The memories of my Catholic primary school days were marked by an unnecessary alacrity to administering corporal punishment for the slightest offence or juvenile infarction. That, combined with an almost fanatical reverence and use of the Roman Catholic catechism, created an environment where even the slightest deviation from the norms was met with swift and merciless discipline. I was not a Roman Catholic and had not undergone First Communion and Confession, but I did attend a Catholic primary school.
I recall being part of a group of boys who would frequently gossip about the priests and their supposed relationships with the "altar boys". We would often peek through windows to catch glimpses of priests fondling and groping these young boys, who were supposedly attending the Rectories for religious studies. These parents must have heard the rumors but chose to ignore them, or they simply didn’t want to believe them. The priests were held in such high esteem that nobody would ever accuse them of such heinous crimes.
My aversion to the Catholic Church started taking shape during my secondary school days, particularly when I encountered subjects like philosophy, biology, and geography. The church had immense influence over everything, and I found it suffocating. I started to question the logic and lack of interpretation of biblical texts, which only led to friction with the priests. I could never respect a priest who invaded the privacy of homes without fear of consequences, and people didn’t dare to challenge them because they were seen as representatives of God.
When the pedophilia scandals were revealed, my instincts told me that similar abuse had occurred in the Caribbean colonies, which I had previously lived in. The Catholic Church’s penchant for creating fear only led to more disagreements, disdain, and eventual rejection. I became an atheist due to the imperfections created by humans and the lack of evidence supporting any existence beyond this life.
If one needed further validation of the church’s inefficacy, the Philadelphia Church Scandals provided it. Morally indefensible acts of priests raping children, forcing boys to commit oral sex, and rinsing out the boys’ mouths with holy water further eroded my faith. Pope Francis’s apology, which stated that the church wants to listen to the victims, was insufficient.
I propose shutting down every Roman Catholic Church in the United States, revoking their tax-exempt status, and stripping them of any tax breaks they currently enjoy. This is the only way to root out the systemic problem that has existed for generations. Any criminal organization responsible for such heinous acts would face RICO charges. But, of course, this will not happen because the church is too powerful and connected with influential political and economic interests.
Until every Catholic Church is treated as a crime scene and sealed accordingly, the victims deserve justice. I am not advocating for personal attacks or a desire to see Catholic parishioners cut off from their worship; I am simply calling for action to be taken against the institutions responsible. Every other strategy has failed for decades.
Conclusion
In a world where rapists continue to maintain access to children, something drastic needs to be done. The Catholic Church must take responsibility for its actions and treat them as a criminal organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why shut down every Roman Catholic Church in the United States?
A: To root out the systemic problem that has existed for generations and to provide a fair and just environment for victims of abuse.
Q: Why should priests be treated as a criminal organization?
A: Because they have been conspiring to harm children under the roofs of churches, and their institutions have been covering it up.
Q: What about the victims?
A: Victims deserve justice, and their suffering deserves to be acknowledged and addressed.
Q: What about the Catholic Church’s tax-exempt status?
A: This status should be revoked until the Church takes concrete steps to rectify its wrongdoings and ensure that such atrocities will never happen again.
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