Vatican critics smell blood in the water, and remembering Sambi

The "wounded foe" and "blood in the water" perspective (implying any critic of the Vatican is a shark) may be one way to look at it.

Alternatively, maybe the powers that be in our church have so spectacularly mishandled their pastoral leadership of the church that things are falling apart at an accelerating rate.

And people are noticing and talking. And, in many cases, celebrating the demise of imperialistic structures of pastoral leadership that owe more to Caesar than to the gospels.

We evangelize best of all, St. Francis reminds us, by doing. Not by saying.

More and more, it seems to me that John is becoming an apopogist for the Vatican. His cushy relaionship with the power structure is beginning to make me question his objectivity.

"This week, Pietro Orlandi demanded that the Vatican open its secret archives to reveal the truth about the 1983 disappearance of his sister Emanuela, which remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of contemporary Italian life. At the time, the Orlandi family lived inside the Vatican city-state as employees. Recently a former member of the Italian mob asserted that the Vatican owed the mob 20 billion lire (roughly $12.5 million), and Emanuela was taken in an attempt to compel repayment. Pietro Orlandi told the Italian daily La Stampa he finds that suggestion perfectly credible, and wants senior Vatican officials to come clean."

wait, let me try to recall.

Who was pope then?

Didn't the prior guy plan to clean these things up, back in 1979, and woke up unexpectedly dead the next morning, after only like a month on the seat of Peter?

And we got wojtyla instead, and all plans to clear up the corruption went up in smoke, and in fact we got marcial and other's pay offs for privilege, emnpowerment and protection?

Plus, this mob involvement?

suitcases in and out of the Vatican Bank?

wait.
Who was pope in 1983?

BLESSED?!

We do have to keep up the lines of communication and evangelizing society, but that doesn't mean they still aren't out to get us. They are and they do sense the opportunity. They don't really care about the issues or the children. They do see this as a chance to reduce religious liberty and silence the Catholic voice. We must not be silent. As Pope Benedict believes we must be a penitent Church, but one that still proclaims the gospel.

I met Archbishop Sambi several times. He was a very kind, generous, and pastoral priest. May he rest in peace.

And isn't it about time, rather, isn't it long overdue?
(Despite this attempt at gathering sympathy)

Prime Minister Kenny was spot on, "dysfunction, disconnection and elitism that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day," must be stopped.

Here in the States, the Philadelphia thugs will soon be in court. Then there are the Church’s problems in the rest of the world, that go on, and on, and on.

This is the "perfect storm" for those of us who want to break the back of clericalism. Go for the jugular, disrespecting them whenever and wherever we can.

Prime Minister Kenny slapped the Vatican right in the face. He set the tone for other world leaders; I hope they don’t drop the ball.

It time to go for the knock-out!

When I was in Colombia as a missionary priest, there was a concordat between the Vatican and the government of Colombia, which gave the government a veto power over the selection of a bishop. They could not pick the bishop, but they could certainly veto a bishop's appointment. I don't know if such a concordat still exists, but why can't the government make a similar agreement with China?

Sambi's death does not leave an empty spot in my heart. Several years ago I wrote to the Pope, and hand delivered the 15 page document to the Vatican Embassy in Washington DC. A week or so later I received a phone call from the Archdiocese of Boston asking if there was anything more they could do for me. DOH! I can only surmise that my letter to the pope NEVER MADE IT TO ROME -- no doubt Sambi read it and sent it off to Boston for action. I did not write to Sambi; I did not write to Boston -- I was very clear in wanting my letter to be read by the POPE. So much for a priest being able to communicate with the Pope! So much for my being able to "trust" bishops/cardinals.

It is valid and indeed useful to read John Allen Jr's exploration of strategic an/or political contexts for vatican related stories. I just wish that he would also deal with the validity dimension of "the other side". In many cases the "other side" is equally "catholic" as is his presumption that "All things catholic" means "Vatican".

The "critics smell blood" has validity, I agree, especially in the China case. There is more, with more validity: "had it up to here...." and "final straw" and "no more..." and "critical mass" are more appropriate tags as far as I am concerned.

"Out to get us" was the self-pitying, wounded ego war cry in the earlier (but not so long ago) sex abuse and abusive management of sex abuse in North America. Exposute of the global extent and the church's abusive tactics as well as the unbelievable lameness of rhetoric and arrogance in the sex issue, the women's exclusion, conception management, the bifurcated sexual perversion of the "bride/Bridegroom" theology, the US elections, celibacy, medicare, etc., etc., made it abundantly clear that the vatican and hierarchy was/is its own worst enemy.

