More on the new USCCB president

Jason Berry, a journalist who has produced a lot of the coverage of the sex abuse crisis in the church, wrote an op-ed in Sunday's LA Times that should raise eyebrows. It is disturbing that George gets credit for getting Rome to agree to the Dallas Charter but then in his own archdiocese doesn't seem to take sex abuse seriously. Berry also gives coverage to one of George's auxiliaries, Bishop Thomas Paprocki, a canon and civil lawyer, who argued at the "Red Mass" for lawyers and judges that the church was under attack. As covered by Berry: " 'The church is under attack," Paprocki declared, comparing the civil litigation to Henry VIII's seizure of "church property and kill[ing] those who did not accept his notion of the supremacy of the crown.' "

Phew! We're not the only ones

Thus describes the relief expressed by some U.S. bishops that sex abuse is just as bad everywhere else as it is in the church.

Say that again?

That's right, the new John Jay study tracking sex abuse in the U.S. church reports that the increase in sex abuse in the church mirrors that in the rest of society. Even more, the study's author, Karen Terry, suggested, according to the Baltimore Sun that it was "not something distinct about the church that led to the abuse." She went on to express the desire to (quoting the Sun) "better understand the connection between societal changes--including attitudes about sex and homosexuality--and the jump in reports of sexual abuse by priests."

Huh? Tagging the gays again, eh? What connection could there possibly be? That the sexual revolution caused more sex abuse, or that it led to people reporting sex abuse? It is disturbing that, for no apparent reason, Terry felt like she had to mention homosexuality, forgetting once again that most pedophiles are married heterosexual men and that most victims of sexual abuse and assault are female.

What good may come out of this is the recognition that the sexual abuse of children is pervasive in society and goes well beyond the Catholic church. Now the church has the opportunity to be a model and advocate for stamping this kind of abuse out. Will the bishops rise to the challenge?

Well, since they're getting ready to elect Francis George of Chicago as president, who hardly has a spotless record in this regard (you can read Chicago Sun-Times coverage here), I doubt it's going to be high on the agenda.

More sex abuse troubles in SoCal

Not L.A. this time, though. The Diocese of San Diego, currently in bankruptcy proceedings, just got an earful from the judge for hiding money--two parishes even had "secret accounts." The bankruptcy judge, having ordered a first-of-its-kind outside review of diocesan finances, now has to decide whether the deception was intentional, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. If she determines it was, she could put all the diocesan finances in the hands of a trustee. (Note to other dioceses: You take your life in your hands when you throw yourself on the mercy of the civil court.) The diocese argues the problems were minor, though the total "surplus funds" add up to millions.

Of course, what the judge is most likely to find is a completely disorganized financial mess. As many have pointed out--both on the record and off--the next big scandal to come is money, and how sloppily is gets handled at many levels of church organization. This one is worth watching--but it will likely only be bad news for the people of God in San Diego.

Watch this get even messier.