NYTimes letter watch

Today's installment: Hierarchical Arrogance!!!

This letter from today's NYTimes is a textbook example of someone making public comments without having researched the issue and checked the facts.

The writer seems to think that the Vatican is trying to put the Church's canon law above US criminal law, supposedly because canon law is contrary to the US bishops position on a statute of limitations. This writer apparently thinks that the Vatican is saying, "you can't prosecute someone who abused a child x number of years ago!" In other words, the Holy See is trying to interfere in our judicial process and system.

If the writer took the time to read the Vatican's letter, he'd see that what is at issue here is whether or not a priest who committed an act a number of years ago should automatically be removed from ministry, even if no other crime/abuse has been committed. This has to do with the priest's standing within the Church, a realm where canon law alone has authority.

Please, make sure you know the facts before you go off on someone in public (your's truly is just as guilty, and that's why I can say this :-).