalled when he does evil.”
He also took time to praise Pope Benedict XVI, who has felt the sting of media pressure over the scandals, for his leadership on the matter.
“As we go through the continuing, painful purification of the church, we all need in a particular way to give thanks to God for the leadership of Joseph Ratzinger as cardinal and Pope who has acted decisively, fairly, consistently and courageously to purify the priesthood and to make the church a safe place for everyone,” the archbishop said.
The topic also came up March 26, when Collins spoke at Evangelization and the Media conference held at the University of St. Michael’s College.
“The fact is we do proclaim the Gospel so people are giving a profound vote of confidence in the Catholic Church. They expect us to be at a higher level,” Collins told about 80 people at the conference.
“That’s a profound recognition of the majesty of the priesthood of Christ and I think that’s something you notice. Other groups are not so much being attacked or being scrutinized.”
Conference participant Paul Nolan told The Register that the Catholic Church is often on the defensive when it’s covered in the mainstream media. If true, the “bad news” of the abuse scandal needs to be admitted, he said.
Collins said the problem of abuse plagues other groups in society but “is less a problem for the Catholic clergy than the rest of society,” with a great majority of priests who are living out their vocation faithfully.
But Collins said being a target of scrutiny shouldn’t be a source of despair.
“It shouldn’t discourage us. It should appall us when we see something (wrong) so we can fix it, but it shouldn’t discourage us,” said Collins, who was appointed in January to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. “We need to hold ourselves and celebrate the scrutiny we receive, try our best to be faithful to our Lord Jesus and there will be nothing to fear.”
Abuse scandal offers church chance at purification
By Sheila Dabu Nonato, The Catholic Register
{mosimage}TORONTO-The glaring media spotlight, public scrutiny and even attacks on the Catholic Church over recent abuse allegations presents a time of great challenge but also an opportunity to refocus on our baptismal call to live out the Gospel teachings, says Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins.
The archbishop has found himself addressing the matter frequently over recent days, with media and those in the pews, as allegations continue to swirl around a sex abuse scandal and cover-up by some clergy in Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Brazil and the United States.
“Throughout the world, (some) priests have done unspeakable evil. We should be grateful for the attention that the media is devoting to the sins of Catholic clergy, even if constant repetition may give it the false impression that Catholic clergy are particularly sinful,” Collins told a crowd of more than 400 people at St. Michael’s Cathedral March 30 at the annual Chrism Mass.
The archbishop has found himself addressing the matter frequently over recent days, with media and those in the pews, as allegations continue to swirl around a sex abuse scandal and cover-up by some clergy in Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Brazil and the United States.
“Throughout the world, (some) priests have done unspeakable evil. We should be grateful for the attention that the media is devoting to the sins of Catholic clergy, even if constant repetition may give it the false impression that Catholic clergy are particularly sinful,” Collins told a crowd of more than 400 people at St. Michael’s Cathedral March 30 at the annual Chrism Mass.
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