The vatican/hierarchy's totalitarian pomposity has inflated its own resistance energy on so many fronts that any one issue may bring the whole mighty blimp down. It seems that "infallibility" is too close to "unaccountable authoritarian patriarchalism" for which everything else will be sacrifaced: children, women, priesthood, availability of sacrament, even to allowing the Spirit, Christ to once again relate to their world, their people. Standing for everything entails the possibility of losing everything - that seems to have been the chosen strategy. It will be known in history as "Benedict's folly".

Great article, John, but you left out the several hundred priests in Austria who signed a petition criticizing the church's "position" on many issues (married clergy, giving Holy Communion to remarried Catholics, etc.). I guess that this plus the others you mentioned was just coincidence, though...

"Sambi......... gave a speech, but that's not really what most religious remember. Instead, they were struck by the fact that, like them, he shed his clerical dress for a loose-fitting, short-sleeved shirt for the working sessions, and that rather than fleeing immediately after his talk, he stuck around to share a meal and to chat -- both not what they expected from a big-time Vatican potentate."
.............................................................................

Perhaps if more "big-time Vatican potentates" followed Sambi's example then there would be fewer critics smelling blood in the water.

regarding your rather cynical comments on the latest in the Irish sex abuse scandals, including the speech of the Irish PM,you have not, in my opinion, ever really understood the human side of the sexual abuse of children. You seem somewhat detached and without feeling when you write about this issue. I understand the importance of objectivity for a journalist and keeping your sources of information tolerant of you, but this issue is different from the other many issues. This is about children who have been injured emotionally and pyschologically as well, in most cases for life and their families as well. I have read most of your articles over the years and do not remember you ever having interviewed a victim of clerical sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is not about which bishop will get a red hat or who the next pope will be. We have no say in all that. But about our children, we do care deeply, when you appear a bit cavalier and write as if it's only politics as usual. Most of your interviews are with "bigshots", or am I wrong? But you do play the Vatican game well.

The Vatican response to criticism from Ireland was to withdraw publicly the nuncio from Dublin, and then assign him to Croatia, hence leaving Ireland without a Papal Nuncio.

Archbishop Sambi will be remembered for his thoughtful appointments to the episcopacy in these last 5 years. Dolan, Kurtz, Wenski, are 3 of his best.
Not since Cicognani has any papal representative served the USA better.

There has been a clarification. It is now expected that Archbishop Leanza, who has been assigned to the Czech Republic and not Croatia, is expected to give personally the Vatican's response in Dublin. I also believe the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs has welcomed this development.

Enemies encamped around our Lord's Church? Uh, so what else is new? A storm tossed boat and we of little faith still don't now who to call upon to settle the waves?

Rattle lowdly as they might try, the gates of Hades haven't prevailed against Peter and his Successors, and I would suggest there's plenty of reason to believe that they never will.

Do not be afraid to pray for our clergy and religious to lead us through every trial, especially if we consider their own trials.

John Allen's job has become so unsavory that I almost feel sorry for him. When a person of integrity comes to realize that he/she is now working for a criminal element, such person should resign his/her position. Instead, John Allen proposes weak and lame defenses which assault the sensibilities of his readers. His columns were once-upon-a-time thought-provoking. I want to say he deserves some credit for going down with the ship, but there is no credit due for those who defend child molesting. Bad column, John.

Archbishop Sambi was a gracious listener and an ardent champion for justice. A humble and thoughtful man he aired issues that needed to be better understood and appreciated. May he rest in peace.

Finally, one can also detect the whiff of politics in Kenny's remarks. In Ireland these days, taking on the Vatican is a fairly risk-free investment for anyone seeking public support.

Things must be getting really desperate when John Allen begins to play the anti-Catholic card. What next, John? Press-release writer for the Catholic League?

"Even in Italy, critics are coming out of the woodwork. This week, Pietro Orlandi demanded that the Vatican open its secret archives to reveal the truth about the 1983 disappearance of his sister Emanuela, which remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of contemporary Italian life. At the time, the Orlandi family lived inside the Vatican city-state as employees."

I hardly think a man's concern for his missing sister fits in the story above. If my sister went missing, I would surely want any and all leads followed and any "secret archives" opened for investigative purposes. Aren't "secret files" at the root of much of what is rotten in the Vatican and in diocesan offices throughout the world? If it were a Vatican official instead of a woman and an "employee" might the disappearance garner a reference more respectful of the missing person and the family who suffers?

Thank you, sounds so "fair and balanced" - but hesitated to use those words in the crazy political climate of the USA at the present time.

Archbishop Sambi, may he rest in peace, sounds like he was the right person for the job - and will be missed.

Archbishop Sambi was an outstanding representative of the Holy See: a friendly and honorably man who was also a good friend of the American people.

