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PDF versionFive questions about the Vatican's leaks scandal
by John L Allen Jr on Feb. 17, 2012
In the run-up to a consistory, Rome takes on the atmosphere of a college reunion. Church people from all over turn up, making it hard to walk down the street without bumping into someone you know. That's been the case this week, ahead of Saturday's consistory in which Pope Benedict XVI will create 22 new cardinals, including Americans Timothy Dolan and Edwin O'Brien.
This week, whenever such a chance encounter has occurred, conversation fairly quickly has turned to one question above all: What the hell is going on around here?
The basis for the question, of course, is the mushrooming Vatican leaks scandal, in which confidential documents are appearing in the papers almost on a daily basis, putting the Vatican in a highly unfavorable light. By now, there are almost too many to keep track, but big-ticket items have included:
- Letters written to the pope and to the Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, by the current papal ambassador in the United States, Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, complaining of corruption in Vatican finances and a campaign of defamation against him. At the time, he was the No. 2 official in the Vatican City State, and desperately trying to avoid being sent away.
- An anonymous memo written about a new Vatican law against money laundering, which suggests the law contains an enormous loophole -- that it blocks action against any offense before April 1, 2011, when the law came into effect.
- Leaked materials fueling charges that the Institute for the Works of Religion (the so-called "Vatican Bank") recently transferred millions of Euro to foreign banks to evade Italian controls, and that it's dodged various Italian inquests.
- Another anonymous document, written in German, describing a conversation Cardinal Paolo Romeo of Palermo, Sicily, allegedly had during a trip to China, in which he predicted the pope would be dead within 12 months and replaced with Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan. That document was passed along to the pope by retired Colombian Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos.
- Two internal Vatican memos, including one written by Cardinal Atillio Nicora, who heads a new financial watchdog agency, warning that recent modifications to the Vatican's law against money laundering would be seen as a "step back" on reform, and could create "alarm" among international regulatory bodies.
As this column is written, rumors have it that more leaked documents are on the way, perhaps as early as the end of this week. Obviously, someone inside the Vatican -- what L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, recently called a bunch of irresponsible "wolves" -- has decided to let the photocopies roll.
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In the spirit of this week's conversations around Rome, here are five questions and answers about the current spate of Vatican scandals.
How bad is all this?
This is a strange case in which it's not so much the content of the leaks, but the fact of them, which is the real problem.
As the dust has settled, none of the recent revelations seems especially fatal. The story of the anti-papal plot collapsed under its own silliness, while the Vatican has issued unusually thorough point-by-point explanations of the materials concerning IOR and its new money-laundering law. If anything, publication of the Viganò letters actually might have helped the Vatican. Before, Viganò just looked like a reformer who got the shaft. The letters, however, revealed a somewhat defensive streak, making it easier to believe his removal could have been about personality rather than policy.
Yet whatever one makes of them, these documents are all real, and they're really being leaked. Vatican personnel themselves are fueling the scandal, which is taking both an internal and an external toll.
Internally, the situation has some church leaders alarmed and, in a few cases, hopping mad. For one thing, bishops around the world would like to think they can share confidential information with the pope and Bertone without reading about it in the newspapers. More basically, both the leaks and the apparent motives behind them reduce confidence that Vatican decisions will be made on merits rather than being swept into petty internal squabbles -- especially, it has to be said, if they end up in the Secretariat of State. As one senior prelate, who's nobody's idea of a flaming liberal, told me this week, "I wouldn't bring a problem here right now to save my life."
In other words, the Vatican risks losing trust -- not among its critics or enemies (that boat probably sailed long ago), but among its best friends.
Externally, where perception is often reality, it almost doesn't matter if the documents are truly damaging. The public take-away already is that the Vatican is once again mired in scandal, fueled by churchmen stabbing one another in the back. That perception makes it more difficult to tell any other story about the Catholic church (including basically good news for the Vatican, such as its recent sex abuse summit or its efforts at financial glasnost), and hardly provides a promising launch to Benedict XVI's project of a "new evangelization."
So how bad is all this? The answer is, fairly bad.
Who's leaking this stuff?
To date, nobody knows. The three things most observers agree on are:
- The leaks have the effect of making Bertone look bad, leading many to believe they're coming from insiders hostile to him.
- At least some seem to be coming from within the Secretariat of State itself, or rather, Bertone's own shop.
- For the most part, this would not seem to be about a courageous whistle-blower who's trying to expose wrong-doing or prompt reform. The motives seem more personal and political.
Beyond that, three popular theories are making the rounds, but they're merely hunches and speculation. I summarize them here only because they've become ubiquitous in the papers and on TV, and thus they're part of the story.
One view holds that the leaks stem from people close to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, former Secretary of State under John Paul II and current dean of the College of Cardinals.
The theory goes that Sodano's crowd represents an old guard in the Secretariat of State that has neither forgiven nor forgotten the fact that Bertone is an outsider, someone who got his job because he worked for Benedict XVI in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. That resentment has been compounded, or so the thinking goes, by the fact that the current "substitute," meaning Bertone's top deputy, is also basically an outsider. Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu comes out of the Vatican diplomatic corps, but prior to his appointment in May, he'd never worked in the Secretariat of State.
