Here we go again. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland has come out with their objections to the Equal Rights Amendment (L.D. 344) passing in the Maine Legislature. Many, if not all, of their arguments are absurd.
These objections come from a church that – in 2022! – relegates women to mere lower-level functionaries within its own structure. Are they still living in 1522?
What gives me pause, though, is the power this institution has in our public discourse.
Other than the Boy Scouts of America, I know of no other institution that, under its watch, has failed so completely to protect children from sexual abuse and then denied and covered it up.
Why the Catholic Church carries so much influence in our public discourse is beyond me. Why would anything they say or represent be given such weight when thousands of victims of their abuse still await compensation, monetary or otherwise?
Going forward, I would suggest that any opinion, quote or attribution given by the diocese include this disclaimer: “At the time of this report, the Catholic Church has had x number of charges of child sexual abuse brought against it in a court of law.”
I can’t imagine any other entity stained with such outrageous behavior and coverup being given such standing in the court of public opinion.
And now they boldly come forward to crush any meaningful legal protections women seek in our society as equal citizens? God help us – and them.
Harsh? Yes. But so is what so many under this church’s watch have endured.
Pete Gorski
South Portland
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.