It must be a terrible time to be a bishop. I heard Bishop Brown speak at a joint Chrstian Jewish seminar on the Passion of Christ last year and it seems that nowadays all a bishop can do is apologize. I'm sure none thought that would be their primary public focus.
Bishop Brown is my bishop and I think he's done a pretty good job with the clergy sex abuse scandal. He summarily fired our extremely popular pastor in 2002, well before there was any talk of zero tolerance. There was no question that he did the right thing then although he was roundly criticized by many. Bishop Brown also inhereited some problems, as he has only been bishop since 1998. Much of the concealment of the sex abuse crisis happened in the diocese before his arrival and much happened before Orange was a separate diocese.
I wish him well in continuing to resolve the sex abuse crisis. I don't think things havebeen as transparent as promised, and I don't think the victims have been listened to as much as they should have. I hope the settlement is fair and I think the bishop handled that part as well as he could. I know from bitter personal experience that a monetary settlement is not closure in any sense of the word and money does not replace the loss. Words are inadequate for me to express my feelings towards the victims. Apologies, sorrow, loss--it's really hard.
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