Archdiocese of Los Angeles makes a $60 million payment

On the morning of December 1st, Cardinal Roger Mahony made an announcement that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles will be making a payment of $60 million in order to settle 45 claims of sexual abuse and harrassment. The 45 cases were only the first of 562 court cases against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It resulted in an average of $1.3 million for each case, which is one of the largest settlement cases of sexual abuse against the Catholic Church in the US. The $60 million didn't make as large of an impact as people assumed. The Archdiocese reportedly set aside $40 million last year in order to settle the cases. Even though the parishes were not directly affected with the $60 million settlement, it was still painful to make. While there is still more pain in the future of the Catholic Church, Mahony said that they made a major step into healing and reconciling the Church.
Despite the good publicity the Archdiocese of Los Angeles may have received by making this payment, victims feel that they are being paid to stay silent. They feel as though they are being bribed to keep the truth from the public. Feeling that the church will never be able to reconcile for their actions, victims are trying to reveal the actions that occurred during the events. The victims want all of the perpetrators to face the concequences they deserve. Not only that, they want those who harbored them and tried to protect them, which include Mahony and those above him, to recieve the highest punishment available to them.
Those of us who are strong participants in our community parishes know what hardships this will bring. With judging eyes looming over the church, it seems as though it is inevitable that parishoners will soon be ashamed and embarassed of the church's actions. As a student and as an active participant at Saint Genevieves, I will not allow the judgements and opinions of others affect the way I practice my religion. It is a pity that actions of few can in turn be seen as actions of the whole.