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PDF versionSex abuse doesn't top cardinals' agenda -- literally
by Eugene Cullen Kennedy on Nov. 11, 2010
The famous management consultant Peter Drucker once suggested that “You can go to meetings or you can work, but you can’t do both.”
Drucker is guilty of common sense -- against the use of which Vatican officials must swear an oath before taking up their duties -- and Pope Benedict XVI is out to disprove his theory by having two meetings and working magic, all at the same time.
The pope is not only convening a consistory at which -- to use the modest papal vocabulary -- he will “create” two dozen new cardinals, but he is also calling a day-long meeting of the world’s 200 cardinals at the same time.
In the meeting, the pope will turn the cardinals into seminarians again by placing them on a retreat-like schedule. It should be familiar to anyone who has ever lived in a seminary or a religious house.
The Nov. 19 convocation is billed as an opportunity for these princes of the church to “reflect and pray” about sex abuse, a subject that -- according to Vatican custom -- is barely mentioned. There may be some Druckerites among the cardinals who are afraid that they can reflect or they can pray, but they can’t do both at the same time.
This cardinalatial quandary is illustrated in the Loyola study of bishops who admitted that they loved answering their mail but that most of them were ill-at-ease praying or meditating.
The cardinals will be turned back into apple-cheeked seminarians again when they gather at the Vatican for a 9:30 a.m. opening prayer, which seems to take care of that activity for the morning. The prayer will be followed immediately by talks by what are described as “top papal aides” on two topics -- the first on international religious liberty that is under threat in Islamic lands and by secularism in once boldly Christian Europe.
Does the pope really think the cardinals haven’t heard about this? Treating them as if they had not is, of course, the first step in transforming them back into seminarians -- that is, making them receptive and quietly obedient to papal teaching.
The companion lecture is on “the liturgy in the life of the church today,” which is code for promoting Benedict’s efforts to reform the reforms of Vatican II through an intensive course in giving more CPR to the dead Latin language of the Tridentine Mass.
The cardinals, in short, are, very much like seminarians of another era, being indoctrinated and then given some time to themselves. They will find out if they can concentrate and nap at the same time -- until they reconvene for another seminary replay of Vespers at 5 p.m., after which they will hear yet another Vatican official speak on the 10th anniversary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith's declaration Dominus Iesus.
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How could you forget that document? It reasserted that Catholicism was the only true church that could offer salvation through Jesus -- and that while Protestant churches are “ecclesial communities,” they are not “churches in the true sense.”
That was not an ecumenical winner a decade ago, but it certainly fits into Benedict’s plan not only to change men into boys for the day but to proclaim time travel as his legacy.
As shadows fall and the day wanes, William Cardinal Levada, head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, will give two talks -- the first on Benedict’s controversial plan to bring conservative Anglicans who are upset with their own church into the Catholic Church. Then Levada will speak on the “Response of the Church to Sexual Abuse” -- you remember, the subject on which they are allegedly assembling “to reflect and pray.”
If the cardinals do reflect or pray they won’t have time to express much concern on what is not just a “topic,” but is really a wound that remains undiagnosed, largely untreated, and clearly unhealed. Leaving it to the end of the day without a forum for exchange by men who share the solemn obligation to explore and deal with this subject may make them seminarians, but it does something far worse for Catholics in general and sexual abuse victims in particular.
It shows that these princes reduced to seminarians cannot reflect and pray at the same time.
It also reveals that at the same time they can -- perhaps unwittingly and under the cover of papal auspices -- in one and the same day both scandalize and abuse Catholics all over the world.
[Eugene Cullen Kennedy is emeritus professor of psychology at Loyola University, Chicago.]
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Read more about the consistory: Sex abuse, religious freedom on agenda of cardinals' meeting
Read NCR senior correspondent John L. Allen Jr.'s report: Cardinals to discuss sex abuse crisis Nov. 19
The program described here
The program described here follows the exact format of executive briefings held for top executives all over the world. I don't remember anything even remotely like this in my seminary years, and I'm not sure why Dr. Kennedy would want to waste an opportunity to brief 200 cardinals on issues that affect them, their confreres, and the churches they serve. My hope is that the pope sends them all home with specific marching orders to ensure that clergy sex abuse is finally ended, and I don't much care how he gets that done. Frankly, I think he should have held such hardball meetings long ago, and maybe even taken back some red hats and miters from those who couldn't end abuse in their dioceses.
