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Scandals
fail to shake the faith Sandy Stafford knows her priest is human. Even so, she admits that if she heard he committed a crime, she would be stunned. So when Stafford, a sophomore theatre/TV major, began seeing news reports about priests across the nation being accused of child molestation, she was shocked. “You expect your priest to guide you in the right direction,” Stafford said. “It’s kind of shocking to hear that one of them has made a big mistake.” As the Roman Catholic Church faces a widening scandal over child molestation by priests in Boston and around the country, Stafford and some TCU students said their faith in the church and their priests has not wavered. Though he is disappointed that priests are being accused of these crimes, George Havrilla, a senior mechanical engineering major and co-chairman of Catholic Community, said the priests’ actions have not shaken his faith. “My faith is in God and the relationship between God and the church,” Havrilla said. “It’s not a faith in some man in Boston and what he chooses to do.” Stafford said even though hearing about the incidents made her reflect on her faith, it remains as strong as ever. “We’re all hurt and upset that this has gone on in the church and people allowed it to happen,” Stafford said. “It doesn’t change what the church teaches and it doesn’t change what I believe personally.” Her faith in priests remains strong, Stafford said, but she worries that charges against some priests casts suspicion on other priests who are doing a good job. Kelly McKenzie, a senior radio-TV-film major, said she still holds the priests she knows in the highest esteem. She said it is sad, though, when a man vows to adhere to the rules involved in a life as a priest, and then breaks that trust. “Every priest is his own person and the poor judgment of one does not reflect bad judgment on the part of all of them,” McKenzie said. The entire priesthood will not be tainted by a few priests, Havrilla said. “I don’t think this will tarnish (priests) because there are way too many good, spiritual men that are not like what’s being portrayed in the news,” Havrilla said. Amanda Fulton, a senior nursing major, said she is disappointed because some priests’ superiors apparently had knowledge of wrongdoing and did not do enough to prevent more cases. “It made me question why it was allowed to continue if people knew that it was going on,” Fulton said. “And the fact that things were hidden is upsetting.” Many Catholics are probably feeling anger and embarrassment that this could happen, said Fr. Charles Calabrese of TCU Catholic Community. “A person who values being a Catholic would hope that Catholics could live as God would intend us to live,” Calabrese said. “We shouldn’t base any of our faith on what another person does.” Calabrese said that he hopes the Fort Worth Diocese will start putting focus on helping priests deal with their sexual and psychological growth and development. “I think there will be pressure on the bishops to publicly take steps to help priests be as good as they can be,” Calabrese said. If bishops stay honest and strong in their leadership, Calabrese said, he thinks people will be proud of being Catholic and continue to feel good about the priests who are serving them. “I’m hoping it will strengthen the Catholic church by pulling us together as a church and insisting that things like this (will) never happen again in the future,” he said. Laura
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TCU Daily Skiff © 2002 |
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