If you were a bishop what would be your first reaction to finding out that one of your priests had violated his vow of chastity as well as the demands of Christian morality by engaging in sexual misconduct, that nonetheless did not break any laws? Would you send him for a six-week therapy and treatment or would you call him in for a stern lecture on sin and an opportunity for the Sacrament of Confession? All too often, it seems, that the impulse of many bishops is the former.
In Evansville, Indiana, a priest was temporarily relieved of his parish and sent to six weeks of counseling after he was caught viewing porn. What exactly he was looking at was never revealed and some details are sketchy, but it was referred to the diocesan review board and Child Protective Services who found no abuse occurred.
