A comment from ” David” under “The Australians” Chrissie Foster opinion article. Thanks ” David”
No defence is possible, there is no response that can make up for it. Just tears, shame, sadness and some ‘true repentance’. It seems now impossible for the ‘way back’ to be found for the Church. Even if they end up doing everything possible. To not simply say sorry, but to prioritise the victims needs way above the survival of the institution. This, however, is just wishful thinking, if past behaviour is any indicator of future performance. Any amount of words without such ‘true repentance’ is hollow and meaningless. Words are needed, but only as a precursor. Action must follow. Sell the churches, sack the priests, empty the bank accounts, give education for free, care for the sick at the expense of the church, house the homeless. Cut to the bone, and deeply. Without doing this radical intervention the Church will lose all moral authority. Actually, it already has. As the Church bunkers down in it’s priceless cathedrals to the oncoming judgement, it is hopeful and naive to think this will simply fade into history as simply a bad chapter in an otherwise good book. It is more than simply the incompetence of leadership, it is moral bankruptcy. The crisis is that they actually don’t realise the deep deep damage this has done. It is a fatal blow. The blind betrayal of the gospel they claim to represent is complete. The cold state of their heart is exposed They are the blind leading the blind. Whitewashed graves. Hypocrites. The Church is now lost to the victims, too many within their faith and to countless outside the faith. Can the church recover? Not in its present form.
survivors and friends foundation 