By the way, the Peter Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management is right up the road from me in Claremont, and they have both meetings and executive briefings all the time.
"Hardball" is reserved for
"Hardball" is reserved for proponents of women's ordination or the inclusion of homosexuals as non-"disordered" members worthy of respect within our Church. Never used with those who perpetrated or covered up clergy sexual abuse. Just ask Bernard Cardinal Law.
A strong dose of their own
A strong dose of their own pseudo-spirituality medicine often given to the "faithful laiety"!
Too bad the cardinals probably won't "see" it as patronizing their own intelligence and personal integrity.
In this case, it also appears
In this case, it also appears that Pope Benedict is returning to the M.O. of his earlier days as a professor.
After Vatican Council II, when he became a professor at Tubingen University (the most prestigious and erudite university in Germany---which he got into it by the kindly offices of Hans Kung), Joseph Ratzinger could not handle any type of lively give and take with students and faculty members there. He left and helped to create a new university at Regensburg, where the students became known for their docility. There was no dialoguing, no questioning, and it was so much more secure and controllable for the future Pope.
And now with the Cardinals---the same papal mind-set now appears to be in action.
1) All Cardinals should be provided during this day l-o-n-g meeting with
the strongest amounts of coffee that they can drink.
2) If the Cardinals subject themselves to this schedule (without
insisting for time to discuss), they will be recognizing that
Pope Benedict is not the "Servant of the Servants of God" (a title
Pope Gregory the Great (590-604) adopted). He will be the
ecclesiastical Fuher, because ecclesial totalitarianism is
the favorite stance of this Pope.
While I prefer him to his
While I prefer him to his predecessor, I am hardly a fan of the direction Benedict seems to be going in, so I should say that the situation Benedict and many other professors in German universities faced in 1968 was hardly "any type of lively give and take." Disruptive Marxists aren't really what most of us look for in theology departments. Take my word for it -- I once spent an evening with Mark Rudd, and I know the type.
Hummm... let's see if I
Hummm... let's see if I understand this correctly.
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We have a papal in-service/"retreat" on selling the company line:
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1. The Vatican is all about freedom of religion in countries where the Catholic Church has no power or political influence — but everywhere else, not so much.
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2. William Cardinal Levada, who was promoted to head the CDF fresh on the heels of his own scandalous enabling of sexual assault, dodging process servers and promoting predators, in-servicing cardinals about sexual abuse by clergy (seemingly on the schedule for "reflection" as an after-thought).
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3. And of course, let's not forget the disgruntled Anglicans who can't get along within their own faith community... so let's bring them into the Catholic communion so they can team-up with the neo-trads to torment and attempt to run off everyone who isn't exactly like themselves, or whose conscience isn't "formed" to their personal specifications. (Perhaps there is need of a retreat on the topic of spiritual pride as a mortal sin?)
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Yep, the Peter Principle is alive and well in Rome. Too bad that the Lord of the Church seems to have been lost in the shuffle of "worshiping" an institution, its ritual and its hierarchs, or that forming one's conscience and actions to HIS will is not on the agenda. 'Not much different than the religious leaders of Jesus' day — and we know what the Lord of the Church had to say about them.
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+ Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, pray for us. +
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I think Gene Kennedy (and all
I think Gene Kennedy (and all of us who were seminarians in 1950s and early 60s) will remember the heresy of seminarianism -- the heresy that teaches that "if you dress a boy like a girl and treat him as a child, you can somehow miraculously transform him into a man". Sounds like there's a corollary modern heresy that believes that if you take a bunch of old men, dress them in fancy 15th century robes and demand strict and unthinking obedience, that somehow they can miraculosly become thinking leaders for a 21st century Church. The old heresy didn't work and neither will this one.
