Cartoon offensive to victims

I must take issue with your editorial cartoon “An Open and Shut Case” in the August 28 issue.

I agree that the injustices against children that have been perpetrated by priests for decades are reprehensible; however, the cartoonist portrays the current Pope, at this juncture, as part of the cover-up.

Pope Francis maybe involved, and an investigation may be warranted. But it also needs to be said that the accusations against Pope Francis are at this point unsubstantiated. Archbishop Vigano, who wrote the accusatory letter with the help of an Italian journalist, had no supporting documents to bolster his case. He has now disappeared and is unavailable to answer questions..

The Pope has rightly refused to comment at this point. If some sort of judiciary procedure were to result from these allegations, he would of course need to speak, and should.

We currently live in a culture that supports trial by accusation. For a priest whose motives are suspect to make these claims against the head of the Catholic Church without substantiation is a sad commentary on how we now too often deal with right and wrong.

I also found the cartoon graphically offensive, but that’s another issue. Anyone who has been sexually abused as a child would point, rightly, to the far greater offenses of their abusers.

Martha R. Jackson

Winchester