Another interpretation holds that the leaks come from Italians with links to Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the powerful former president of the Italian bishops' conference. According to this view, Ruini's allies resent the fact that Bertone clashed with Ruini over his successor at the bishops' conference, and more generally, that Bertone has taken over the role of primary spokesperson for the church in Italian affairs.
A third view holds that the leaks originate in circles around Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy. Piacenza hails from Genoa, from the school of the late Cardinal Giuseppe Siri (the famous "pope who was never elected," a perennial favorite papal candidate of the church's conservative wing). Piacenza has worked in the Vatican since 1990. Under this view, Piacenza sees himself as a logical successor to Bertone, or at least as a candidate to play an enhanced Vatican role should Benedict XVI decide that Bertone needs help running the show.
While all these theories have a surface plausibility, a strong note of caution is in order: They may also reflect cultural psychology in Italy, which holds there must always be a grand hidden design underneath surface events. Italians have a word for it, dietrologia, which literally means "behind-ology." The fact that there is no English equivalent is telling.
It's possible the hunt for a Vatican version of a unified field theory is misguided. Since the documents are heterogeneous, the sources might be different in each case.
The Viganò letters, for instance, might have been leaked by friends still smarting over his removal; the financial documents could be coming from people at the IOR or another Vatican office with personal axes to grind. As far as the letter about an anti-papal plot discussed in China, some believe the aim was to weaken Scola as a papal candidate, others that it was designed to block a gradual process of détente between the Vatican and the Chinese government. Of course, in some cases, it could be as simple as that somebody in the Vatican happens to be friends with a few journalists, realizes this stuff makes good copy and isn't worried about the consequences of letting it loose.
Whatever the case, the Vatican has launched an internal investigation, but it remains to be seen if that will stop the bleeding.
What's the fallout for Bertone?
If the aim of the leaks is truly to undercut Bertone, one wonders what the point is for two reasons. First, Benedict XVI has made his personal affection and support for Bertone abundantly clear; and second, to be honest, it's not as if Bertone needed the help in terms of calling his leadership into question.
Ever since the cause célèbre surrounding the decision to lift the excommunication of a Holocaust-denying traditionalist bishop in 2009, it's been the Vatican's worst-kept secret that many insiders regard Bertone as a weak Secretary of State. He's well liked on a personal level, and no one questions his personal integrity or his loyalty to Benedict XVI, but there's long been serious doubt about his capacity to make the trains run on time.
Bertone is now 77, and some have speculated this latest meltdown might convince Benedict XVI to accept his resignation. Others wonder if a more face-saving solution might be found in which Bertone would stay in place in a sort of titular fashion, while the pope appoints another figure, along the lines of a "proto-secretary," to do more of the heavy lifting.
Yet given that Benedict XVI is disinclined to worry much about matters of governance, and probably wouldn't want to reward a campaign of character assassination, the smart money is likely on Bertone staying in place.
If so, the $64,000 question becomes: Is there a way to fix the Vatican's internal disarray without a change at the top? Many of the cardinals who are meeting today with Pope Benedict XVI for a day of prayer and reflection ahead of tomorrow's consistory, could quite possibly find themselves pondering that very point.
What does this mean for the next pope?
There are two bits of fallout that seem to have implications for the next conclave.
First, whenever the cardinals next gather to elect a pope, high on their to-do list will be finding someone who can get the Vatican's internal affairs in order. If a candidate seems to have a mixed record running his own diocese or the Vatican office he presently heads, that's likely to be the kiss of death.
It's not that administrative chops will be the only thing the cardinals are looking for, but it's now become a baseline for giving someone serious consideration.
Second, the current scandal might well have reduced the odds of the next pope being an Italian, given that these leaks seem to have brought some of the less attractive features of Italian ecclesiastical culture to the surface. At a minimum, the mess has put a serious dent in the old assumption that Italians have a special genius for church governance just because they've lived with the institution for so long and know it from the inside.
Let's put it this way: The next pope could still be an Italian -- but if he is, he'll probably be elected in spite of, not because of, his nationality.
Does this mean anything for the United States?
There are also two dimensions of the story with American implications.
First, the profile of American bishops in Rome has long been that while most might not be great intellectuals or towering spiritual figures, they tend to be good managers, meaning practical figures able to get things done. Although some Americans might quibble, that view is still largely in force here.
Privately, many Italians are already saying that the Vatican needs a shake-up, a fresh approach, and it's natural for them to think of the States as one place where it might be found.
Whether that will be enough to offset the historical taboo against a "superpower pope" is anybody's guess. However, it could render somewhat more plausible a move that would be equally shocking to longtime Vatican insiders: an American Secretary of State.
Second, the present scandal could turn out to be a boon for Viganò as papal ambassador in the States, at least in terms of his dealings with the American bishops.
Here in Rome, where people have actually read his leaked letters, the working assumption is that Viganò has been badly compromised and might even be recalled. Yet most American bishops haven't read the correspondence (which is written in fairly dense Italian), and even if they had, the Vatican personalities Viganò complains about mean nothing to them.
For them, Viganò's story is far simpler: He tried to clean house, drew fire and paid the price. At a time when many of those bishops themselves believe the Vatican is overdue for a house cleaning, that's actually not a bad calling card.
