Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 54F. W winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph..
Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 54F. W winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
Updated: April 8, 2026 @ 4:23 pm
“All power is a trust and we are accountable for its exercise.” — Disraeli.
It’s the patriarch thing — still predominant in many institutions of our society. From many families, to the church, to government, men obsessed with authority and power mostly run things, people often revere them, and no matter how corrupt the patriarchs, there are enough people that cling to the father figure tenaciously and further their cause.
In spite of the advances of the women’s movement, in many areas patriarchy has managed to remain alive and kicking — and its destructive ramifications are often evident in the news. This is not only about the priest child-molesters, but the church hierarchy’s cavalier cover-up — patriarchal authoritarian mindset turned catastrophic. Add those who allow them all that power.
Many questions come to mind. Why were so many of the children who were sexually abused by the priests unable to talk about what happened? Why were the few parents who were told about it in such denial that they couldn’t comprehend? What kind of arrogance imbued the hierarchy who went to such great lengths to cover it up? Why was it more important for those in charge to protect the perpetrator than to protect innocent children? Do these priests and the hierarchy feel at all sinful because they betrayed people who trusted them as examples of morality, integrity and compassion? How desperate are they to protect their position of unquestioned authority? A clue: The Dean of the College of Cardinals dismissed the accusations as “petty gossip.”
How can so many people who live in a free society go along with any religion that is its antithesis? Doesn’t everyone know that giving a closed system that much authority and power is never a good idea — even when cloaked in the mantle of religion? Is believing that those aligned with religion and the church have godlike qualities and that they are beyond reproach comforting to those who can’t stand uncertainty in their lives? Why have we been so protective of the church that we have avoided the truth for so long? Haven’t we known all along that some of those who answer a religious “calling” do it for reasons other than we might expect — such as guilt, arrogance or to escape freedom and reality.
Erich Fromm in “Escape from Freedom” wrote about authoritarians of all kinds. “In a psychological sense, the lust for power is not rooted in strength, but in weakness. It is the expression of the inability of the individual to stand alone and live. It is the desperate attempt to gain secondary strength where genuine strength is lacking.”
So what results from this “secondary strength?” Brainwashing a child into unquestioning obedience to any authority may stoke the ego of the authoritarian and satisfy his abundant need for power, but the child loses his autonomy in the process — often the authoritarian’s goal. Many such children come to believe that they are not capable of independent thought and, in the case of the church, that those who are in charge are omnipotent. In this way, followers, including the children’s parents, aided and abetted the pedophile priests by going along with the patriarchal mindset of a church that should have moved out of the dark ages long ago.
Is there any better reason for children to be brought up to be psychologically strong, self-confident, able to think critically, aware that they are worthy individuals who don’t have to be glued to some deity, dogma or a charismatic person to compensate for the emptiness in their lives? Especially in today’s world, learning to be skeptical and being able to say no when appropriate is more important than ever. Learning to recognize and become wary of anyone who would exploit them (whether someone on the internet, a lecherous relative, corporate interests, a charismatic politician or the religious zealot) is essential to a child’s well-being as well as an adult’s.
It is helpful to remember what Alon Gratch, Ph.D. wrote in “If Men Could Talk” regarding patriarchy and its related conformity. “Clearly orthodoxy, be it religious, intellectual or political, has a vested interest in keeping its followers childlike. As long as they’re emotionally and intellectually dependent on the rigid truths espoused by a higher authority, followers are less likely to question the legitimacy of the entire system.”
Since 1984, Dorothy Dimitre has written more than 950 columns for various local newspapers. Her email address is gramsd@aceweb.com.
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(10) comments
Though I agree with Dorothy on the despicable acts of some priests in the Catholic church and the cover up for these crimes, to blame it on patriarchy is a little bit of a stretch. The Catholic experience the I had included academics, athletics, spiritual growth and community, never once did anything like this happen in my parish. Using these terrible crimes as excuse to bash men is despicable. Dorothy is neither a Catholic or a man yet she feels that she has the knowledge to criticize both. I love my church and resent that Dorothy is using these crimes as way to disparage it. I do believe that in Dorothy's world men would not exist and if they did they all should be neutered.
