Unholy Alliances

RYAN TRESSER

Age 22

Resides Manhattan

Occupation Student

How well is the church handling its sex abuse crisis? I don’t see anything wrong with the way they’re dealing with it. There’s a lot of talk about celibacy being a requirement for entering the priesthood, but though I personally don’t think it should be necessary, I also don’t see the link between celibacy and the molestation of children.

Should the names of accused priests be turned over to the police? Yes.

Should adults who were victimized as children be able to sue the church now? Yes, the statute of limitations shouldn’t apply—30 or 40 years ago, it wasn’t so easy to come forward with something like this.

YUMIKO TEXIDOR

Age 26

Resides Queens

Occupation Public health

How well is the church handling its sex abuse crisis? The word hypocrisy comes to mind. They talk about homosexuality being an abomination, yet in the process they’ve destroyed thousands of lives.

Should the names of accused priests be turned over to the police? Yes, because the abuse can’t be covered up as it has been in the past. Before coming out with a McCarthy-like list, we’d need to make sure there’s substantial evidence to back up the accusations.

Should adults who were victimized as children be able to sue the church now? Yes, if it’s a way for people to stop living in fear and shame.

JEANINE

Age 31

Resides Brooklyn

Occupation Receptionist

How well is the church handling its sex abuse crisis? Not well. Throughout civilization, religion has been the source of all evil. I agree with George Carlin, who said, “God is the invisible guy who lives in the sky. He’s there for everybody, but he can’t handle money.”

Should the names of accused priests be turned over to the police? Yes. Anyone breaking the law should pay a penalty regardless of their status.

Should adults who were victimized as children be able to sue the church now? Absolutely. If you kill someone when you’re 10, and you’re caught when you’re 70, you should still go to jail.

DAVID MCMILLIAN

Age 37

Resides Bronx

Occupation Lumberyard employee

How well is the church handling its sex abuse crisis? I don’t think they’re doing a great job of it. It’s the same thing with corruption in the police department or in any large business.

Should the names of accused priests be turned over to the police? Yes, because it’s really a crime.

Should adults who were victimized as children be able to sue the church now? Yes, why not? Maybe they were too scared to come forward until now.

PEPE VIVES

Age 40

Resides Manhattan

Occupation Painter

How well is the church handling its sex abuse crisis? It depends on whether you’re talking about the Catholic institution or the Catholic people. I think that regular Catholics are doing a good job of discussing the abuse.

Should the names of accused priests be turned over to the police? Yes, but they have to use great discretion.

Should adults who were victimized as children be able to sue the church now? It’s hard. If you have an uncured case of the flu, do you sue the one who gave it to you, or the one who never cured you?

MARIA SANCHEZ

Age 26

Resides Manhattan

Occupation Economist

How well is the church handling its sex abuse crisis? I’m Catholic, and I’m very sad and angry about what’s happened to the Catholic Church in the U.S. For years, the bishops did nothing about these priests but move them from one parish to another.

Should the names of accused priests be turned over to the police? Yes, it’s criminal activity.

Should adults who were victimized as children be able to sue the church now? Yes. If they don’t speak about what happened to them, they’ll never recover. The priests who molested them should go to jail.

JEFFREY COOK

Age 39

Resides New Jersey

Occupation Lab technician

How well is the church handling its sex abuse crisis? As they have in the past, I think they’re trying to sweep the whole thing under the rug.

Should the names of accused priests be turned over to the police? Yes. It’s a crime.

Should adults who were victimized as children be able to sue the church now? I think that anyone who can be legally prosecuted should be, but I do think that if there is a statute of limitations and it has expired, it shouldn’t be extended.