To the Editor:

I applaud the attention that The Altamont Enterpise has given to the recent accusations of sexual abuse within the regional Catholic Church system. These allegations are serious, and they deserve  full attention.

I understand that the recent news has left the church members angry, broken, torn, and devastated upon learning of what is said to have happened. It is not the fault of any unknowing parishioner that something like this happens.

Abuse can happen in any setting.

However, it is their fault when they turn a blind eye or live in denial when presented with evidence. It is their fault when they blame the local newspaper for simply covering what happened.

Having never been abused in the church does not mean others haven't been. Those who have distaste for the doctrines of the Catholic religion do so not because of the abuse, not because the newspaper covered it, but because the people in your church write in and seem to be in denial.

Those types of people are the ones who should be setting a moral standard in this time of grief, but instead they are showing exactly why people do not trust the church. If members of the Catholic Church want to show survivors of abuse that they care, it would be best to be open and willing to see how their behavior of denial enables the cycle. 

Patricia Brooks

Guilderland