Civil authorities must confront clergy sexual abuse scandal

I welcomed your news story on Wednesday about the Vatican report regarding former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

Once again, we see the unwillingness and even inability of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church to confront and resolve its clergy sexual abuse scandal. And this time it is a report by the Vatican itself that documents the utter failure of church leadership at the highest level.

Who can be trusted to right this tilting ship?

Civil governments must take the lead and do what the church won’t do: find and declare the truth. Without the whole and complete truth, there can be no justice; and without justice there will be no healing.

The culprits must be held accountable, regardless their social or professional status. Doing so serves the common good of our society.

The Rev. James Connell
A priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee

American flag belongs to all

As a veteran, it has been my practice to display the flag on major holidays. This Veterans Day, however, I experienced some misgivings due to the current political climate and possible repercussions.

It has been made clear to me that Trump supporters have appropriated the symbol of this great nation as theirs and theirs alone. An attitude that is completely at odds with what the flag means and what it stands for has pervaded the political scene and poisoned our national atmosphere. As such, I did not display the flag this year, concerned about the perceptions of others.

If I displayed the flag, I was worried that some would see it as supporting Trump (which I most definitely do not) and I didn’t want to risk any confrontations that might arise from that belief. The vitriol emanating from the Trump camp makes things only worse for those of us who want to show our pride and respect for those who defended our country.

Quite frankly, as a veteran, I resent any one side claiming that they are the only true Americans.

Cress Hudspeth, Dunning