I was part of the problem

[no_hypocrisy]

N.J. hotline to report priest sex abuse overwhelmed by number of callers
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/09/a_lot_of_people_have_something_to_say_about_sex_ab.html

No, I didn't molest or hurt children. I worked for a law firm that protected and hid priests accused of multiple child abuse.

The law firm had me sign a non-disclosure agreement, so I can't give you details and this was more than a decade ago.

I enabled priests to avoid taking responsibility for their actions by using our resources to move them out of their parishes and put them into "retreats". The law firm even contracted a public relations firm to handle the fall-out for bishops and others. For the limited time I was working, there was never a discussion of plea agreements or talking to prosecutors. My job was to scour national papers online and websites for victims of Catholic clergy abuse and to report it to the owner of the firm, my boss.

I was able to do this unsavory mission because I needed the job and because I bought into the constitutional argument of due process and innocent-before-proven-guilty. But there never was due process. All we did was shuffle them around.

I regret my contribution to this morass, even if it was a minor exercise.

[ffr]

1. The things we regret doing in life over money.

[empedocles]

2. I was 11 when a middle aged priest asked me 'leading sexual questions'.

I dodged.

Later I asked some Catholic school friends about that incident. They laughed, make remarks about 'Father Lips' and my 'not knowing' of such things. About 2 months later, that priest left the parish, without fanfare, or any apparent public notice.

I never thought about it much, but was not surprised when it became part of the national debate. I suspect the high profile resignations nationally of public figures, the Church, all types of various individuals charged, etc., etc.. - are the tip of the iceberg.