Letter: Balance clerical sin with church’s good

Yes, Mr. Olsen (TCH, Sept. 2) individuals within the Catholic Church admittedly are guilty of grievous sin. But we should not overlook the abundant good the church has done in the instituting of hospitals, grade schools, universities and hundreds of charities, all serving all people throughout the world.

Let those institutions (Boy Scouts of America, Mormon church, Protestant churches, public and private schools and daycare services, to name a few) that have not sinned in a similar manner to the Catholic Church cast the first stone.

Regrettably, the sins of the Catholic Church have been committed, but they are not unique to the church, nor are they statistically more prevalent to other institutions. However, the Catholic Church does have deep pockets that subject it to large financial settlements to lawyers and victims of abuse and widespread media coverage.

It is truly sad that all the thousands of dedicated men and women of the Catholic Church are looked upon with a jaundiced eye because of the failures of others. Hopefully, the recent reforms within the Catholic Church will heal it, so those within and looking in will again fully respect the church.

This story was originally published September 22, 2016 at 4:52 AM with the headline "Letter: Balance clerical sin with church’s good."