John,
I appreciate your ability to offer an interpretation of events that is sympathetic toward the vatican. Politicians act and speak politically and certainly prime minister kenney's words had a political element. We should be careful not to view all events through the lens of an assumption of Vatican guilt. However, this piece feels like it assumes Vatican innocence without really defending that conclusion. To suggest that the failure of a bishop who was secretary to three popes deals more with a lack of oversight than vatican culture requires an explanation. Without evidence to the contrary, it would seem a more reasonable assumption that someone who clearly was so respected in the Vatican and spent so much time there would likely reflect the Vatican's culture. Your suggestion (regarding the New Evangelization Committee) that "perhaps the new council can take lead in developing a patient, humble response to criticism, seeing that as a prerequisite to any successful missionary endeavor" also alludes to an assumption of Vatican righteousness by seeing patience and humility as a means to the end of evangelization rather than an obvious and appropriate response demanded by Church's failure. I find it hard to understand how Vatican leadership can be so comfortable placing the blame for this crisis on others. If nothing else, the fact that Father Macial's abuse drew so little reaction from the vatican for so long (though there were accusations) cannot be assigned to the oversight of bishops, proportionalist theology, the sexual revolution or the unfair media. Why did this powerful, loyal, charismatic priest who was so connected in the Vatican (all the way to JP II) escape scrutiny for years? I feel like the answer to this would point clearly to the place of the "vatican culture" in the crisis.
Perhaps you are correct and the problem does not lie in the Vatican. However, if this is what you believe please objectively explain why it makes sense to assume Vatican innocence. I WOULD LOVE to read an article BY YOU that thoroughly examines the question of the place of the clerical, Vatican culture in the sex abuse crisis. I genuinely believe you have a good feel for the Vatican and could offer some fascinating analysis. I hope you consider this.
thanks,
Dave

Shouldn't Allen be with the National Catholic Register?
He's not going to challenge any Vatican official (or Vatican) in order to maintain his "good standing" with an institution which "hates the light."

Hi, John:
Thanks for your great tribute to Archbishop Sambi, a truly great nuncio in this country and elsewhere. He will be missed here.

Father Don McCarthy, retired priest, Salina Diocese

John Allen omits a key letter from the Vatican's representative in Ireland to Irish bishops in 1997, when he purports to relate the facts in that country.

The letter is the main document incriminating the Vatican in thwarting child protection efforts, and is a key factor behind Prime Minister Enda Kenny's outstanding speech.

The letter warned Irish bishops that their public commitment to report all allegations to law enforcement may pose problems with canon law, and could lead to complications should those abuse cases reach Rome.

By any common sense understanding, despite its typical Vaticanese indirection, the letter undermined the Irish bishops' pledge to stop keeping abuse crimes secret.

Allen is more than disingenuous when he writes of the Vatican "advising bishops to cooperate with police and prosecutors."

Is that only the case once the police know about an allegation from another source, and come to the church to ask for cooperation in their investigation?
Or does it mean the church is to cooperate by reporting abuse cases itself that are unknown to the authorities? The difference matters.

There is no mandatory reporting law in Ireland, contrary to many states in the US. The Dallas Charter directs only those US bishops in states where there are mandatory reporting laws to report abuse themselves.

The original Charter text was modified from -- all bishops must report allegations to civil authorities -- to require only cooperation with all laws. So, where there are no mandatory reporting laws, no need to report, since it is not the law.

Irish bishops had pledged in 1996 to report all allegations to civil authorities, and in 1997 the Vatican representative warns that may not be such a good idea. It was that Vatican interference and subversion of what Irish bishops had pledged that is so infuriating. The Cloyne Report brought that issue to heightened public attention.

Allen's omission of the letter and its impact does not of course advance his typical apologias for all things Vatican. Associating the reaction to the gross negligence of Cloyne officials with "critics coming out the woodwork" is a new low even for him.

Further, Allen's remark about implying Kenny used the Vatican for political advantage, is a disgraceful cheap shot. Kenny's genuine anguish was clear to any impartial observer.

Regarding: "Right now, people with a beef against the Vatican smell blood in the water."

- The melodrama of the title demeans the people about whom you write. Better your title should have come from these clauses: "...the bottom line is that in a growing number of cultural settings, the lid has been ripped off accumulated frustrations."

- In the Irish case; as far as I can tell the one's with the beef are actually upset with their church, that the Vatican, a secular state,is anywhere in the picture is a complication but the state itself is a neutral body, that is, it neither inspires good or bad. The Vatican, like all secular states is used or abused by its citizens. The current head of the Vatican is of course the Archbishop of Rome, currently Benendict xvi. Rightly or wrongly it falls to him to remedy the situation (good steps already made in that direction) but to deal with the profound failures of his predecessors and the men who supposedly where there to help the Archbishops of Rome shepherd the church and keep her people safe.

