美国国家公共电台 NPR Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal Keeps Parishioners From Mass

 

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Catholic dioceses across Pennsylvania are still dealing¹ with the fallout from a grand jury report that came out recently alleging² widespread childhood sexual abuse in the state. Virginia Alvino Young from member station WESA has been talking to some Catholics in Pittsburgh who opted³ to skip weekend mass.

VIRGINIA ALVINO YOUNG, BYLINE⁴: Walking inside Courey and Andy Leer's home just outside Pittsburgh, you're met with a golden cross, some palms.

COUREY LEER: So then we have a little Mary holy water holder⁵. We got some holy water for our wedding, but we never, like, replenish⁶ it. It just hangs out there. Is it empty?

ANDY LEER: No. There's still some. We always try to keep a little of it.

YOUNG: For the past few months, the 31- and 32-year-olds had been increasingly active in their parish, attending more weekday masses and even starting a new ministry⁷. While they each say their spirituality is personal, for them being Catholic is really more about identity and culture.

C. LEER: I think for the longest time, it wasn't a matter of, how does this make you feel? What's your relationship with Jesus? It was just - yeah, we're Catholic. It's what we do. It's what our family does.

YOUNG: But for the past few weeks, they've been grappling with the news of the grand jury's clergy⁸ abuse report. Andy says it's not the first time he's been thinking about this. When he was a teenager growing up in Pennsylvania, claims against his own priest surfaced. The allegations of abuse were a few decades old, appeared to be isolated⁹. And the priest was moved to a different parish.

A. LEER: We were OK back then to say, OK, well, we've gotten rid of the bad apple. The rest of the bunch is OK.

YOUNG: A few years ago, he saw the movie "Spotlight¹⁰" about the investigation¹¹ of sexual abuse in the Boston archdiocese. And he understood the scope of what was going on.

A. LEER: But it doesn't really hit till it's in your backyard.

YOUNG: Pennsylvania's grand jury report alleges¹² 300 so-called predator¹³ priests abused more than 1,000 boys and girls across the state. It also includes evidence of a systematic¹⁴ cover-up by church leaders. Pittsburgh's bishop¹⁵ David Zubik says the church has learned from the past and implemented¹⁶ measures to prevent that from happening again. Courey Leer is skeptical¹⁷.

C. LEER: So it goes beyond just the priests and their superiors. It leads me to question, you know, entire Catholic communities, who knew what and not only why didn't they expose them, but how long have people been turning the other way?

YOUNG: Even before the report was released, mass attendance had been declining for years within the Pittsburgh diocese. Now the Leers say they don't feel right attending services while so many others have been hurt by the church. They say they're standing¹⁸ in solidarity¹⁹ with the survivors²⁰ rather than the institution. Courey did attend mass with her 2-year-old daughter the day after the report was released, but they didn't stay long.

C. LEER: I think a part of me was thinking, I'm going to go to mass, and I'm going to get an OK to leave and not come back. And of course that's not going to happen. But I think a part of me just wanted to hear someone say, like, we really messed up. We really messed up. And use your own moral discretion²¹ to decide what's best because we have no moral authority.

YOUNG: She says her priest did acknowledge the report but offered little more than prayers.

C. LEER: And my daughter ran off. And she found this beautiful, long, stained-glass window. And the sun was coming in. And she was exploring all the lights coming through. There was yellow and blue and red. And it was beautiful. And to a 2-year-old, like, that's what makes church special.

YOUNG: Courey says the beautiful, sacred space is part of what makes church special to her, too. Right after the homily, the two walked out.

C. LEER: And, you know, I'm thinking, like, is this our last mass? And it's hard. I can't fathom²², you know, when she's 8 years old saying, no, we don't go to church. Sorry, you can't receive communion even though your mom and dad did, your grandparents did. Like, you don't get to do that.

YOUNG: The Leers say they'll miss the sacraments, community dinners and the music ministry. But they'd like to see church leaders push for more investigations²³ into sexual abuse at dioceses across the country.

A. LEER: They don't need to be worried about our spirituality right now. They need to be worried about dealing with the corruption²⁴ and dealing with the priests that are out there that need to answer for what they've done and the people that have potentially covered up and withheld²⁵ information.

YOUNG: After the report was released, Pittsburgh's bishop Zubik told parishioners that an expert will review the diocese abuse prevention and reporting policies. The church says it will also monitor clergy who have been removed from ministry. The Leers don't know what it will take for them to go back but say it will take time for their faith in the Catholic Church to be restored. For NPR News, I'm Virginia Alvino Young in Pittsburgh.

(SOUNDBITE OF SIGNAL HILL'S "A SECRET SOCIETY")

1 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

2 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

3 opted   

v.选择，挑选( opt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was co-opted onto the board. 她获增选为董事会成员。
• After graduating she opted for a career in music. 毕业后她选择了从事音乐工作。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

6 replenish   

vt.补充；(把…)装满；(再)填满

参考例句：

• I always replenish my food supply before it is depleted.我总是在我的食物吃完之前加以补充。
• We have to import an extra 4 million tons of wheat to replenish our reserves.我们不得不额外进口四百万吨小麦以补充我们的储备。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

9 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

10 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

11 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

12 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

13 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

14 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

15 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

16 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

17 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

18 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

19 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

20 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

21 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

22 fathom   

v.领悟，彻底了解

参考例句：

• I really couldn't fathom what he was talking about.我真搞不懂他在说些什么。
• What these people hoped to achieve is hard to fathom.这些人希望实现些什么目标难以揣测。

23 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

24 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

25 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》