To the Editor:
In the spring of this year, Pope Benedict the XVI will visit this country.
He will be visiting a country where church attendance has declined by about ten percent in the past five years. Many suggest that the drop in attendance is directly related to the sexual abuse scandal that has surfaced in recent years. It appears to be more than a coincidence.
Church attendance increased over the past twenty years at a slow, steady rate reflecting demographics. In 2002, after a brief increase following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 it began a precipitous drop of almost ten percent over the past five-year period.
Some will disagree that the sexual abuse scandal is the primary reason for this demise. Others will correctly state that the Mass and the other sacraments instituted by Christ and the grace they provide are above the foibles of men. Others will remind us that the vast majority of priests and bishops are "good" shepherds dedicated to their vocation.
What we are left with, however, is a perception "How can this flawed church guide us?" However incorrect this perception is, it remains a distinct obstacle to church attendance and reception of the sacraments.
When the Pope visits this country, he will have a unique opportunity to reach out and embrace "lapsed" Catholics.
If one agrees with the simple yet profound statement that the main reason we have the clergy is to serve the People of God, the Pope's opportunity and message should be clear. I believe that Pope Benedict should offer a collective apology on behalf of the Bishops of the United States for the betrayal of trust on the part of the relatively few priests involved in the abuse scandal. He could then invite those who have lapsed to return to the church under the mantle of humility and forgiveness.
It would go a long way to bringing people closer to God through renewed church attendance and reception of the sacraments.
Brian Cavanagh
Greenville