Here's what Dolan, president of the U.S. bishops' conference, told me about Viganò in an interview Tuesday: "In a way, [it] enhances his credibility as someone who does not look upon the internal workings of the Holy See with rose-colored glasses, but is well aware of difficulties there."
At least for some American bishops, in other words, Viganò seems a welcome change of pace.
[John L. Allen Jr. is NCR's senior correspondent. His email address is jallen@ncronline.org.]
Never has it been more
Never has it been more difficult to defend my loyalty to the church. The antics of the hierarchy whether in the US, Europe,or The Vatican, remain a deterrent to an enthusiastic claim of Catholic identity. Thank God for Vatican II and its definition of the Church as "The people of God" without the hierarchical structure. Within the hierarchy there are some extraordinary men upon whom we 99% can rely. it is the structure that seems to be collapsing.
Reminds me of the old Negro
Reminds me of the old Negro spiritual:
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,
Jericho, Jericho,
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,
And the walls came tumbling down!
Then the lamb, ram,
Sheep horns began to blow,
And the trumpets began to sound,
Joshua told the children to shout that morning
And the walls came tumbling down!
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,
Jericho, Jericho,
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,
And the walls came tumbling down!
And the walls came tumbling down!
And the walls came tumbling down!
What we know is that most of
What we know is that most of these ‘documents’ are coming from anonymous sources. It is utterly astounding that people, including John Allan Jr., never ask the question: are these existing ‘documents’ true and/or genuine? When you are dealing with an anonymous source, common sense dictates to check the truth-value of the claim. Instead what we have here (which is not surprising in the case of the NCR) is that not only the existence of these so-called ‘documents’ is taken for granted, but also their credibility. This is only possible because of a pre-existing paradigm of contempt and distrust against the Vatican. So much about objectivity and truth in the so-called Catholic media.
Odd that this comment should
Odd that this comment should come from.....an anonymous source. What are we to make of it?
The Vatican has already
The Vatican has already acknowledged the authenticity of some of these. Moreover, there are ample grounds for what you call "a pre-existing paradigm of contempt and distrust against the Vatican." Remember the Vatican's reactions when the pedophilia scandal broke out? It was all a plot against the Church. Yeah, sure... As for the IOR, it's participation in money-laundering is public knowledge.
Jerry don't worry about
Jerry don't worry about "loyalty" to the church. Back during WWII Simone Weil referred to the church as "the Beast". Recently I've read a biography of Catherine of Siena and another of Joanna: Queen of Naples, Jerusalem and Sicily both from in the 14th century. The shenanigans of today are really just that, but in a sense more hypocritical because in the 14th century the ugliness wasn't whitewashed. As John said in his piece, "perception is taken as reality."
If Vatican II's ecclesiology evokes ANYTHING in us non-clericals it should be that the Church is truly the People of God. That's you and I and all the rest of us - warts and all - enlivened by grace and the Spirit.
You know, of course, that
You know, of course, that Vatican II did NOT define the Church as '"the people of God" without the hierarchical structure' as you claim. Indeed, in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, which contains the definition of the Church as the "People of God", the Council reaffirmed the Church's teaching that the hierarchy is the direct result of the will of Christ Himself.
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents...
Moreover, Vatican II was merely the latest in a LONG line of Councils, dating back 1700 years. In addition, Vatican II was NOT a "teaching" or "doctrinal" Council; in other words, Vatican II issued no new teaching, nor did it in any way alter or amend the Church's teaching. Every dogma, doctrine and teaching that was true before Vatican II is true after it.
Finally, you must have little opportunity to study Sacred Scripture. If you had done, you would not be surprised to know that the Church's leaders are sinners, flawed men, just like me, who still do the best they can for Christ. After all, of the twelve Apostles, Peter denied Christ three times; Thomas doubted Him; James and John asked the Lord to make them the leaders of the Apostles, the other 10 were jealous of those two; Judas betrayed the Lord for 30 pieces of silver; and all but John ran away out of fear, abandoning the Lord as He suffered and died on Calvary.
But, hey, go ahead and use this as an excuse to justify your animosity toward the hierarchy if you wish. I myself will pray for these men, as I hope they pray for me, since we are all sinners.
If you are truly confident,
If you are truly confident, why didn't you sign your name, "anonymous"?
There is absolutely no
There is absolutely no evidence from scripture Christ instituted a hierarchy, or even a priesthood. The gradations of Christian ministry are an outgrowth of the earthly Church with all the permutations squarely in the hands of men.
You're right, Msgr.
You're right, Msgr. Fenton.
Jesus was about establishing "the Kingdom," not a church. Paul, who never met the Christ [except in his personal visions], is more credibly the pioneer of the foundation of the church.
The church hierarchy with its orthodoxy didn't really get a strong foothold until after Constantine adopted Christianity [in the 4th century A.D.] as the state religion, and especially with his mother Helena influenced the compilation of the texts of the New Testament through their philanthropy. [Some historians credit Constantine with forcing on the church at the Council of Nicaea the fundamental theological duel precept that Jesus was both fully "God and Man."]
The primitive church hierarchy seemingly traded their "countercultural" ethic, and periodic persecutions, for acceptance into elite status in the ruling aristocracy. Thus, the church "triumphant" was born. [Even the artistic portrayals of the Christ began to depict Jesus less as a fisherman, carpenter, itinerant preacher, and more as the royal "emperor" of creation.]
