Hate the sin, not the sinner.
It is much easier said than done when it comes to the issue of sexual assault perpetrated by Roman Catholic Priests in this province.
The scourge continues to be an open wound for many people that were impacted by the those that carried out the assaults and the institutions original reactions.
The scab over the festering wounds was pulled of again today as father Gary Gerald Hoskins, 56 entered pleas in Corner Brook Supreme Court today.
I knew Hoskins through my work as a reporter and as a political support worker in the Bay St. George region in the 1980's. He was the priest at St. Stephens in Stephenville. He has not been in priestly ministry since 1995.
The church has come along way in developing clear policies and procedures for allegations of sexual misconduct since the days of when government, police, and church colluded to bury the concerns of victims.
In 1992, the Canadian Catholic bishops
responded by unveiling tough guidelines, calling for fairness and
openness to all allegations, stressing the need to "respect" the
jurisdiction of outside authorities, and recommending counselling and
compassion for the victims
In 2003, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Roman Catholic Church
is responsible (vicariously liable) for sexual abuse by its priests
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