In the song Sympathy for the Devil, the Rolling Stones repeat several times, "Pleased to meet you. Hope you guessed my name. But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game."
In essence, the Stones are talking about the nature of evil and our relation to it. We see it, but we often don't know what to call it. What is most confusing is that we do not understand it.
When we call evil by name and gain an understanding of it, we can deal with it effectively. This, in essence, is the power of Truth.
One of the most horrific crimes against humanity was the Holocaust. Genocide had been happening for thousands of years, yet until the last century we did not have a name for it, and we never studied it. When Germany lost World War II, its horrors were laid bare for all the world to see. We asked ourselves what had happened, why it happened, how it happened, and how it could be prevented.
We gave a name to this crime and we found the answers to our questions. Scholars have dissected what it looks like, and Genocide Watch has even outlined its 10 stages. We have come to know that this crime against humanity is not unique to Germany, it is a global problem. With this information we, the people of the world, have a fighting chance in gaining understanding, healing our world and preventing future mass atrocities. It will not be easy, but it can be done.
In a similar way, crimes of sexual abuse have come to light in recent decades. Just as with genocide, we are confused as to how and why this happened and continues to happen. The "Germany" at the core of this atrocity is the Catholic Church.
There are few Catholics who have not been impacted by these crimes. Our hearts go out to the victims, knowing how vulnerable we all were growing up in this Church. Like many Catholics today, I am most angered by the lies and cover up from those in positions of authority.
In many ways, we are standing like the world did in 1945, before the gates of Dachau and Auschwitz. We say, "Never again," yet struggle to make it a reality. Where do we begin?
We have been here before. Genocide and abuse are both evil. Their only difference is in scale. The Nazis created death factories. Abuse occurs primarily among individuals but is much more widespread. Beyond that, the similarities are frightening.
If we are going to rid the world of this horrendous theft of innocence, we need to approach it the same way we approached the Holocaust. We need to begin by looking at its horrifying face. We need to believe and honour the victims, and we need to listen to their stories. From there we can gain a better understanding, discover the stages of abuse and comprehend what can be done to heal and protect the vulnerable. Awareness is the key.
This will not be an easy task. The problem is widespread throughout society and in many religious and secular institutions. The Catholic Church, for one, is notorious for re-assigning abusers to other communities, even to other countries. We will discover that these crimes have been going on for thousands of years and that the impact has been devastating.
Those who seek truth are finding some allies in the Catholic Church. Bishop Lawrence Persico of Erie, Pennsylvania, for example, has published the names of known abusers in his diocese, as well as church leaders who are guilty of collusion. He has also called for the use of independent investigators in uncovering the truth.
This is only a next step. The Catholic Church has lost a great deal of its legitimacy as a voice for justice in the world due to these crimes. In order for its credibility to be regained, it must be painfully honest with itself in examining the crimes against humanity for which it is responsible, and it needs to take a leadership role in the healing process.
As Jesus said, "You will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."
Gerry Chidiac is a champion for social enlightenment, inspiring others to find their greatness in making the world a better place. For more of his writings, go to www.gerrychidiac.com