Interestingly, Morton Kelsey, especially in his book, "Healing and Christianity," documents that before Constantine the early record is replete with miraculous stories of healing by members of the church. After Constantine, the healing charism of the church seems to have waned except for some really extraordinary individuals.
Did the co-opting of the church into ruling elite status diminish its access to the healing charism bestowed by Jesus and his apostles on all disciples? What does that say to us about the monstrous political edifice of the Vatican and its influence on a modern church's ability to fulfill its pastoral mission?
"What does that say to us
"What does that say to us about the monstrous political edifice of the Vatican and its influence on a modern church's ability to fulfill its pastoral mission?"
It says everything. Roman Catholicism failed it's temptation in the desert back in the 4th century, has done so repeatedly since then, and does so today.
To this anonymous, whoever
To this anonymous, whoever you are:
You are absolutely technically correct that Vatican II didn't give the label "The People of God" to the church. Why though, didn't you tell us what name Vatican II DID give to the church? I seem to recall it as the Pilgrim Church. There's much, rich and deep ecclesiology to be found in that appellation. The People of God, of course, is a result of theology resulting from a couple of Central, South American, Caribbean Conference plenary gatherings of Bishops. It's a further elucidation of the Pilgrim Church symbol. That it migrated to North America and was embraced by many only goes to show that both names have spiritual impact. It's good to be technically correct but it's also good to reach out in understanding...
If ever a Vatican III was
If ever a Vatican III was needed,it is now. Sweep out the centuries of cobwebs and musty, dank dungeons of medievalia and encrustations of culture, history and social convention pawned off onto the people as "THE FAITH"
A list of things to GO into the Trash Can of History:
1. Portable throne for the pope
2. jeweled rings for the hierarchy
3. Jeweled party hats
4. lace albs and surplices
5. silk booties for the bishop
6. excessive number of vestments and for prelates
7. "choir" dress for bishops, especially the cappa magna, a simple alb and cope to replace them
8. coats of arms on everything from jewelry, crystal,dinner and silverware
9. throne rooms for cardinals
10. excessive attention paid to questionable miracles and apparitions
11. the cult of relics of dubious authenticity and spreading stories of magic
falsely attributed to them
12. carelessly prepared saints causes and the production of saints ground out like sausages
13.. playing silver trumpets in St. Peter's
14. mandatory celibacy
15. most "pontifical" seminaries and the idea of the "career priesthood"
16. ungovernable and totally unmanageable dioceses and archdioceses
excessive celebration of novenas and Benediction of BS in place of the Liturgy of the Hours
17. thee private mass and erection again of multiple altars and with it increasing emphasis upon the cult of saints
18. endless sermons on "transubstantiation" and "papal primacy" ad nauseum
Feel free to add to the list.
Nice to read this list from a
Nice to read this list from a priest. I am sure there are many priest who feel this way but would not say them or print them. thank you
As a faithful Catholic who
As a faithful Catholic who has currently taken refuge in the Episcopal church, I nominate Monsignor Fenton for the next Pope!
CURIAL "MAFIOSO" PANIC ?
CURIAL "MAFIOSO" PANIC ? ....... John, the pope will be leaving soon and the international legal posses from the International Criminal Court prosecutors and EU banking regulators are on the way. Hence, the Vatileaks maneovers!
The pope has observed these types of defensive maneovers before, as early as his teenage years, as he watched superior German Army officers rat on each other. The curia's mafia allies also behave this way as well when a new boss moves in or an honest prosecutor gets appointed. It is an old phenomenom.
Don't worry. It is too late to hide all the the skeltons, thank God.
Your speculations about Sodano are interesting. Could it be he just misses Maciel's envelopes?
Your observations about US bishops being good managers gave me a good laugh.
As you write Dolan, Wuerl, Lori, Chaput, et al. are leading a disasterous "anti-contraception crusade" that has alienated so many American voters, it almost guarantees Obama and Democratic Congressional candidates a clear path to a landslide victory.
For more details on Dolan's electoral role, please read the comment, "Dolan as Comic", readily accessible by clicking on at
http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/rome-notebook-dolans-rock-star-cons...
For an interesting perspective on this anti-contraception crusade from the prominent US historian, Gary Wills, in an article in this week's very influential New York Review of Books, please read, "Contraception Con Men", readily accessible by clicking on at:
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2012/feb/15/contraception-con-men/
Remember when internal church
Remember when internal church politics was a matter of Peter and Paul settling matters like two brothers, always mindful that the Master was guiding them through the Spirit.
RCC, you've come a long way baby!
I absolutely agree. Granted,
I absolutely agree. Granted, a worldwide institution needs some structure, but I have to think that Cardinal Burke's title (Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura) has more to do with institution-only matters and very little to do with the Church's Founder.
On the other hand -- the title is worth a laugh every time I see it, so maybe it's not all bad.
Remember when internal church
Remember when internal church politics was a matter of Peter and Paul settling matters like two brothers, always mindful that the Master was guiding them through the Spirit.
RCC, you've come a long way baby!