Thank you, Eugene Cullen
Thank you, Eugene Cullen Kennedy, you have said it well.
The operative words are just that, "a wound that remains undiagnosed, largely untreated, and clearly unhealed."
Is there any reason to hope when none among the hierarchy are inclined to accept responsibility for their complicity in all of this?
Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Victims' Advocate
New Castle, Delaware, USA
maureenpaulturlish@yahoo.com
Mr. Kennedy: As a point of
Mr. Kennedy:
As a point of clarification, Dominus Iesus was a document issued by the CDF, not a papal encyclical.
Regarding a larger point, your argument that scheduling morning prayer and vespers somehow turns the cardinals into seminarians is nonsense.
I share your frustration and anger over the sex abuse crisis; I just wish you would use this column to offer some constructive suggestions for moving forward, rather than composing bitter and incoherent tirades
Ryan, your catch about
Ryan, your catch about Dominus Jesus was right on, but you forgot to mention that the CDF document came under the aegis of Benedict XVI (aka Cardinal Ratizinger) & that it had the approbation of the Pope of the time. You didn't catch a mountain, only a molehill.
Regarding your second alleged point: are we not supposed to understand metaphors when we see them? Do we have to sink to the level of literalism?
Thirdly, you persist in calling the crisis one of sex-abuse when, clearly the crisis/scandal lies in use of power to cover-up. This persistent use side-steps the real issue(s). The scandal lies in the fact that we, the church, can no longer have confidence in the body of men who are supposed to be servant leaders. I for one, appreciate the courage and literary ability of Professor Kennedy's eye-opening prose.
You concentrate on minutiae. The message as I see it, is EXACTLY as the headline proclaims: although this Papal-mandated gathering is touted, spun to make us think the "sex abuse crisis" is a THE topic, it's hardly so. Since when, Ryan, is exposure of the truth a "bitter and incoherent tirade()"?
"...after which they will
"...after which they will hear yet another Vatican official speak on the 10th anniversary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith's declaration Dominus Iesus." No catch. He clearly identified it as a CDF / Ratzinger document.
Yes, but ... Dominus Jesus is
Yes, but ... Dominus Jesus is a major talking point in the creeping infallibility debate.
As for the rest, yawn your way through the day of the meeting, as will most of those present, and just enjoy the thrilling dress-up spectacle, swish of silk and glint of gold the following day.
Walter - NCR's editors
Walter - NCR's editors corrected the remark after my comment was posted.
JKrebs - My reference to the sex abuse crisis is a shorthand reference to encompass all of the issues involved. Obviously, I'm not going to list every single factor involved every time I refer to the issue. Your comment about me reading too literally doesn't make sense. Mr. Kennedy's whole notion that the cardinals are being turned into seminarians is simply off-base, whatever one thinks of the rest of the piece. It makes complete sense as the consistory gathers that the cardinals would convene for prayer and to discuss certain pressing issues regarding the life of the Church. Now, one might quibble with the solutions proposed, or even charge the Holy Father and cardinals with being more concerned about p.r. than solving the problems. But, the overall rhetorical device in the article is weak: it's not clever and it actually breeds division.
Mr. Kennedy is clearly a very bitter man. I'm not saying this b/c I disagree with certain positions that he holds; that's just a statement of fact. If an objective third party were brought to this site--a person not in any way connected to the Catholic Church--she would immediately notice Mr. Kennedy's bitterness. I personally believe that if we are going to make some headway on these problems we are going to have to turn away from bitterness and start practicing charity in dialogue. I don't understand how calling for charity and constructive dialogue is concentrating on "minutiae." Such a charge is ad hominem and gets us nowhere. As the book of Ephesians commends, let us speak the truth in love.
Will Ratzinger ever begin to
Will Ratzinger ever begin to assume personal responsibility for the clerical abuse crisis and cover up by the bishops? If not, he can have meetings and make apologies until the cows come home but this scandal will continue.
There have been articles that have tried to hold him blameless because, we, are told, his hands were tied by JPII. BALONEY!
