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Time for reconciliation
This past spring, as the papacy of the Roman Catholic Church was historically passed from Pope Benedict XVI to his successor, Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, Vatican analysts and the international media could not help but delve into a trouble that had persisted for two decades — the sex abuse scandal which first erupted in America in 2002 and had haunted the Church in the States and elsewhere ever since.
During this period of papal transition, despite what other hopes and hazards came under scrutiny by those examining Church affairs, the handling — or mishandling — of this millstone occupied a central place in the conversation. Observers wondered what role the scandal played in Benedict’s departure and what new dawn was promised by the selection of a new pontiff.