Today's canonization of Australian saint Mother Mary MacKillop is a stroke of PR genius for the Vatican! The nun was a 19th-century "whistleblower" who activists say should be the patron of victims of sexual abuse by priests because she was punished for exposing it.
Evidence has surfaced that showed that MacKillop was temporarily banished from the Church in part because her order uncovered a case of sexual abuse of a boy by an Irish priest. Pope Benedict spoke of her "saintly example of zeal, perseverance and prayer" and the many challenges she faced.
Australian Mark Fabbro, who said he had been sexually abused by a priest at the age of 11, said: "Well for me as a survivor of sex abuse by a priest this is a very important day for me. Mary MacKillop was a carer of the disadvantaged ... a particular priest who was brought to light by her for abusing children so she was protecting children of child abuse."
At least this shows that some sectors of the Vatican leadership still care for these unfortunate children, if only to give them someone to intercede for them in their moments of darkness and depression.
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