- There is only one group of people thus far who has made any progress in putting the Vatican State in the docks. That group is the secular state of Ireland. It is the lone secular state that has in effect told the church that if it hides behind the trapping of a secular state then it is to the secular state that Ireland will address itself.

- What this actually illustrates is that the christian and catholic ethos is very much part of the government of Ireland, and that the christians in the state are the same christians in the church. The state and the church are accountable to the Irish people in the state and to the people of God of the church in Ireland.

- If one acknowledges that true crimes have been perpetrated in Ireland by clerics of the local churches in Ireland that are in union with the Archbishop of Rome, and if one acknowledges that it is self-evident that the Archbishop of Rome, no matter the person who sat in the chair of Peter, has enable the bishops and the curia of the Vatican State to hide and ignore the rape of children and molestation of young people by clerics for decades upon decades, upon decades then it is no wonder that a state, like Ireland, feels that the church of most of its citizens needs to be humbled.

- In the end the salvific act of atonement of the Archbishop of Rome which will give balm to the hurt and harm which perdures is the separation of the church from the state of the Vatican even if this can only be done by the dissolution of the Vatican State.

In the case of China: The Vatican's response to the ordinations in China is oddly humourous. Essentially, the Church wants there to be one body of faithful in China. This is both noble and an hopeful desire. However by excommunicating bishops that are nominated for ordination by the government of the Peoples' Republic of China (PRC) the Vatican is in effect establishing or confirming the national catholic church of china. As a separated church the churches in union with the Archbishop of Rome have no other means of persuading for unity than fraternal charity. That is , Vatican diplomacy need not be applied. Hopefully, fraternal charity for the people of faith who rightly or wrongly are part of the national catholic church of the PRC will in the long run actually bring the churches in PRC into union with the Archbishop of Rome. Certainly, Vatican diplomacy there has run its course

- Perhaps the bishops in PRC who are in union with the Archbishop of Rome could establish institutes of higher studies in ecclesiastical sciences that would be open to all clerics and laity no matter their christian church affiliation. Such an opportunity would be allow the faithful to learn more fully the origins and development of other churches in the other countries who are in union with the Archbishop of Rome.

When the Pope visited the USA in 2008, my daughter's Sunday School class made birthday cards for the Pope and delivered them to the nuncio's residence to be delivered. A short time later, my daughter received a very nice note from Archbishop Sambi, thanking her for her children's birthday cards for the Pope. Just one small gesture from a very busy, important man, showing his link to the common man!

I appreciate this analysis of the late nuncio and am saddened at his sudden passing. May God grant him eternal rest in the Eternal Heart of Jesus and reward him for his earthly endeavors to build up the Kingdom of God. Will be
watching with interest for announcement of his successor..any ideas Mr Allen?

Years ago I read various interpretations of Revelations 12:14,15 where the serpent is persecuting the "woman" and the subsequent refuge in the desert. Many writers proposed that this indicated a time when the Pope would need to flee Rome and upon "the wings of a giant eagle" go into hiding, (perhaps in the United States?) It always seemed so bizarre to me. How could that ever happen? Yet your article allowed me just a glimpse of how . Ireland's fury may well unleash more countries to do the same and the lawsuits will begin again against the Holy See. I pray not.

So, Mr. Allen, the Vatican had the time and energy to force Bishop Morris into retirement (apparently) because he suggested the possibility of female and/or married priests in the future, yet it didn't have a clue as to Bishop John Magee's failures?

If nothing else, this proves that the Vatican system is incompetent to run the affairs of the Church!

John Allen now comes across as nothing more than an apologist for Rome - no longer as an objective journalist. He is seldom worth reading any more - it would be nice if NCR could find someone else to cover Rome.

I've often wondered why so many if not all Bishops have recirculated the pedophile or homosexual offending priests after they have been exposed. Surely they are not all nieve enough to think the pedophiles are all cured by "treatment" and therefore safe to be returned to a new post. Is there an answer to my wondering? I'm surprised that this is the first prosecutor/judge to hold a Bishop accountable for putting these men back in a position to strike again.

Another cunundrum is in the USA and Europe were homosexuality and every deviant sexual abberation is protected by law, and even supported and promoted in grade schools, why is The LAW prosecuting them in the first place!!!

Looks to me like The LAW is just out to get The Catholic Church. You don't see The LAW going after a Protestant Church for more money, or after the Public School System for more money when a clergyman or teacher is caught doing the same thing.

