Pedophilia: a Universal Problem

Walking down the street today, I passed a elderly man holding a sign. It read "Vatican Hides Pedophiles". While this is a Jewish blog, I thought I'd share this story since it is universal.

I stopped to give him some encouragement and he shared his story.

He said,

"I know some children are abused for months or years, and I can't even imagine how they withstand that. I was abused twice when I was 15 and it totally changed who I am. It was so traumatizing that I immediately repressed it. From that day on, my personality and physical appearance changed. I went through life thinking I was just a sad person. I spent my life alone, avoiding people.

"Then one day over 30 years later, I remembered what happened. Since then I have been trying to get some accountability from the Vatican. Their response has been to ridicule and harass me. They call me names like playground bullies. So I stand holding this sign in hopes of raising awareness of this issue and holding the Vatican accountable."