My oh my! The Catholics again shed their true colours. Denial isn’t a river in Egypt. Another Bishop is in on the conspiracy of denial – the outrageous comment by Bishop Fisher, “dwelling crankily on old wounds” is further proof of the denial that the Catholic Church is so fond of. Nevermind the absurd and dangerous doctrine of birth control, the perpetuity of denying the churches sexual abuse victims is absolutely vile. Just sweep it under the rug and it will go away. Excuse us but it is not going away because the church has no concept of the damage that their brethren are inflicting and are still inflicting. Comments like those of Bishop Fisher are unforgivable and are akin to driving salt in fresh wounds and it isn’t too far a stretch of the imagination that the wounds will always be a sore spot in the souls of the sufferers.

This Fisher character just takes the cake, the absolute arrogance of spiritual elitism that seems endemic to the upper echelons of the Catholic Church and I would argue a vast majority of churches, of whatever denomination, is where the problem lies. I can’t help but wonder what goes through the minds of these insensitive and inhumane men? Do they believe that the “old wounds” can simply be washed away if the victims just prayed to Jesus and that Jesus would then make it all go away? Is that the thinking by which they justify their denial? To think Bishop Fisher is the World Youth Day organiser, is this the face which young, impressionable youth are to look up to as a role model of spirituality? Is the spirituality of the Catholic faith a denial of humanity, a denial of the human condition with only room for an imaginary God that no matter what ought to be worshipped according to the tenets of denial? Is the Catholic faith so callous as to deny human beings of their humanity?

What exactly is the Catholic Church trying to protect with its denial? Even though the church has ostensibly admitted guilt it is vehemently treating itself as though innocent. It is not! It has a duty of care which it has demonstrably violated and by maintaining the appearance of repentance it is just injuring victims further. It needs to overhaul its policy by treating the victims of its insidious internal malfeasance with the validation and open heart which they deserve. No more caps on compensation. No more denial. No more treating victims as though they are the guilty. Stringent background and psychometric testing of would be priests.  The Pope saying sorry is not the be all that will bring about healing, it is merely a start and there appears a long way to go before the Catholic Church can be trusted.