Now this is a well-balanced, fair-minded article: a rarity from National Catholic Reporter. Usually, the writers go into "attack the male-dominated Church" mode and criticize Rome--no matter what. But John Allen, as usual, brings some sanity and even-handedness to an otherwise wretched publication.

Here come the sarcastic, hateful comments. Let er' rip, ladies and gentlemen. I know what you're going to say--the Vatican is evil and deserves everything it gets, and I and others like me are just mindless dimwits who blindly follow every word the Church says. Go right ahead and say it.

I forgive you.

John,
I could grant everything in your post. Would you also call the Financial Times editorial now on the NCR site as inspired by long seated hostility to the Church? Perhaps that piece should also be directed at lack of oversight of the national Church.

I don't see any way out of the box. Either top down authority has failed, and local authority flaunted the rules. Or the rules were purposely vague and guidance was offered that encouraged the non-compliance. The notion that no one foresaw this emerging scandal looks like intentional ignorance (in political circles called plausible deniability) or arrogant clericalism in one or the other locals -- or both. I pray not.

Clean house in Ireland! Import Orthodox Bishops and reduce the number of dioceses. Pray for the CHurch in CHina and send them thousands of missionaries! We need to recommit ourselves to evangelization and counter cultural actions like Morality and Compassion.

It strikes me that I have three relationships with the Church: personael, local and global. The first two are healthy and actually thriving. The global Church does give me pause. Maybe that will have to be sufficient for now. The news coming out of and about the Vatican is depressing at times and embarrassing at others.

First as a deacon-candidate, and then as a deacon assigned to Holy Rosary Church in Washington, DC, I had the pleasure of meeting Archbishop Sambi on numerous occasions. Holy Rosary is the Italian ethnic parish, and we would consitently have visiting clergy from the Nuncio say the 10:30 Italian Mass. During his first visit, it was clear that he was on a first-name basis with many of the native Italian parishioners, and soon came to be with numerous others. Lunch with him at the rectory was always a time of good conversation, and genuine interest. He was a frequent visitor and an inspiring preacher, unafraid to be a regular guy yet comfortable as a member of the church hierarchy. There was no pretense in him whatsoever. His candid nature lacked the aloofness so often associatied with the hierarchy, and this made him a man of the people, so desperately needed in our times. He will be sorely missed by the United States, certainly. But Holy Rosary will miss a dear and valued friend in Christ.

As I read one story after another about the Vatican being attacked, I always wonder what fuels these attacks and what the underlying issues about the institutional catholic church are. I think to put it in the most succinct terms, the catholic church has had unbridled power and influence in the world for centuries. In the last hundred years with the onslaught of mass media, the church can no longer control its own press. It has succumbed to the fast response, to the sound byte, which it never had to do in the past. Usually the church would wait out whatever criticism it was experiencing. Those days are long gone. It is now just one more all too human institution attempting to hold on to its supposed divine origins. It is failing miserably.

"Those with a gripe with the Vatican smelling blood in the water" is a very poor allegory for a journalist so well versed.
There are valid substantial reasons for Catholics to be unhappy if you ask me.
Thousands upon thousands of innocent children's lives ruined world wide, with the same amount recorded documentation of subsequent coverups.
Now we're into the illegal and forced adoptions by Catholic agencies of illegitimate children, in Australia at the moment, with other countries soon to follow suite no doubt.
The Archdiocese of Melbourne may not have been the only Catholic Maternity hospital that catered for women giving birth to clergymen's infants, (vanishing to God knows where), after all, to preserve the priesthood. with no records of who their true parents are.

Is obvious you are comparing critics to sharks, what I think is very unchristian. Sometimes, criticism is the only way to show love to someone: would you give a pat in the shoulder to your son, if he was on the way to beat others? Truly, blood is not in the water, is in the hierarchy hands. Not only in Ireland or the States. Please read this recent piece of news from Associated Press:

"BERLIN (AP) — The number of people leaving the Roman Catholic Church in Germany jumped by nearly 50 percent in 2010 as an abuse scandal widened, new data showed Friday. Some 181,000 people quit their memberships last year, up from 124,000 in 2009, official numbers released by Germany's Roman Catholic Church showed. Deaths and people turning away from the church heavily outnumbered baptisms, which reached a record low, putting one of the world's wealthiest and most influential Catholic Churches further in decline.

Over the past twenty years, the number of members of Germany's Roman Catholic Church has fallen from 28.3 million to 24.6 million or 30.2 percent of the country's population in 2010, the data showed. The numbers are easily tracked because members pay a church tax unless they formally leave the congregation — the same reason the declining membership has led to increasing budget shortfalls for the church. The new figures come ahead of a planned visit by Bavarian-born Pope Benedict XVI on Sept 22-25, when he is scheduled to visit the cities of Freiburg, Erfurt and Berlin where he will deliver a speech to German parliament.

