In discussing the damage these priests have done to families around the country, I realized I need to address the bravery and dedication of innocent Catholic Priests. These individuals must now be cognizant of their every move around young people. A simple hug could be perceived as an act of foul conduct. Many priests have most likely been wrongfully accused in the hype of the media. Guilty priests have inadvertently derailed the careers of many innocent men in the priesthood. The stereotype of the Catholic Priest that has been created by countless violators, which has made the vocation less desirable for residing and potential priests.
Philadelphia Fr. Bob McLaughlin was caught up unfairly within the facts of the scandal. A popular religious leader, he assured his community that the Philadelphia diocese was handling the situation differently than others, which meant no cover-up. McLaughlin felt betrayed by his leaders when a 400-page grand jury report was released that stated quite the opposite. McLaughlin unknowingly lied to his entire community because of what his religious leaders had assured him.
"For the first time in my 60 years, I felt ashamed to be Catholic," McLaughlin said, "Their crime wasn't a crime of passion, where you fly off the handle and do something stupid, like commit a murder. This was a cold, calculated series of lies, designed to protect the church's assets at the expense of protecting children's lives. It's just chilling. I've seen them fire priests for having their hands in the collection basket, yet they never fired a priest for having his hands down an altar boy's pants!"
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