--------------------------------------------
Yes, Robert,rember when the question of whether to circumcise Christians or to have them refrain from eating pork was the tough stuff the Church had to deal with? Now, its whether Jesus speaks to us from the "liturgical east" with the priest's back to us, and other earth-shaking matters which appear to consume so many of the energies of this pope and the antiquarians who float about his golden throne.
John Allen, you have the most
John Allen, you have the most fun job in the world. You couldn't make this stuff up if you wanted. It's all too wonderful and awful at the same time. The irony is that it really is a case of the Vatican fiddling while Rome burns. You would think we'd have learned that lesson a while ago.
might look like fun, through
might look like fun, through the wonderful way he writes, but this really takes a whole lot of leg work and years of building up access, to such a degree that a senior cleric, no liberal flame, John tells us, can admit this is no place to bring any problems right now . . .
John makes his very hard and meticulous labors look like fun, as does any great artist or musician or writer. Was writing Ulysses fun?
I just wish he could adapt a more forthright expression than his veneer of obsequious political correctness in order to maintain access. Nobody cared when Hebblethwaite let his real feelings be known, in fact everybody cheered, but that was pre-1979 when the black shirts took over, and now poor John must write outrageous tribute such as A People of Hope: Archbishop Timothy Dolan in Conversation with John L. Allen Jr. and even Opus Dei: An Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic Church just to keep doors open and calls returned.
Sounds like a writhing brood
Sounds like a writhing brood of vipers inside a whitened sepulchre!!
Jerry, you're back I see.
Jerry, you're back I see. Nice to try the old insinuations about Pope Benedict. He was just a kid forced into service and never fired a shot. The current issue is NOT about contraception, but about the government destroying the 1st amendment. As a lawyer you should know that. Shame on you.
Read this instead:
http://www.zenit.org/article-34308?l=english
Indeed it is about
Indeed it is about contraception. The Constitution is nothing but a springboard for a rant. You need go no further than the opening line, which includes 'promote the general welfare'. There is no seige on the church, but a mandate to protect the right and privilege of all citizens regardless of ones likes. As a culturally diverse society there is much determined despite contrary desires. I dislike my tax dollar spent on an immoral war in Iraq, but as a citizen I accede, but do not forfeit an opinion. If you are going to be honest, the church lists contraception in a bag of 'intrinsic evils', and defines all items as wrong in themselves and hence mortal evils. The arrogant bishops accept no challenge to its authority. Insurance is only their chess piece. Contraception categorized as intrinsically evil is now used as a gambit by the church not only to stop insurance, but has a growth life. The church would also be against any business owned by a catholic dispensing contraception, or even a catholic clerk selling a condom. That is the sham and shame of the church. It has not left the suzerain system of the Middle Ages, and has no desire to do so. Whether you are a priest or not, the church's postion is irresponsible.
I think that it is also about
I think that it is also about the first amendment and it is a discussion that we should not shy away from. No matter what religion we are, we need to reconize that our religion functions in a pluralistic society and hence, some compromise is needed in order for the govt. to honor both the conscience of the institution as well as the conscience of the individual. I think that what the Obama administration does just that.
I also find it interesting that the bishops are arguing about the separation of Church and State, when in so many other areas, it is trying to do what the Fr. who wrote the post is suggesting - distroying it, as they want Govt. policy to reflect their beliefs at a cost of the religious liberty of others. They don't want the Govt. telling them how to act, but they surly want to be able to tell the govt. how to act. It isn't just marriage equality; in countries where the Church is involved in the govt., both contraception as well as divorce has been against the law. It seems that in these areas they very much want to distroy the lst amendment.
Yes, I do believe that this issue is about the first amendment as well as contraception and it is a discussion we need to have, yet, in truth, I don't know if it is one that the bishops really want to have, as it will lead to exposing their positions as wanting it both ways and always promoting ways.
Yours in Christ,
John David
John David, in an objective
John David, in an objective sense it is about the Constitution, but not as far as the bishops, particularly the bishop of Rome are concerned. To them, it is a gambit, a talking point, a point of launch. In no manner of speaking are the bishops prone to compromise. Its arguments are lures and devices hiding its true intent, known only to those talking among themselves. The church has cleverly developed masks inwhich it hides behind and cannot escape. It has set it feet in cement and there it is stuck. In this instance contraception is declared an 'intrinsic evil', one of the masks. To that extent the church is intransigent. Arguments put forth are but ruses hiding that issue. The church cannot, will not relent on this issue. Once the insurance issue is resolved, or at least in the church's favor, the issue expands. An intrinsic evil has no modification, is defined as wrong in itself. So, a catholic business owner is thusly affected as is the church in the HHS mandate, and that owner cannot be involved in any sense with the procurement or dispensing of contraceptives...so with any individual selling a condom. They all would be mortally wounded. Thus, that is the position of the church, so far removed from the rest of the world. Out of date, anti-science, and socially irresponsible. Irresponsible, as the church's position neglects the problem of world population and the cascading consequences flowing from it; filth, disposal of waste, polluted harbors, world poor, disease and so on. More importantly, the church tolerates no challenge whatsoever to its authority. All reasonable people clearly determine and recgonize the church standing in shame.
WPRjr, your post is very
WPRjr, your post is very interesting and worth reading several times to get the full impact, as you clearly show how those in charge of the Church have painted themselves as well as the Church into a corner. The issue is all that you say it is, but the point of my post is that it is also a constitutional issue as well, as I don't believe that it is one and not the other.