Germans are not required to say why they want to strike their church membership, but many have blamed the reports of sexual and physical abuse of hundreds of children by clergy that surfaced last year. The diocese that recorded the highest member loss last year was Munich and Freising — the pope's former diocese, which had been hard-hit by the abuse scandal — where 21,600 people alone left the church. The Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, late last year begged forgiveness for "everything those working for the church have done" as he presented a report that showed more-than 250 priests and religion teachers sexually or physically abused children in the diocese over the past decades. "We want to learn from our bad mistakes and misconduct of the past," Marx then vowed.

In its response to the abuse scandal, Germany's Bishops Conference has publicly and repeatedly showed remorse, changed the relevant guidelines for the clergy and offered up to euro5,000 ($6,900) compensation to victims of abuse by clergy or church officials while they were minors, but it gave no total number of victims. The overall number of German faithful in 2010 fell by a total of 258,000 as deaths and people turning away from the church heavily outnumbered baptisms, which reached a record low of 170,000.

Austria, which taxes church members in a way similar to those in Germany also saw a significant drop in the number of departures. Figures published by the Austrian Bishop's Conference earlier this year said 87,000 Austrian Catholics left in 2010, a 64 percent increase over the 53,000 who formally had their names struck from church registries in 2009."

Being acritical don't help, if you really love the Church.

Dear Mr. Allen

It seems that the recent Irish/Vatican tensions are a defining moment for the current Curia crew. This is a Golden opportunity to clean this mess once and for all, and establish clear regulations in collaboration with democratic secular authorities to prevent abuse of children. This should not be difficult to implement. You mentioned “lack of oversight for bishops”, but that is a little disingenuous. When it is convenient both to the Bishops and the Curia, Bishops are accountable to no one. But, God forbid, should one speak about the option of the poor, for example, as was done during the time of Sobrino and his martyred colleagues, one is immediately censored by Rome.

If one puts together Cardinal Hoyos Castrillon publicly available statements, it is very clear that the Curia was protecting clerics above the safety of children. The role of the Curia in the abuse scandal, to date, has not been clearly addressed by the Pope. Why this obfuscation? If Bishop Magee could get away with not following rules only 3 years ago, there is still a big problem.

In addition, there is evidence of recent steps backwards. In the US, this includes the poorly written, confusing John Jay Report. This report ridiculously redefines childhood as ending at 11 years, to make the problem look “less bad”. Also in the US, diocesan channels of reporting of abuse are anything but transparent. Just look at posted diocesan webpage guidelines. These show little concern for the well being of abused children. Instead these were written by lawyers to take advantage of definitions like “mandated reporter” (in other words, because diocesan staff are not legally “mandated reporters” they can do what they want). In the US there is no official tracking of aggregate number of abusing priests using clear definitions, there is no methodologies posted. Plus if a Bishops is an abuser himself, he does not fall under diocesans systems of reporting. Until crystal clear and transparent rules (not “guidelines”, or “suggestions”) are in place, fully endorsed by Rome, the whole Church will be under attack. Brave priests and Bishops, like those in China, will suffer and pay the price.

But this is something that people in the Curia, as well as your beloved so called “premier heavyweights in the Catholic world” don’t seem to care (look at Mr Weigle’s recent statement). They don’t care if the Church sinks, as long as they can keep control of cult-like brain washed members of the Three Amigos movements (OD, LC and NC), and their other like minded compadres with their $$$$. As long as they can move ahead with their “holiness” for sale (Monsanto/Garza GMO “Holy” seeds, Neostem inc/OD non-peer reviewed “Holy cure”, etc, etc..), that’s all that counts. This pseudo “New Evangelization” for the rosy cheeked well healed is not going to go very far either.

This is a defining moment: its time for Church leaders to stop shooting themselves in the feet (more importantly the feet of the Church).
Ounces the Church cleans up this mess, sure, leaders will in the position of turning the table on those attacking: why is it that Ireland produced and exported so many abusing priests? What is about that society? What about other places, places like Germany, how do they treat children and young people? Etc..

Lots of prayers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID7o5L3CaRU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq-ZGktYWWA

I welcomed the appreciation of Archbishop Sambi because other than this piece I knew next to nothing of the man. Its length and the time I had to read it necessitates another go at it, however. At any rate: RIP,Archbishop Sambi.

Also I need to reread the three segments going to support the article's title. It was clever to link a ruthless Chinese regime's twisting of the curial action as well as mafiosa demands to the Irish situation as if they have a lot of common ground and then to pull in the good Fr. Lombardi's work without going into the Vatican State's recall of the nuncio to Ireland (I keep wondering if this was a move similar to a country recalling an ambassador when snubs by another country occur). The references to the New Evangelization Department and the upcoming synod appear to be the ribbon that ties the package together.

