My friend and colleague, Mark McKenna, has penned an extraordinarily powerful piece reflecting on sexual abuse in the football program, at Penn State and, by implication, in the church and many other contexts.When I read the piece, I was overcome by two conflicting sets of emotions: anger and sorrow that such a terrible thing had been inflicted upon my friend by someone whose role it was to protect him, and tremendous admiration and gratitude for Mark's courage in speaking out to protect others.He's not a weak boy any more--he's a strong man. And he knows that strong men are meant to protect the young and vulnerable in their care--not to exploit and harm them.

Cathleen Kaveny is the Darald and Juliet Libby Professor in the Theology Department and Law School at Boston College.

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