Dear Tony, thank you for telling us your story related in the opposite way to Cypriano's blog commentary on the abuse of the Goan boy, now a man. I understood the need to bring a sense of balance to the perceived vile history of abuse in the Church we could all have done without.
There are very few among those of us with a Catholic boyhood background and even among those who were not Christians, who do not appreciate the good work in education, discipline and family and community values imparted to us by the priests in our lives. There is absolutely no doubt about that contribution and the good it did us in our adult lives. However, Tony that is not in question when such narrations arise. What is in question is the gross abuse of the relative minority of those priests who shattered the tender lives and the bright futures of the young ones under their care. It is a question of abuse of the trust and authority placed on them by their devout flock and by the vesting of their office. Even that, grievous though it is, would have been seen as a minor problem. The real tragedy here is the cover-up by higher Church authority leading to the papal office, which led to the compounding of that abuse. By people who should have known better. I once had a long conversation with a Goan lady who is a brilliant sociologist with a stellar career in the prison system here. I asked her whether Goa would have been immune to this catholic priest child abuse situation in the rest of the world. In my Goaness, I secretly wished she would answer yes. She did not give me a direct answer because she wanted to lead me through a logical process of the social environment and circumstances prevailing then, which would resonate with me and she then hit me with incident after incident which I would not have imagined. She had answered my question with an irrefutable reply. All that Cypriano's Goan victim from Africa needs from us is to tell him that we are in moral support, one in his memories and suffering. As many of us who would like to participate in his healing journey should do so without hesitation through a few words of comfort. And that it seems, is all he wants. Roland. Toronto. -----Original Message----- To: Goa's Premiere Mailing List, Estd 1994; Gabe Menezes Subject: Re: [Goanet] Life in the rearview mirror Gabe Menezes <<<This is a blog by my school mate, who preceded me by some years. Most of us in school had an inkling what was happening, alas as is portrayed, the circumstances and the faith and respect to be given, in which we were brought up, caused what happened. I guess this is true also of what happened in Ireland and other places. Thank God that we are now more aware and perceptive!>>> Comment: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR The story told by Cypriano about his friend is horrifying. Yet there is also the other side of the mirror.