As for the title issue: what about the growing globalization of signatories on lists calling for deep, deep ecclesiastical reform? What kind of "evangelization" will quell this unrest? these caring voices?

Dear John, with the exception of your claim to familiarity with Sambi's FAMILY I would like to contain my comment to the Irish section. Please read
the accounts in todays Irish Times and the Independent to get a balanced view of what is happening. You appear to have what I term a 3rd or 4th generation
removed ssense of Irish Catholicism. Say hello to the real thing... born in
Dublin in 1941, I grew up in the Dr. McQuaid era.
It was Irelands misfortune to have Eamon DeValera be in politics instead of the Church where he would have been a better fit. He could not make any decision without first consulting 'the bishop'. As a result, after the removal of the British, the Ecclesiastics were ensconced as the de facto
rulers in the state. You need to get a historical perspective on the real
relationship of the Catholic Church in Ireland pre and post 1921. The catholic hierarchy was always pro British. [Did you know that?] Example:
When the signers of our declaration of Independence were shot at Kilmainham Jail they were not attended by Secular Clergy. It was Franciscans from
Merchants Key who attended to the needs of the condemned men. You have
to understand that we were not anticlerical in the sense you would understand.
The Religious orders were held in great esteem. My Parish was St Michaels
Kilmainham/Inchicore. At 13 I was recruited to the Salesian Community. I will
alwasy recall how my mother responded to a friend of my brother who was to enter the secular seminary at the same time.... "Is that the best you could do?". She was very up front for a small lady. In my day, any stranger loking for a catholic Church was always referred to one of the major religious community churches in the city. Franciscans, Passionists, Jesuits etc etc....
It was shortly before I came to America that the vicelike power of Dr. McQuaid
was broken. It happened very simply. He had for years declared that Trinity
College was Protestant and out of bounds for Irish Catholics. His personal
permission was required anbd usually denied. Then we had a new minister for
education who basically combined the universities since they were both state supported. [The other was U.C.D. University College Dublin the "catholic" school.] The Bishop was livid, how dare a mere government puppet defy him.
The answer was simple and direct. We have separation of church and state, and
respectfully, I am the Minister for Education. It was essentially downhill
for the Ecclesiastic Power trip.
We have never looked back.
The Irish Free State freely admitted its part in colluding with many religious institutions and has paid out the lions share of the monies for
helping out the afflicted. The religious side of the payout has been
meager by comparison and has to be extracted like teeth by the vet. What
you call a blistering attack, I happen to see as a very balanced attempt to
get the atteention of a Vatican which presumes to have its own culture and its
own sense of time. But that is ancient history now. Its the Vatican that
has to come to terms with the present age and its time sense. It does not
have hundreds of years to come to terms with reality any more.
Unless it finds its feet and very quickly you will see nationalized catholic churches in many more places than China. Perhaps in the long run that would be healthy. If worldwide the catholic church drives out all the creative
souls we will only have the mindless drones left. That does not bode well for
a future. Even for our church its adapt or die! Stepping back to Trent is
a death knoll.
I was not at all happy with your "smell blood in the water" comment. I am
obviously unrepentingly liberal and Vatican II minded and I love my church
warts and all. I personally know the evil of a mindless approach to religion.
Clericalism is the death of faith. I grew up with it, I was once very mistakenly, even attracted to it. I got over it! I will not be going to
Trent. Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maaaaaaaaxima Culpa!
TomC

Maybe, what "people with a beef against the Vatican" see, rather than "smell" is that the Holy Spirit continues to press the Church to change. It belittles the importance of Kenny's statements to align them with the actions of the Chinese government in appointing bishops. The Chinese actions are not unexpected, given their grudging admittance of any type of religious worship, and their absolute need for control. The Irish Prime Minister's action, given that it was a condemnation of the Church's failings from a very Catholic man of a very Catholic nation, are of a different order.

It might be more telling to include, in the list of those with a "beef against the Vatican" the priests in Austria and Australia who refuse to watch silently as the priesthood continues to decline while the Church clings to a tradition that is killing it. While Jesus did not name a female to be one of the original 12 disciples, no where does he say a woman cannot be a disciple and the early Church accepted women as leaders. Certainly if you wanted to talk about "blood in the water" that should be mentioned, this decimation in the priestly ranks and the loss to the Catholic faithful of those who proclaim and bring the sacraments to them.

If people smell blood in the water, would it not be more useful to see where the blood is coming from? To attempt to heal the wounds? To see that the wounds are not just the wounds of the hierarchy, but also the wounds of the faithful? Those who seek change are not piranhas pushed to a feeding frenzy, but are also true members of this faith.

