The Roman Catholic Church Raped My Family
And it wasn’t an accident
In August 2018, the Pennsylvania Attorney General dropped a bombshell grand jury report on the public. Detailing the sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children by no fewer than 300 Cathlic priests, it tells the repugnant story of an institution drunk on its own power, acting above the law, and protecting its reputation before protecting its weakest and most vulnerable members.
What these children went through is awful. Anyone who has been sexually violated understands that it is more than an offense against the body: It is a crime against the soul. It reshapes our identity. Whether we choose the label “victim” or “survivor,” the assault kills who we were and creates someone new.
In an ideal situation, we come forward with our story, which is validated and believed. The police take action, and the perpetrator is captured and convicted. We work toward building a new future for ourselves — one that takes this new identity into consideration and tries to move beyond it.
For too many of us, that is not our reality.
And its impact is felt by more than the victim. It changes a family.
How do I know? It is the story of my family.