The Church's model is not a democratic one and, at its best, has a great suspicsion of this model and, at its worst, dismissive contempt for it. It does this all the while trying to show itself as paternal/maternal force hovering over us. Vatican ll was an heroic step to moving away from this and into a world of respect and tolerance, but, unfortunately, it seems that much of Vatican ll is now in the rear view mirror.
This agressive movement away from the gifts of Vitican ll seems to be the desire of so many of those in charge, but, I believe, far from the desire of the Holy Sprit. I can only pray that the Holy Spirit will find some way of freeing the Church I love from how her leaders have too often planted her feet into the cement as you state. Yours in Christ,
John David
This agressive movement away
This agressive movement away from the gifts of Vitican ll seems to be the desire of so many of those in charge, but, I believe, far from the desire of the Holy Sprit. I can only pray that the Holy Spirit will find some way of freeing the Church I love from how her leaders have too often planted her feet into the cement as you state. Yours in Christ,
John David
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John David, What isn't needed is waiting for the Holy Spirit to act. You have to act to free the Church you love from her leaders. This is an earthly problem requiring earthly solutions. Luther, Calvin, Knox, Cranmer, et al did sit around waiting for the Holy Spirit to speak to them. THEY TOOK ACTION!
Father Dunstan,OSB...it could
Father Dunstan,OSB...it could not have been stated any better. None of us have a clue whether the Holy Spirit is acting or not...most of all we are not to tempt the Spirit. If our acts are in loving kindness, what more can be expected. It is incumbent upon ourselves to conduct Xtian lives, preserve and protect the church, not abandon the Ways. For the many who have left the church, that was a mistake. None of us ought to allow the hierarchy to usurp the faith, claim apostolic succession, demand our obedience without question to what the rest of the world knows is nonsensical.
This just fuels the flame of
This just fuels the flame of the fire in my heart to jump ship. This scandal coupled with the patronizing, subservient treatment of women in the church is enough for any clear thinking person to leave the RCC. I keep saying to myself, that the church is made of imperfect men. Why should I expect more from them than I do of the laity? However, lately, Vatican has taken it to a whole different level. This immoral bent, I pray will pass. Holy Spirit save us from ourselves.
Don't leave. You are the
Don't leave. You are the Church, not these medieval mysogynists who believe that women are no more than chattel. Follow Jesus as presented in the four Gospels. Forget Rome.
Rome is facing the last great
Rome is facing the last great barbarian invasion from which it may never recover. An invasion not by Visigoths, Huns, and Lombards, but from a baronial hierarchy living in the past determined to return the Church to the past and make it not the master of history, but it's slave.
I have recently been told on
I have recently been told on a diocesan website by the webmaster to look to the Episocopal church were I might be more comfortable with gay bishops, lesbians and priestesses, simply for disagreeing with some articles posted on the site. The irony of it that I apparently am one of very few who actually read and respond to the uberconservative postings. He also derided Vatican II and our bishop at the time of the Council.
Just look at the spectacle of
Just look at the spectacle of all the Republican candidates for the presidency denouncing one another,with little regard for truth. Why should we expect Christians -- at least Roman Catholic Christians -- to be any better? Gutter politics seems to be the modus operandi (as we Latinists say) in the Curia, and it has a long history. And gutter politics means that the mind never rises above sex and money, even though it has been sex that has undercut the Church's authority, and now finance seems again to be coming into play.
John you write,
John you write, "'behind-ology.' The fact that there is no English equivalent is telling." Actually, John, there is: bum-ology.
As a convert I find all that
As a convert I find all that is going on in the Vatican unattractive but far off. Try being a protestant. That kind of stuff is going on in the local church a great deal of the time. I find the across the ocean stuff much easier to take than the infighting that I observed as a protestant in my local church. Even Paul had to deal with this garbage. It seems we are all sinners. Another thought - there are Baptist churches that don't believe in alcohol - they have members that drink it. I struggle with the churches teaching on contraceptives - I feel the theology behind it good but too idealistic. I don't like the govenment telling religion what to do no matter what.
I don't think the government
I don't think the government is telling RELIGION what to do, it's telling the hospitals and other institutions what to do. The government hasn't mandated that anyone actually use the contraception devices, only that they be given that choice and have it covered by insurance. It's important to keep the church, the institutions run by the church, the religion and the vatican separate---because they are
Thanks, John, for trying to
Thanks, John, for trying to clarify this for us. Cheers. Tom
Years ago, probably 20 or so,
Years ago, probably 20 or so, I attended a conference where I heard Tom Fox speak. I still remember what he said about the mess the church was in even at that time. He said that the church would implode before it got better. Is this Vatican bickering the beginning of that implosion?
John and Jerry, (1) How much
John and Jerry,
(1) How much more is going to come out about the corruption of Vatican finances in relation to the Legionnaires? Do you think this recent resignation of the female leader will lead to revelations in this regard?
(2) What is the financial status between the Vatican and these other secretive and massively wealthy movements that John Paul II encouraged?