Catholics need to turn the Vatican upside down and shake the hell out of the place!!!!!!!!!

The essence: The Catholic hierarchy disgraced themselves, and have not been held accountable for their crimes. This cannot be explained away.

Has The Rock been negligent, breached its duty of care or committed crimes against god? then tell us your truthful stories of abuse and neglect and your views.

Is The Rock built on sand like Christchurch? Will the Pope vacate the Vatican?

Is the Holy Pilon (mortar & pestle = bread) as powerful as the Holy Grail (Chalice = water)?

At C.1:Q.96, Nostradamus foretells of an iconoclastic prophet, using refined language to continually educate, who is raised in the Last Days.

Logmion is here and says "Bring Back Petrus Romanus"

Facebook Logmion Pilon

What we have today is the 10 second sound byte and the cacaphony of the modern internet. The Church's record of things like dealing with sexual abuse of children is absolutely no worst than any other group of sectors. And statistically there is not much of it and today almost none. We only expect more from the Church on this and other issues than we do other groups.

We are in an angry age, getting angrier by the day. For those who think the Church is failing, I can only point out that governments are failing everywhere and politicians are looking frantically for scape goats. For those who do not trust the Church, I ask do you really trust Government?!

Portugal, August the 2th. This morning, when I opened the newspaper, the first thing I read: The Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, D. José Policarpo, was called to Rome, to receive an "admonition" by Tarcisio Bertone, the all-powerfull Vatican's secretary of State (he reigns, while BXVI reads). I must confess that I felt deeply ashamed and humiliated. Because Cardinal Policarpo is a very good man that all his life was a Church's faithful servant. He is a respected theologian and someone who was able to keep the peace in the Portuguese Church during very hard times.

Why was he called, in such a shameful way? 1)You and your friends spotted - and wrote about (or, if you prefer, denounced) - a statement he made in an interview published in an obscure magazine, belonging to the lawyers order, that no one had noticed before; 2) In this interview he said that he saw no theological reason not to ordain women, even if he doubted that this could happen soon; 3) According to my sources, all his life Cardinal Policarpo was oposed to the growing influence of Opus Dei in Portugal, and, during the years he directed the Catholic University he stoped all the attempts that the movement made to dominate the same university; 4)Everybody knows that Bertone is a enthusiastic supporter of OD and of the "holyness" of its founder, that creepy creature called Escrivà.

Conclusion: one more "fascist" act by the hierarchy; the shameful humiliation of a faithful servant who offered to resign when he turned 75, but obeyed BXVI when the Pope asked him to stay for another two years.

A final recomendation: the Popes, that since JPII, turned Rome in a factory of saints, must be more careful in the requisites to saintwood. Let me remind you of the words of the previous American ambassador to the Vatican about Fr. Maciel: "He has an hallow of saintwood all around him", she said. QED.

Ray Zanger above makes an interesting point: "It strikes me that I have three relationships with the Church: personael, local and global. The first two are healthy and actually thriving. The global Church does give me pause. Maybe that will have to be sufficient for now."

I have heard his position suggested so often that it hurts. Yes he has a point, but it gnaws at me more often than the statistics on males thinking of sex.

Many of us can separate these dimensions and be satisfied. So his parish satisfies his Catholicism, as for so many of us. We fool ourselves into thinking that our parish is a community. It is not really, it is a module, a sub-set, a branch outlet of an international institution. It's akin to assuaging my conscience for belonging to an all-male/all-gentile golf club because there doesn't seem to be any females or Jews around.

On the other hand, argue that parishes are real communities - then do I not have a responsibility, for "less fortunate" ones, for the "community of communities". Am I not vulnerable to the virus that affects the whole?

And...the bishop can remove the priest, change the rules without consulting and...poof, there went my complacency.

If Kenny introduces legislation to repeal the seal of the confessional, he should be excommunicated, even if the legislation doesn't pass. All Catholic PMs who vote for this legislation should be excommunicated as well. Kenny has the support of a Jew in his government for this legislation. This Jew is the one who will be prosecuting priests who fail to break the seal of the confessional. I doubt this legislation will pass in the parliament & if it does it will probably be struck down by the Irish High Court.

Ireland already has legislation on the books which defends not only the seal of the confessional but also all confidential exchanges between a person & his clergyman. Legislation already on the books would have to be repealed before Kenny could get his legislation passed in the parliament. Kenny tries to pass himself off as a practicing Catholic but what kind of Catholic would support this kind of legislation? Only a bastard Catholic & that is exactly what Kenny is, pure & simple! If my Irish Catholic granny were alive today, she would smack his face!