In only the few days since the archdiocese announced a settlement with 16 sex abuse victims, Chicagoans have seen open and much-needed dialogue on the church's role in protecting children. The church disclosed Cardinal George's candid deposition on how he and his advisers mishandled allegations of pedophilia. Victims are speaking publicly about the importance of the settlement. And this morning, the Sun-Times ran a great editorial that urges the Cardinal to go even further in making sure the same closed door mistakes don't happen again.
Now the cardinal must show his resolve to end this nightmare of pedophile priests -- no more equivocations and half-measures -- by surrounding himself with people strong enough to bring him bad news and ugly facts. And he must strip those who served him poorly of all power and position.
On a broader level, George must stamp out any lingering institutional cynicism within the archdiocese toward victims' lawsuits -- the view that the court battles are motivated by money, not justice.
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The cardinal has repeatedly apologized for his failures.
Now let's see what he's learned.
This is the kind of discourse we needed all along. And to think, none of it would be happening if not for the legal actions first taken by victims. This is a perfect example of how lawsuits can educate and protect the public at large.
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