The Church And Truth

While attending Catholic School I was told that we should be truthful no matter what,it was better to face your wrong doings honestly then to try and lie your way out of it,trusted adult leaders would say "don't dig your own grave,confess and become clean."
Honesty is always the best policy,you'll never have to worry about what your story is nor get caught up in a tangled web of deceit,if what you say is the truth.
Being in the Catholic Church,back in the 1980's,taught many what happens when a church tries to cover things up for the wrong doings of its clergy.
Lying and secrecy is never right,just as making parish members feel like they have to protect these indiscretions can ever be proper.
People back in the 1950's and 60's,refused to face the fact that their clergy could ever do anything wrong or illegal,forcing adult parishioners to remain silent and placing young innocent people in positions of spiritual,physical and mental harm.
Now don't get me wrong,the reason I'm picking on the Catholic Church is because at that time I was a member of that faith.
With age comes wisdom and in time it has been made clear to me that no religion is pure,especially when you consider they are run by people trying to save face.
But is saving image what a church or religion is called to do? Or are we,the Church, to rise above the cover ups and threats of personal "sin",by hierarchy trying to keep the multitudes in the pews silent and stupid through use of fear of damnation.
Jesus talks about the light and how even one small candle can illuminate a room from corner to corner.
Light brings not only brightness but warmth to the cold world around us,but how much glow can we emit if our wick is in some way defective.
Church leaders,like parish members,need to face and profess their sins,asking in turn for forgiveness.
Confession is one of the hinge points of our belief system.
We are no better then the rest of the world when we are told to be still and not say anything because it will be considered a "sin" in the eyes of our leaders.
My brother in law,father had a saying "the fish stinks from the head down."
Maybe he was onto something because I know that the Almighty is never about secrecy and hiding,we as church should be strong,showing the world how to stand up to wrong doings and repent openly and honestly.
The Catholic Church learned the hard way about facing clergies sinful obstacles,now what about the rest of the religions,have they learned anything? To be any less then honest is to be less then Christian.
I don't remember anywhere in the New Testament Jesus talking about avoiding and hiding wrongful behavior and then making followers feel like sinners for talking about the truth,because the church feels a sense of embarrassment.
What is brought to the light becomes pure what sits in the darkness becomes fodder for the evil one to use in an attempt at erosion.