Jane
I cannot help but think that,
I cannot help but think that, in a way, the Pope is getting back some of what he sowed while Prefect. He was absolutely no stranger to political maneuvers that included undercutting other members of the curia, and consolidated his own power while running the Church as Bl. John Paul II deteriorated dramatically. Benedict is an academic and absents himself from these conflicts by turning inward to his intellectual pursuits. He is declining in both age and health and, as a result, will become even more detatched, or possibly even more reactionary and impaired, allowing this struggle demonstrated by the "leaks" to flourish. This has only just begun, but as the saying goes, "what goes around comes around."
Hi John, I have no comment
Hi John, I have no comment other than to say that this article is so well written! Lucid, concise, interesting, and all that good stuff. You are an awesome journalist, and your reporting really has its own distinctive voice.
Why doesn't somebody send
Why doesn't somebody send really sharp young investigative reporters to find out what is going on inside and outside. Allen you are depending on news releases that really don't tell us much. There are more financial scandals than this. So find out what is going on and report it.
until the whole house of
until the whole house of cards falls, and soon, this is the best anyone can do, and john is among the best.
I have been teaching
I have been teaching Reformation History with my Year 10 students at school this last week. We have watched and discussed Luther's life up to 1517. The students have "oohed" and "arghed" and "yucked" their way through the issues surrounding the need for and call for reform. Luther's pilgrimage to Rome in 1510 had them sitting rivetted with Luther's awe at the Eternal City slowly turned to disillusionment. Then I read John's excellent column ... just change a few names ... and the kids would rightly think nothing much has changed. It's time to sack the Curial life severs and Old Boys Club, and bring in competent, globally-representative managers - lay and ordained for all positions - with set timeframes for their appointments. John XXIII must be shaking his head in amazement at the constant inability of those who should know better to listen to the voice of the Spirit as well as the People of God. Tom Robert's book was so timely!
If the RCC didn't take such a
If the RCC didn't take such a high moral stance and arrogance on all matters religious perhaps their flock might be a little more tolerant of these shenanigans but as the Vatican really is all about Finance and Power (not spiritual) I think the Rubicon has been crossed. Time for the young Turks to have a swipe at these doddery old fools that need and deserve to be put out to pasture.
A few possible answers to Mr.
A few possible answers to Mr. Allen's questions:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2107167,00.html?xid=gonews...
Simple Solution: When "The
Simple Solution: When "The Leakers" are discovered, simply set up an Inquisition, headed by Archbishop Chaput
(who recently led Bishop Morris' Inquisition in Toowoomba, Australia), and burn the culprits at the stake! Just like in the case of Bishop Morris (who by the way wasn't burned at the stake, but that was probably just a small, over-looked technicality), the Chief Inquisitor won't need to give any reason for removing the "Leaki-Vatican Culprits from their positions." Why? Well, in Toowoomba, the people were told by the Vatican, that the "Secrecy" surrounding the removal of Bishop Morris, "Was for the good of ALL concerned!" If the Leaki-Culprits are discovered by Vatican insiders, we'll probably never know, unless of course more bodies are found hung on Black-Friars Bridge or someone smells smoke inside the Cupola!
This Holy Father, though
This Holy Father, though blessed with one of the most remarkable minds in recent papal history, and a first-rate theologian, has not seen the need for curial reform. Blessed John Paul II did not take that need all that seriously either. Perhaps neither is willing or able to undertake the admittedly difficult task of reforming the entrenched bureaucracy of the Church, but it is definitely needed.
George Weigel, in his excellent book recounting the last days of Blessed John Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI, "God's Choice", offers some excellent suggestions on curial reform. I think that those would mark a good starting point.
It seems clear that the role of Secretary of State was not well-thought out. The SoS has become a sort of "mini-Pope" and the Secretariat a sort of "mini-Curia", which is problematic. Moreover, the Holy See has been plagued by a lack of message discipline, with every dicastery issuing statements left and right. Pope Benedict has helped curb this a bit, but it seems all announcements from the Holy See should come from one spokesman, rather than many.
There are many areas of serious reform needed in the Curia. It is my hope that the next Supreme Pontiff, whomever he may be (Cardinal Dolan?? Cardinal Pell?? Please God, either one!), will be willing to make the effort to reform and clean up the Curia, to insure that the "trains run on time" and that the Holy See hums with efficiency.
Very surprised that no one
Very surprised that no one has pointed out that the 'scandal' has emerged as the Italian government is preparing a major shift in tax policy towards the Church. It is, at minimum, very fortunate for Monti's agenda that these confusing events have transpired at such an advantageous time.
Paul O'Shea, I mostly agree,
Paul O'Shea, I mostly agree, except for the use of the word "....MANAGERS".
I strongly think the Catholic Church does NOT need to be looked at as a business to be run by Managers.
Instead, I think we need massive representation of the voices of Poorest of the Poor: We need AUTHENIC, PERSONAL REPRESENTATION, ACTION AND SOLIDARITY FOR: Single Moms working two-three jobs to survive; Hispanics enduring extensive pesticide exposures & DEPORTATION TRAUMA for their entire careers; Black people STILL suffering terrible discrimination; including INCREASINGLY massive numbers of Black men being incarcerated for nonviolent crimes; soldiers, predominantly from economically challenged families, returning MAIMED, with devastating PTSD, and devasting exposure to crippling war-chemicals, all promoted by international War Machine Barons.
