St. Thomas Professor On Catholic Church Scandal

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Charles Reid is a professor at the University of St. Thomas, where he teaches canon law. He is also a Catholic, and is asking for prayers for the church.

“Say a prayer for Catholics, say a prayer for the innocent victims. I mean, the victims have to come first,” Reid said.

His hope is that the church can somehow get through this time of uncertainty, with a recent number of new allegations coming forth about priests accused of sexually molesting young people.

He said it is different nowadays.

Reid said in 2004 in Boston, then Archbishop Bernard Law, stone-walled everyone when confronted with sexual abuse allegations made against priests.

“And I don’t see the same level of resistance now,” he said.

He believes prevention is key going forward. Young seminarians training to become priests are better educated and better screened psychologically now than they were in the past.