An Opportunity Missed

Decades ago, Rev. Martin Luther King spoke these words. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” Rev. King, did not speak from the safe distances of beaches of Malibu. Rev, King spoke from the steps of Washington DC, and he also spoke from the jails of Alabama, and from the streets of Detroit. As a leader he didn’t choose to speak from a safe distance, he chose to speak words that mattered, in places that needed it. Rev. King did not take the easy path. He took the path that made a difference.

An opportunity missed.

The decision by Pope Benedict to bypass Boston during his impending visit is an opportunity missed.

Over the past six years, more than 5,000 priests have been accused -- and some convicted -- of sexual abuse. Thousands of victims have come forward; hundreds of thousands of documents have been released; arrests have been made; sentences have been handed down and over $2 billion dollars has been paid out in settlements. There is no longer a question of “Did it happen?”
It happened.

Pope Benedict’s decision not to come to Boston simply reminds some of us of what some church officials said over 6 years ago, “It never really happened”.

As the moral leader of a faith I once called mine, Pope Benedict has not only an obligation but a genuine responsibility. He is not only the leader of the good Catholics, he is the leader of every catholic. He cannot afford the liberty of choosing to lead only the most willing of followers in the easiest of times.

As a moral leader, he needs to accept the responsibility of addressing challenges the church has faced in the past and in the present. He cannot afford the liberty of facing only the easy issues. He must be willing to lead on the tough issues. He must accept the fact that while some of us no longer consider ourselves Catholics, we still have the need to believe in something good, something true and something real. While the Catholic Church may never again be that for many of us, some of us still have the strong desire and longing to believe in something more.

I am not looking for someone to erase the memories, restore my innocence or restore my faith. A visit by Pope Benedict to Boston would accomplish none of that. The Pope's visit might, however, lend to aid my faith in humanity if he were willing to acknowledge that the church is taking a headstrong, life long approach to protecting generations to come.

As a survivor, as the brother of a survivor & as the son of a survivor, I came forward to make sure that I would never have to say "I am the father of a survivor of clergy abuse".

What I am looking for today, is the same thing I was looking for when I first came forward over 6 years ago, to protect tomorrow generation by having direct and constructive dialog with today’s generation by breaking the cycle of silence. A visit by Pope Benedict to Boston, could have certainly helped to accomplish that.

Years ago, survivors began speaking these words in Boston “I was a victim of Clergy abuse”. Words that I know well. I am not proud of that statement, however I am no longer ashamed of it. Those words have enabled survivors to pry open a door which had been closed for decades. As the moral leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict can not look at that door from a distance, nor can he simply stand on the threshold. He must walk through it.

This weekend, as it has been for the past 6 years, the door to Boston remains open. I welcome Pope Benedict to walk through it.

Contact :

Gary M. Bergeron
garymbergeron@gmail.com

Gary Bergeron, an outspoken survivor of clergy abuse, is the author of “Don't Call Me A Victim, Faith, Hope & Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church”