Veils of Secrecy Over Pedophile Priests

Re “Ouster of Priest Marks a Change in O.C. Diocese,” March 5:

Once again, and perhaps never in a more glaring way, does the hypocrisy of organized religion confound and mystify. The outrage expressed by some members of the congregation over Michael Pecharich’s forced departure because he “transgressed the personal boundaries of an adolescent,” and their contention that it should have been handled privately, only perpetuate the Roman Catholic veil of secrecy on sexual abuse by priests.

If an admitted pedophile were to move next door, would these same parishioners insist on such reticence? Maybe it isn’t always just the wolf in shepherd’s clothing that ravages the flock.

Craig Morrow

Costa Mesa

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Pecharich was my pastor for several years, and I knew him fairly well. He was a friend and helped me through a painful time. He is an intelligent, insightful and sensitive person and an open-minded priest. And I think he must now be in deep pain.

But I was appalled by the comments by some of the parishioners, such as putting his name on a parish building. It seems that people are more concerned about the priest than about the young boy whose innocence was forever taken from him and whose pain and memories will endure for the rest of his life. Why wasn’t Father Michael fired in 1996? What if this has happened again? Whom did the church protect?

In this time of Catholic outrage (not to mention the money spent) over outlawing abortion, why hasn’t there been the same outpouring of money, energy and rage in the hierarchy over the terrible human suffering and damage done by trusted priests to the babies already born? What a hypocrisy.

Thank you, Bishop Brown, for exposing what needs to be exposed. I hope the cardinal is watching and will follow your example.

Michael Jones

Fullerton