DON'T FORGET: Sexual abuse victims who do not have money for counseling. (Lord, what a heartbreak--numerous, numerous, members of my own family.)
SCREAMING NEEDS: The ENVIRONMENTAL STRUCTURES OF SIN: the harmful Monsanto-lead GMO worldwide POISONOUS agricultural systems; the stunning GROWTH of the coal tar sands GREEDY, OIL POWERS; the TRAGIC environmental-poisoning from gas fracking; ultimately, the total planetary 3rd world ROBBERY, by MEGA-CORPORATIONS, of simple native folks' workers, land, minerals, and WATER. The hidden nuclear crisis.
Crying out to the Lord for justice for "the little ones".
Lastly, these problems are TOO BIG FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
It is imperative that we address these desperate WORLD-needs ECUMENICALLY. AND FAST!
Why do you remain anonymous?
Why do you remain anonymous? With your observations, analysis and writing skills you are merely 'hiding your light under a basket'. Come forth and enlighten us further.
Reads like a Marxist
Reads like a Marxist manifesto. Sorry, but the poor do not contribute to society, they take from society. Granted that may not entirely be their fault, but still, it is the reality.
Only those with a dog in the fight, as it were, who contribute to society either through paying of taxes, or through the production of goods and/or services that in turn benefit and employ others, or those who defend freedom (I agree, soldiers and veterans should always have a voice), need to have input in reorganization of society, if that were to happen. In the same way, I believe that only those who pay federal taxes (social security, income, and/or medicare) should have the right to vote in federal elections. The same should be true for those who pay state taxes. Certainly only those who own land should be allowed to vote in local elections, since often those elections have an impact upon property taxes.
The idea that everyone should have a voice in how society is governed and run is not realistic. It's the taxpayers, the producers, those who contribute to society, that innovate, create, that make the world function. I believe that we owe them a massive debt of gratitude.
Those who do not produce, who do not contribute, who merely take from society, who live off the generosity of others, of the state, of charities, etc., should be grateful.
How would you treat Jesus
How would you treat Jesus Christ if He were on earth now? Would you force Him to take on a minimum wage job so He wouldn't be dependent on the government?
This Church is made up of
This Church is made up of human beings. When people hold their noses in disgust when encountering "politics" and "corruption" in the Church, they are looking for something that is impossible, because where humans are involved, there are politics. And most of the time, it's not pretty. Whoever is responsible to clean up the mess in the Church will do it imperfectly. We North Americans are too enamored of our own freedom, autonomy and modernity. Will our approach serve the Gospel any better than the "corrupt" hierarchical institution of the Vatican? That remains to be seen. And if the history of our own institutions contains any clues, I have my doubts.
There would be nothing about
There would be nothing about which to be scandalized if everyone were not so secretive. See, the real answer is to end the secrecy. Political mechinations work in secrecy, hidden for public view.
Frankly, I think as long as the Vatican keeps so much so hidden it is because they have so much to hide.
I always find it fascinating
I always find it fascinating that when of these Vatican scandals break, that all these intelligent old guys who are so well-educated and experienced act like children protecting their corner of the sandbox. Then again maybe the actual bureaucratic structure is not large enough to really work for such a monolith of an institution, so the Peter Principle arises quite naturally. In addition attempting to make the catholic church transparent is a non-sequitur. This church doesn't even know how to spell the word transparent.
"You will know the Truth and
"You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." If Jesus were running the Vatican, and I sometimes have my doubts, he would be delighted that any or all of the Truth he has spoken and Is would be leaked, spoken, written or shouted from the rooftops, newspapers and computers around the world. If this Church is all about the Truth why worry what is leaked or shouted? The problem isn't what is leaked or how it is leaked but why we should have anything to hide in the first place. If there were more of the Truth that is Jesus, the Truth that is clearly evident because the Spirit has inspired it instead of the Machiavelean machinations that are currently going on, we would be proud to speak it, to hear it, to read it and probably restore some of the credibility that our Beloved Church has lost.
"You will know the Truth and
"You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." If Jesus were running the Vatican, and I sometimes have my doubts, he would be delighted that any or all of the Truth he has spoken and Is would be leaked, spoken, written or shouted from the rooftops, newspapers and computers around the world. If this Church is all about the Truth why worry what is leaked or shouted? The problem isn't what is leaked or how it is leaked but why we should have anything to hide in the first place. If there were more of the Truth that is Jesus, the Truth that is clearly evident because the Spirit has inspired it instead of the Machiavelean machinations that are currently going on, we would be proud to speak it, to hear it, to read it and probably restore some of the credibility that our Beloved Church has lost.
"You will know the Truth and
"You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." If Jesus were running the Vatican, and I sometimes have my doubts, he would be delighted that any or all of the Truth he has spoken and Is would be leaked, spoken, written or shouted from the rooftops, newspapers and computers around the world. If this Church is all about the Truth why worry what is leaked or shouted? The problem isn't what is leaked or how it is leaked but why we should have anything to hide in the first place. If there were more of the Truth that is Jesus, the Truth that is clearly evident because the Spirit has inspired it instead of the Machiavelean machinations that are currently going on, we would be proud to speak it, to hear it, to read it and probably restore some of the credibility that our Beloved Church has lost.
Just perusing for now
Just perusing for now ....
Great news source
Thank you ....
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