First off thank for responding brother. I know this is a super serious and touchy (no pun intended) topic. We have had our conversations and debates in the past and while we are for the most part very often full of opposing views on religion as a whole, we both respect one another enough to understand each other.
I think my main problem with it obviously besides it happening in the first place and so frequently, is the lack of any REAL SUBSTANTIAL movement by the church. Publicly they haven’t done a damn thing. Why not come clean. Rip the bandaid off and deal with the immediate pain, knowing that the healing will come later. I think people would respect it a lot more if they literally rounded up EVERYONE who is guilty and 86’d em. Let alone charges pressed and involving the law and all that. But just admit. Public statements. The pope is the head of your organization. Correct?!? Why isn’t he making a call to rid the scum?!? Why aren’t more priests outing the bad seeds ?!? This all still seems like damage control and not a real call to try to fix things. I think that’s my issue with it. I agree it will never be a perfect system but it can be a hell of a lot better than what’s happening right now. The people here are the public and almost everyone’s comment is that the church has and is still handling it. They are not really admitting there’s a problem. Unless I missed it?!? I think that’s the issue.
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I know that back in October, the Bishops in the United States were ready to make a statement, to "pull off the bandaid" as you deftly worded it. Someone stopped them, and I am not 100% certain as to why.
I know that seminarians and priests are required to report anything. I know that my home diocese (which is mapped based on geography of county and state lines) has rules in place for reporting both to the law enforcement and to the diocesan officials (in that order) to make certain that no further damage is done. Even if it turns out to be a false alarm, a miscommunication, or catching part of a conversation - if it is suspect, it is reported. More and more there are priests and seminarians who are opening their mouths when there is the slightest hint of danger to a child or to someone else. We are not hearing about it as much - either because the media ignores it, or because (and I pray to God this is the case) there are far, far less current instances that need reporting.
Granted, that does not address the meat of your question and the events and abuses that have previously transpired. The fact is that I, as a person, a Catholic, would like to see a definitive statement as well. There is a "sort of" admission that there is a problem, but there has been no concrete and definitive "YES THIS IS A PROBLEM AND HERE IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO (1) PREVENT IT GOING FORWARD AND (2) HELP THE VICTIMS AND (3) DEAL WITH THE WOLVES." There have been more definitive statements at the diocesan levels (think states in the nation) than from the Vatican itself, as far as I know. We are waiting to see what comes of the meeting that just took place in February (2019).
I get ya. I just think it would ultimately bode better for the Church if they just went head on and admitted, cleaned, and rebuilt.
No argument here whatsoever.