Where the Good Priest Must Go, by Matthew Meritt

By Matthew Meritt, Crisis Magazine, Dec. 8, 2021

After working as a small-town newspaper reporter, Matthew Meritt moved to Tokyo, where he continued his writing work for a time. He now lives in upstate New York with his wife and two sons, trying his best to keep up his community publication, The Chemung Valley Echo Blog.

As two priests go through the court system for alleged sex crimes, the faithful have the opportunity to reflect on how vital their clergy really are—and how dangerous they can be.

Proof of their import, if it emerges, will not come from the accused Fr. James Jackson or the far-less-sympathetic Theodore McCarrick. First, look instead to the likely-unknown clergy who will tend to these two souls—particularly to the guilty. …

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