After Catholic Church sex abuse cover-ups, we in the pews must no longer simply pray & pay Disappointed and angered once again by the Catholic Church, we lay people must act to protect our faith.

Tim Roemer | Opinion contributor

I have done a lifetime of public speaking, in the chambers of Congress in Washington and in a foreign country as a diplomat. But that was not enough to keep my knees from shaking when I stood up during Mass after the priest's homily in August at St. Thomas à Becket and called out loudly: "Justice in the name of Christ. Justice for our children."

It was righteous anger for our innocents — the hundreds of children recently revealed in a Pennsylvania grand jury report as victims of both sexual abuse and a cover-up by high-level Catholic clergy.

The Catholic Church has repeatedly tried to explain away its history of sexual abuse as a lamentable but distant part of its past. Yes, that was wrong, officials say, but it was a different time and we have changed.

Like many, the Pennsylvania report has filled me with a sense of betrayal from our church. It shows the same patterns of callousness and concealment that have become all too familiar to Catholics. In Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law presided over an empire of child sexual abuse and a cover-up. It was only through an investigation by The Boston Globe — fought at every step by the church — that we learned about the abuse.

There can be no change without accountability

After that painful episode in 2002, the church could have come clean with a transparent accounting of its sins and given its victims the small mercy of acknowledging their suffering, and held those in power accountable. Instead Catholics have once again had to rely on third parties to give them an honest accounting of the horrors perpetrated by their church because the clergy did not do so.

Now, at least eight other states have launched similar investigations to Pennsylvania’s to get the answers.

There can be no forgiveness without confession. There can be no reforming without repenting. There can be no change without accountability.

My anger is formed not by an animus against the Catholic Church but by a love and faith in God. I grew up in a Catholic family where priests were regularly seated at our kitchen table for dinner. Two of my great-aunts were Holy Cross Sisters, and my father was briefly in the Notre Dame Seminary. Throughout my life, I have sought out counsel and theological insight from devoted priests and nuns. We all know that the Pennsylvania report does not indict all clergy nor stain their good works.

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Even so, faced anew with another crisis, our sense of betrayal combined with our love of church demands action. We cannot simply sit patiently in our pews and expect change. The Vatican last week instructed the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to delay its sex abuse reform proposals. No action is currently scheduled.

Any new procedures are only as reliable as the institutions we entrust to implement them. If we do not demand accountability from the clergy, it will happen again. This demands action by the faithful — the laity. The required change will be achieved only when those of us in the pews stand up, make our voices heard, and demand results.

The laity needs to be more involved in the church

To be successful, the laity must act. We should suspend our institutional giving (establish a financial structure to hold contributions in escrow, out of the control of diocesan authorities) and send donations directly to Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services or the local homeless shelter.

Second, we should sign petitions to the bishops demanding that diocesan records be sent to the state's attorney general to cooperate with abuse investigations.

Third, we can urge the church to support, not oppose, revision of laws pertaining to old state statutes of limitations protecting the abusers.

Longer term, we should work toward transforming the church leadership. Lay experts should be involved in clergy assignments when the safety of children is at stake.

We should create an office of the lay provost to perform oversight and accountability. We should evaluate how to create a priesthood for the 21st century that attracts people to a revitalized Catholic Church. We need better screening procedures for new priests.

Priesthood is a daunting challenge for the Catholic hierarchy. By allowing the sacrament of marriage to co-exist with the sacrament of holy orders, we should consider allowing priests to marry and women could be ordained priests.

Clearly, we must have change and more lay involvement. If not, I fear we will see many people turn from anger and betrayal to rejection and departure from the church.

Disappointed and angered once again by the church, we people in the pews will no longer simply pray and pay. Christ compelled us by his teaching and action to risk everything for our faith. Sweeping and smart reforms are required. We must rise up, speak up, and protect the children — for the love of our church.

Tim Roemer is a former member of Congress, a former U.S. ambassador to India and a former 9/11 Commissioner. Follow him on Twitter: @Tim_Roemer.