The Catholic Church must bring sex abusers to justice

IT is vital that the Catholic Church, nongovernment organizations, development agencies and the government put children at the heart of national and religious concerns. The Church and clergy must remember and act constantly on the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth when he made children the center of importance in the kingdom. "Whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me," he said. Jesus also demanded all abusers be brought to justice. "Better that that person (abuser) have a large millstone tied around his neck and he be drowned in the deep sea," he said in Matthew 18:1-7. When evidence of clerical child sex abuse is overwhelming, is there any bishop, law enforcement officer, prosecutor and judge with the guts, courage and commitment to children, the law and love of justice, to bring the perpetrator to justice?

Civil society, churches and the government need to put children first and provide much more services that shelter, protect, heal and empower thousands of abused and neglected children and help them win justice and convictions and end impunity and the cycle of abuse. It can be done.