He knew what was going down; he knew it big time! He could have threatened JPII with his resignation unless he could move forward with immediate laicization of convicted clerical pedophiles and the immediate removal of Marcial Maciel. That would have blown this whole scandal and cover up out of the water! Heaven forbid that should ever happen! Now, all we have is damage control! Terrific! That'll help a lot!
Instead, Ratzinger rationalized it would be better to bend to the superior knowledge of JPII. He used the excuse of preserving the image of the Church as sufficient justification to throw the victims of the sex scandal under the bus.
WHEN WILL HE COME CLEAN ABOUT HIS REASONING BEHIND SCANDAL THAT LED HIM TO THE COVER UP?
To merely attribute all these reprehensible actions to the devil or sin is unacceptable! These were crimes against humanity! Any thoughtful person could see that. Why not Ratzinger?
Sorry, the scandal of cover up continues to fester and every day that passes the infection spreads. Is there a real doctor in the house?
"Will Ratzinger ever begin to
"Will Ratzinger ever begin to assume personal responsibility for the clerical abuse crisis and cover up by the bishops?" Maybe when hell freezes over?
Dear Cardinal
Dear Cardinal Schoenborn,
Fifteen years ago, I went public about having been abused by two priests at Junior Seminary. I was young, fearless and angry. At that time, I received an anonymous letter from " A priest." In it he thanked me for having the courage to speak out on behalf of people like him - people who "no longer have the strength to speak out anymore." The letter was heart breaking.
He had been abused as a child by a priest and it was obvious from his letter that this man was suffering, suffering to the point of suicide.
I never found out what became of that poor man, my brother priest. I had no way of contacting him. My way of supporting him from afar was to continue to speak out and to ask for a more honest and courageous Church.
Shortly afterwards - in the same year that he wrote to a French Bishop who had covered up for an abuser priest, and hailed the Bishop "a hero" - Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos wrote to my Bishop, ordering him to shut me up. I was appalled and confused..... and so naive!
Years later, I find myself in a position I never thought possible then. I could write the same letter I received from that priest. I am broken, worn out and my confidence is in shreds.
Things have changed. My heart used to miss a beat when I read Karl Rahner - "I envisage a courageous, new, world-wide theology.. a theology which doesnt shun conflict... which doesnt just flick through the pages of our familiar friend Denzinger... a theology which listens to the wisdom from the East, which hears the cries for freedom in Latin America, a theology which hears the sound of African drums beating."
Things have indeed changed because it is now the Catholic people of Europe and America who desperately need to be listened to. They are speaking a profound truth and your colleagues are simply not listening.
Cardinal Schoenborn, I met you last year. I was so impressed. You have the wisdom, the humility, the compassion and the courage to make such a colossal change to our Church. Someone has to speak out. Someone in the College of Cardinals has to say, "Enough is enough!" I believe you are that man.
Words from this Sunday's Gospel - "You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives."
Please make your friend Benedict listen.
God bless you Father Anthony,
God bless you Father Anthony, you are in my prayers. Yes, Schoenborn is the one. Let´s pray for him, can you get your appeal to him in Austria? He would be a reforming Pope. Don´t lose hope, but get your message to him, not just publicly, but privately!
When Hell freezes over and
When Hell freezes over and Schoenorn is elected Pope, he'll most likely meet the same fate as JPI.
It's absolutely appaulling
It's absolutely appaulling that we have to read such heartbreaking comments such as this. Where on earth is the character of Christ in these clergy relative to this contribution.
The church as it is, is doomed and no spiritual rhetoric will ever save it
We see instances on a daily basis where the writing is on the wall:
The finger of God is surely writing something here and it has nothing to do with Judaism.
Please don't despair, Fr.
Please don't despair, Fr. Anthony! I will be praying for you! Anyone who reads your story will be including you in their prayers. God bless you and keep you.
Eugene, if the last decade is
Eugene, if the last decade is any guide, I can tell you who and what they will blame for the sex abuse scandal at this consistory: Vatican II, women, homosexuals, lawyers, the victims, and, of course, the press.
