For the past few weeks, I’ve eagerly been awaiting a statement from Pope Benedict XVI regarding the most recent sex scandals within the Catholic Church and, as a practicing Catholic, I’m disappointed to say that there has not yet been an “official” statement released. Although the most recent scandal has been already publicized enough and extensively through the news media, I bring this topic up again because I recently read an article in the New Yorker regarding this issue.

                In the article, Mr. Hertzberg states, “The Catholic Church is an authoritarian institution, modelled on the political structures of the Roman Empire and medieval Europe. It is better at transmitting instructions downward than at facilitating accountability upward. It is monolithic.” At first, I became extremely irritated upon reading the article, specifically after reading the aforementioned statements, but I then began to understand his perspective.

                Although I don’t have access to what has been disclosed by the Pope to the Church leaders in private, I think that it is extremely irresponsible that the Pope, and well-known Church leaders, have not yet released any sort of “official” statement regarding this issue. Most individuals, including Church officials, believe Church leaders to be infallible, as they are thought to be “human embodiments of Jesus Christ himself.” However, this is not the case. As I have been repeatedly taught over the years, priests and those of the Catholic religious order have been “selected” by God to guide other Catholics in finding and remaining faithful to God. This does not mean that such selected Church leaders are in any way, shape, or form holy; rather, they are fully human and therefore, prone to human error. Because of these erroneous Church leaders, the Catholic Church, similar to any other institution, is also flawed.

                Frankly, I feel that it is time that the Church acknowledges its imperfections. Unfortunately, though, such an acknowledgement threatens the existence of the Catholic Church and calls into question its celestial Overseer. The recurring priest scandals should, however, serve as a wake-up call for the Church, urging it to publically apologize to its people and take action for its wrongdoings.

                Such an acknowledgment and ensuing progressive action, however, needs to first be initiated by Pope Benedict XVI.