It was not so long ago that the first revelations of scandal in the Catholic Church came to light in an investigation published by “The Boston Globe”. The abuses revealed in 2002 were horrific, almost beyond belief. The idea that those who are most trusted in a community could betray the faith placed upon them in such a manner is nearly unthinkable. It is with a heavy heart, then, that I have watched as new revelations about the sexual abuse and manipulation of both minors and young men came to the surface recently. I had respected Pope Francis for the way that he cared about his charges — or seemingly cared.
One thing has become clear during the course of these stories: evil still exists. And not only does it exist, but it is most likely to manifest itself in those people and institutions in which it seems the least likely to do so. 93 percent of sexual assaults suffered by juveniles are perpetrated by someone the survivor knew.
The advent of liberal ideals, capitalism and democracy as a system of government may make us all feel rather noble. I am not one to discourage the lauding of these ideas and innovations. To assume, however, that these advances have had a tangible impact on the nature of human beings would be a mistake.
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” A popular phrase — you’ve probably heard it before. It’s wrong, of course. It should say: power exposes corruption.
In the light of these revelations, we should remember to be more skeptical of those in power. Too often we follow figureheads and leaders irrespective of whether we actually believe in the standards or the ideas that they espouse. So we fail to ensure that they live up to the ideals that they claim for themselves. Donald Trump undermined the conservative ideals of the Republican party. Bernie Sanders owns several houses as he rails against the evil that capitalist values represent. And the pope knew.
So start questioning. Question your professors and the UNC administration and your government officials — especially the ones you like. This is not a call to become an inquisitor, but a reminder that it is always those who find themselves in power who can hurt humanity the most.
But you, reader, you must watch someone else even more carefully than I would have you watch those in power. Watch yourself. Carl Jung called it the Shadow. Christians call it sin. Bad karma. A rose by any other name. It grows in the places that you least expect. It can grown in your mind and your heart and if you don’t think it can — then it already has.