What an utterly silly comment, Chris, - directly in line with your usual attacks on Dimitre’s columns. That the Catholic Church atrocities through the ages and up to today, are a male problem, should be beyond dispute. Women have never had much of a voice within that hoax of a boys’ club, - they were kept as servants and play things for the big boys with holy power surrounding them. The claim that you never saw anything wrong, is directly in line with your blindness when it comes to Trump.
While it has been shown that religiosity, especially the Catholic variety, decreases with education, it has never been in religious hierarchy’s interest that their followers walk around with an open mind or inquisitive minds. That has always been a problem, and it still is today, especially in this country. Innocent children and the rest of us have been paying the price.
Jorg- in my attempt to be nice to your diatribe, equating men to the abuse in the Catholic Church and demeaning men in general is what my argument has always been with Dorothy. If she wants to be critical of men in general and criticize half the population, I will call her on it. It is very fair to be critical of those priests who have abused children and I would be the first one to say that they should be locked away forever. Jorg, you must be a non religious man so I don't think you and I have much to speak on that subject. Not speaking for you, but the men I know should not be lumped in with pedophile priests. The Catholic Church is dealing with an issue concerning some very bad men in the priesthood, a small percentage. I for one will stand by the First Church of Jesus Christ no matter what people outside the church say.
Excellent and timely article, Dorothy! What amazes me the most, is why people still fall for such a made-up hoax, still supporting the nonsense monetarily, and still letting their innocent children into the claws of the clergy?
Dorothy displays more than a hint of sexism here...especially when she tries to relate the absolutely unacceptable, church sex abuse scandal with that of men in general....
Separately, I would offer a word of caution when she starts quoting from Eric Fromm...
What do you mean by "hint of sexism"? Aren't these atrocities mainly a male problem whether church related or not? And, what's your problem with the Eric Fromm quote? It is very appropriate for the issue that her column deals with, so your comment is a bit puzzling. Not familiar with Eric Fromm, or never read any of his books, or what?
Jorg.....Are personal attacks all you are made of?...maybe you're not aware of it...
Chris: From where on flat Earth do you get the idea that Dorothy includes all men in her criticism of abusing Catholic priests and others who harm the innocent? Yes, the vast majority of those abusers are men, but she has never suggested that all men are equally guilty! Far from it, - although you keep accusing her unfairly. You are right about one thing, though: I am not religious! Never have been, - born an Atheist and remained a non-believer in religious hoaxes, as are all my family members. However, I have to admit that I have read both the Bible and the Quran better and with more open mind than most and concluded without a shadow of doubt that it is all totally made up, - just sprinkled with well known names, which is common in most fiction to give an impression of reality. That such hoaxes have been used to harm the innocent, contaminate education, hold back science and get us stuck with incompetent leaders, are too bad, emphasizing the need for this country to grow up and become more progressive, like the most advanced countries in Europe. We are lagging behind in so many ways, Chris, - unbecoming an otherwise rich and successful country like the US!
I thought for a minute that Dimitre was addressing the Democratic Party, which is clearly keeping its followers dumb and happy. But then I realized she was attacking men in general and priests in particular. Little does she know that child abuse is mostly perpetrated by family members and other individuals who routinely work with children. This is not to excuse priests but they are members of an easy target. But as Jorg says, religiosity diminishes with education, an absurd statement that is disproved by the brightest nominee and members of our Supreme Court. I am also a proud Catholic and just because there are a few sinners that does not diminish the importance of that religion and the multitudes of folks who, to this day, send their kids, whether Catholic or not, to Catholic schools. Too bad, Jorg, that you never had a chance to experience that superior education.
Dirk: How can you attempt to diminish the child abuse among Catholic priests, so wide spread and common that it dwarfs the ratio among the population in general, by referring to “a few sinners”?! And what do you mean by priests being an “easy target”? Few are more protected, and few can get away with more atrocities than the clergy! That ought to be quite obvious by now, despite all the attempts to hush it all down. That religiosity tends to decline with education has been shown in numerous studies, while Supreme Court nominees are a far cry from the best and brightest! Just look at the more progressive nations in Europe, where religion has no real impact or importance anymore.
Finally, you are on very loose ground if you try to belittle my education. My entire family is very well educated, with top grades from some of the best universities in the nation. One of my graduate degrees is even from a Jesuit business school, which I chose to even out my science background with more courses around social responsibilities, values and human considerations.
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