There are two teams at play in any Catholic clergy abuse scandal. Those who support the victims and those who support the accused. It’s very hard for a good catholic to stand against their precious holy priests, but it is necessary. The victims need support. The priests have support in spades.
I tell Catholics to learn about Anne Braden. She stood up for racial equality at a time when to do so as a white woman in the south was unheard of. Be a Anne Braden when it comes to standing up to the church for the rights of the victims. Stand up and say that we must protect the accuser from the masses of parishioners who will only believe the priests.
There is another America – it is one without religion. It is one where we stand up against the Catholic church and its abuse of the innocent and scream our outrage. Or you can form groups like the Coalition to Exonerate Father Alex and by doing so choose to fight for the other America.
On Sunday, coalition members marched from Our Lady of Guadalupe on Sultana Avenue to the church's parochial house.
While Castillo no longer lives there, Campos said they did it in support and because he is "sorely missed."
On Friday, nearly 200 parishioners and friends of Castillo held a candlelight vigil, Campos said.
"We prayed that everything would resolve as quickly as possible," he said.
Coalition members plan to be active in the next couple of weeks with more "marches of solidarity" and prayer groups.
And what is the Coalition to Exonerate Father Alex doing for the alleged victims? Are their candlelight vigils? No? I did not think so.
What team are you on?
