I read the article in The Times of Malta: Archbishop, Lawyer, Discuss Compensation For Abuse Victims (August 17). In Malta and in the US, and in various other countries, a great emphasis has been placed on seeking “justice” in regard to victims of clerical sexual abuse.

I am highly supportive of rapid reports, thorough investigations, fair trials and prompt outcomes. If an offender is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of a criminal act or if a bishop or other Church employee delays, obstructs or attempts to circumvent “justice” being rendered in proper fashion – I think they should be punished as criminals with prison-time. Too many dioceses and archdioceses in the United States and elsewhere have paid millions of dollars to victims – either as an act of “compensation” or as “hush-money” to silence future claims.

I believe that no Church should pay money which arose out of the collection baskets of parishioners. Those tithes and offerings were gifts to Almighty God from faithful Churchgoers. Those funds were not intended to be diverted for any other purposes.

The only adequate “compensation” is hard prison time for clerical sex-abuse offenders and/or those obstructionists of justice. “Money” alone cannot take back the heinous act. “Money” alone cannot erase the memory of a lewd, criminal act. And “money” alone cannot restore credibility within the Church. Such acts of moral turpitude were committed by individual persons (as individuals). Therefore: they should be punished as individuals.

Money shouldn’t be used to whitewash scandal nor be the back door of lessening the sickening impact of such horrendous crimes by reducing them to mere civil transgressions which can be absolved if the price is right. To me, it is a crime stacked upon a crime to punish an entire Church parish or entire regional diocese financially, for the actions of one perverted individual.

If the victim is traumatised and needs social workers to alleviate mental suffering or loss of wages due to the trauma, let the priest-offender pay for such psychological treatments – out of his own personal funds or pension. If he cannot pay via currency, then let him “pay” by ever-increasing prison-time.

Getting at the “root of the crime” and putting tough, vigorous penalties in place would be a great deterrent to address this awful criminal epidemic which is already too widespread, globally. It is indeed a worldwide problem. Guilty clerics should not be transferred nor shielded to allow them to escape true “justice” being rendered. While Archbishop Paul Cremona obviously “meant well”, he should have had no discussions with any opposing lawyer about pecuniary or financial remedies.

The Archbishop’s duty is to be a spiritual shepherd to shed light upon the Holy Bible as well as to be a good example of virtuous behavior. He is also to be a faithful administrator of the diocese and its treasury. However, the Archbishop cannot be an arbiter nor arrange financial packages to pay off claimants. He can impose sanctions on wayward priests, report them to law-enforcement agencies, remove them from active ministry; and also recommend to Pope Benedict XVI that any “proven-guilty priests” be “officially defrocked” by the Pope. The Archbishop is a nice man and a fine cleric...but he isn’t an insurance claims-adjuster nor is he qualified to dole out money that, in essence and in pure fact, is money which belongs to Almighty God’s coffers.

I can only imagine faithful congregants, such as my parents, my grandparents, my great grandparents and all my other Catholic ancestors and family-relatives would “turn over in their graves” if they knew that their hard-earned money which paid priests as well as built parishes, hospitals, cemeteries  and cathedrals (not to mention some of those moneys earning accrued “interest” for many decades, even centuries) would be frittered away by a one-hour meeting between an Archbishop and an opposing lawyer. It simply isn’t right.

The old maxim: “Crime doesn’t pay” should remain true today. Neither a Church nor an Archdiocese should pay out of parishioners’ pockets. Nor should any Church or Archdiocese forsake its legacy or forfeit funds that were contributed by innocent parishioners who have had “no say” or “no vote” in the matter. By contrast, nearly everyone (regardless of whether they lived a century ago, or a person who is still living) would agree that an individual perpetrator (even a cleric) should face a long prison-sentence for committing such a wicked transgression. Paying a settlement or monetary fine, shouldn’t be an option.