Starting tomorrow it's likely that there will be a whole other round of Catholic-bashing. From the Nashua Telegraph preliminary coverage:
The public release Monday of more than 9,000 pages of documents from the Diocese of Manchester’s files will show how church leaders handled abuse allegations against eight priests. The documents are being released under a plea agreement the diocese reached with the state attorney general’s office in December.I think it's necessary to get this out. Like opening up a wound to get at an infection, the information that has been shrouded needs to get out there. For many the issue of trust will take a long time to recover. While I trust in the moral teachings of the Church and it's authority to preserve and present them, many on the margins of faith will find it hard to take seriously teachings that come from the same mouths that swept these serious crimes under the rug. Clinton-esque lawyer-ly answers to questions from the public only breed distrust. No, be open, be honest, air it and resolve to change. It's going to be painful.