We need a surgeon to go to
We need a surgeon to go to Rome and reinstall the cardinals' backbones!
The Church is desperate for
The Church is desperate for leadership. But they won't ordain married people, or even women religious.
Celibacy was a response to nepotism, more than it was a call to spirituality.
It seems to have attracted a number of sexually immature / disfuntional young men and failed to educate and form them according to the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Anyone who questioned was labeled with 'Intellectual Pride.'
It's time to return to the early Church, when 'two or three are gathered in My Name." and "Do this in memory of me." The "Breaking of the Bread' was not restricted to the 'ordained.'
I recommend Joseph Marren's "Talking Treason in Church" Link: http://books.google.com/books?id=bIF3mr0RbU0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=mar...
B16, his predecessors and his
B16, his predecessors and his yes-men colleagues, by protecting their own skins, instead of demonstrating a tough stand on moral responsibility in the face of Evil, have given the bulk of ordinary Catholics a strong message --"YOU AND YOUR CONCERNS ARE IRRELEVANT TO OUR INSTITUTION..."
Well, the ordinary Catholics have started sending back their response in the First World, which might blaze a trail for the 3rd World as well --
"THE HIERARCHY IS LARGELY A BUNCH OF PHARAISEES AND OF LITTLE PRACTICAL USE IN GUIDING US TO LIVE TRULY CHRIST-LIKE LIVES!!"
In the words of the Gospels, "Do you expect good fruit from thornbushes??? Of course not, they are cut down and thrown into the fire..."
Ignoring the obvious signs of dry rot and corruption in the Church leadership will merely bring about its collapse... And I don't intend to get caught in the rubble!!!
I would like to be a fly on
I would like to be a fly on the wall during the smoke and coffee breaks with these so-called "Princes" of the Church. Does a discussion about how lame this pope is or how they are all responsible for covering-up the child abuse by priests ever occur? Or do they all remind each other of their solemn duty to keep quiet?
I find it interesting that
I find it interesting that Catholics over sixty are complaining about the new translation. Would it surprisem you that young Catholics are embracing this change? If those who translated the liturgy from Latin to English in the sixties had done their job correctly, we would not have this problem today.
I question how many of these comments were written by Catholics?
I don't know where you get
I don't know where you get the info regarding young Catholics who are embracing the changes. I have worked with Young Adults all my life both in Catholic Ministry and as a collage professor and I can tell you that from my observations, they have left the church in large numbers. I personally know several young men who considered a vocation to the priesthood but decided not to join because it became painfully clear to them that the Church was not a Church they wanted to be a part of while it covered up the sins of priests, led lazy liturgies, excluded women from any meaningful roles and treated their mother's and sister's as little more then servants. They do not view word changes to Liturgy as the prime role of Leader's of Christ Church.
As for the many young, well educated, women I encountered, most of them either have left the Church or if they have stayed, vowed to never do more then attend Mass, pray, and receive Sacraments. The days are gone when they will do the biding of their priests. They get involved with Social Justice organizations, volunteer to promote worthwhile causes, and wait for change.
I, for one, pray they have the Spiritual Guidance of the Holy Spirit to continue to grow in Faith with or without the aid of the Church!
Anonymous on Nov. 12,
Anonymous on Nov. 12, 2010.
You stated:
"I find it interesting that Catholics over sixty are complaining about the new translation. Would it surprisem you that young Catholics are embracing this change? If those who translated the liturgy from Latin to English in the sixties had done their job correctly, we would not have this problem today.
I question how many of these comments were written by Catholics?"
----------------------------------------------
What young Catholics are embracing the change? Students from reactionary Catholic universities and colleges? Many of the young people that I know are horrified at the shoddy translation from Latin to English, for one thing. And the implication in all of these translations is that Latin is God's favorite language.
Secondly, apparently you have not read any of the accounts of the shady dealings going on in the Vatican since Joseph Ratzinger came to Rome. He had been working behind the scenes to undermine the work of the ICEL (who were putting together a better version of English liturgy)---abd replacing the membership with pro-Latin scholars. None of these people speak English as their first language. But they are going to impose their version of an a badly translated English liturgy upon English-speaking peoples. If this is something that you and your friends can stand up for---you will probably fall for anything coming out of the Vatican.
