His was the first Catholic sermon I could assimilate and the first communion I received. We learned his Christian hymns by heart as Jesuit nuns played them on portable turntables over and over in catechism class. I am one of thousands who grew up on the multifaceted teachings of a young man named Mansour Labaki.

Since those early memories, I have observed from a distance many of his outreach programs especially those to help and support orphaned children. For me, his achievements at so many levels have surpassed what the church itself has shown towards the less fortunate.

This makes the Labaki “scandal” a matter of deep concern as we condemn Pedophilia as an inexcusable crime but we also denounce framing someone as a Pedophile without providing proof of such a heinous crime. For those of us whose brains process things logically rather than hysterically or emotionally, the jury is out.

To watch this man go through public humiliation and accusations of wrongdoing of the worst kind is heart-wrenching. Pedophelia is a crime that should be punished without mercy no matter who the perpetrator, Labaki himself would undoubtedly agree. At the same time, the Vatican should allow him the right to appeal and defend himself. [Link]