Being a Catholic does not mean that one has traded in her/his intelligence, education and common-sense for mentality of a dumb sheep.
I think you'd be surprised to
I think you'd be surprised to learn just how many Catholics are sick of this charade the hierarchy has been keeping up. I've found Catholics fall into one of 3 categories: Group 1. The devout, won't question leadership, feel bad about the sexual abuse crisis, wring their hands over the cover-up, but largely remain silent because they are either in denial, too old to change their ways, or lack the courage and perseverence it requires to question leadership. They are the faithful donors who will support anything "The Church" deems important. Note to The Church...this group is dying off and you may be on some of their beneficiary lists. Group 2. Those who cry over the abuse, question why their leadership left the victims high and dry, are silently angry about the handling of it. In a word, they are frustrated. This group feels bad, wants things to be different, but doesn't know how that's supposed to happen. They remain largely complacent. They may or may not donate to The Church as they used to. Note to The Church: This group can't handle one more lie from their leadership. If you were on their beneficiary list, you aren't now. Group 3: This group knows what's going on, realizes The Church is completely misaligned with Christ's Teachings on the handling of the sex abuse crisis. Remains close to the spiritual aspects of THEIR Church, listens to victims and their families. Because they believe what He taught and not what they (hierarchy) taught, they speak up to the leadership. Note to Church: You were never on their beneficiary list and you won't see their donations either. They will trust you when your actions match His words.
"Would it surprise you that
"Would it surprise you that young Catholics are embracing this change?"
No, but it would also not surprise me (age 62+) that young Catholics are not embracing the new translation.
Please clarify your message and give source(s) for any information involving percentages, population sampled, etc.
In the meantime, sociologists of religion James Davidson and Dean Hoge ("Minding the Gap: The Return of the Lay-Clerical Divide" published in COMMONWEAL a few years ago) predicted that we can expect to see a growing divide ("expectation gap") between the so-called "JPII priests", on the one hand, and the laity --- both old *and* young --- on the other hand. While newer Catholic clergy are embracing JPII's idea of their "ontological" superiority over the laity, the latter --- better educated and informed --- will be demanding a greater role in parish governance and administration. The impending clash, these social scientists seem to be suggesting, is inevitable. To which I can only say: Bring it on!!!
Again, please clarify your message and give authoritative source(s), as appropriate.
Don't hold your breath.
Don't hold your breath. He/She was simply parroting Mother Angelica.
A prominent Lutheran
A prominent Lutheran theologian remarked to me, shortly after Benedict's election, that he didn't expect much from this Pope. Now I am beginning to see why.
We can say scientifically,
We can say scientifically, can we not, that the Kingdom of God continues to be, well, rather late in arriving.
Wow you are still bitter
Wow you are still bitter after all these years.
"...Benedict’s efforts to
"...Benedict’s efforts to reform the reforms of Vatican II through an intensive course in giving more CPR to the dead Latin language of the Tridentine Mass."
Anxiously awaiting youtube postings of the liturgies during this convocation.
http://www.youtube.com/user/vatican
In the meantime, let's not forget these oldies but goodies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEdyIvvUJB0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlkNpLnEqIY&feature=related
The minute I read that Levada
The minute I read that Levada was going to speak on the subject of the “Response of the Church to Sexual Abuse,” I knew that the Vatican was again playing a cruel joke on Catholics and the world.
God bless out Holy Father,
God bless out Holy Father, Benedict XVI. May he steer the Barque of Peter for many years to come!
B16 needs God's blessing.
B16 needs God's blessing.
Steer the Barque of Peter???
That presupposes some kind of leadership competency --- which this pope has yet to demonstrate!
Seeing how the John Jay data
Seeing how the John Jay data show pretty conclusively that we are in the 'clean up' phase of the 1960s and 1970s sexual abuse crisis, why would it be on the top of the agenda? It's yesterday's news.
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