The Independent News Source
NCR on Kindle - NCR classifieds - YouTube - Twitter - Facebook - Email Alerts - RSS
Printer-friendly version
PDF versionWhat is the sin of Bishop Finn?
by Eugene Cullen Kennedy on Oct. 28, 2011
Not many bishops can drag their whole diocese with them when they get indicted for failing to report information about a priest predator to the authorities. Sadly, many people are neither surprised nor saddened that Bishop Robert Finn has brought the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese -- the institutional apparatus not the people who are really the Church -- down this rabbit hole of ignominy with him for failing to act about a priest with a computer filled with child pornography.
That is because, as the quintessential cleric, Finn has always been joined in the manner of a Siamese twin with the hierarchical apparatus, sharing the same blood type -- purple, of course -- so that they move awkwardly together, something like merged banks so tightly bound by boiled balance sheets and bad debts that examiners judge them to be one clanking entity.
Actually Finn looks more like a nervous shoplifter than a bold sinner. There is a strange fittingness to his being indicted for a misdemeanor, the equivalent of a venial sin, something out of a child’s confession, say three Hail Marys and make a good act of contrition. Finn got where he is in the organization by not growing up, by remaining a boy whose apple-cheeked ambition was to become a bishop some day, bringing the news home to mother as he once did his gold starred report card.
Ambition, attention to unimportant details, a willingness to sacrifice oneself for the system in return for a good seat in the hierarchical skybox: These are the elements that, in the wonderful Roman phrase, allow a man to “make a career in the Church.”
Finn did not drag the institution into the misdemeanor pit after him. He was permanently fixed in boyhood when, hypnotized by the gleaming crozier bobbing down the cathedral aisle, and attracted by the idea that institutional power is something to be clung to, he was carried off, like a bad luck boy in a Dickens novel, to serve an apprenticeship in the once booming mill that did the finishing work on monsignors and gave the final polish to bishops before they were deployed within the hierarchical empire.
In fact, poor Finn was destined for this fate by the hierarchical enterprise to whose allures he gave himself before he had a chance to grow up and which he has served like a good boy anxious to please his father, the pope, that is, ever since. Now the pope has let it be known that he will not have any comments to make about Bishops Finn’s indictment and the latter is left to take the fall as the organization to which he gave so much gives him so little in his desperate hour.
Subscribe to NCR
Want to read more about important issues in the life of the Church? A subscription to NCR will keep you up to date and informed.
There is something poignant, as there always is about a boy abandoned, if not quite tragic, for a good boy is not a great man, about Finn’s present discomfort. He has learned, in a way that he earned even if he did not deserve it, what it is like to be a victim. Clericalism is, after all, an Aztec god that will tear any cleric’s heart out, whether he is guilty or innocent, as a necessary sacrifice to its own survival. Poor Finn now knows, as so many victims of clerical sexual predators do, what it is like to have the institution one loved and trusted stand massive and silent in the face of one’s suffering.
The Finn case is really part of a larger story, that of the collapse of the hierarchical system that is taking place all over the world at this time. That is what is occurring in Ireland where the aftershocks of the generations of sexual abuse scandal have sent football field-size fissures through the foundations of the hierarchy, leaving bishops scrambling to survive and wrecking the once unquestioned entente between Church and State,
The same buckling of hierarchical structures can be observed in the European countries once called Catholic; it is easy to observe in the priests who are organizing and confronting their bishops all across that continent. It is only a question of time before the earth opens in other places in the universal Church.
The Kansas City incident is only an American example of the faltering hierarchical, high clerical universe. Finn Is charged with a misdemeanor because he is, despite his blustery backwardness, a minor character in a much larger drama of the transformation of hierarchical structures that, in the Space/Information Age, can no longer control their inner lives or their outer public destinies. Finn may be least likely but he is the latest victim of the clericalism that made the sex abuse scandal possible and whose presumptions to preferment and diplomatic immunity generated the pain it has visited on others and is accelerating its collapse.
[Eugene Cullen Kennedy is emeritus professor of psychology at Loyola University, Chicago.]
Editor's Note: We can send you an e-mail alert every time Kennedy's column, Bulletins from the Human Side," is posted to NCRonline.org. Go to this page and follow directions: E-mail alert sign-up. If you already receive e-mail alerts from us, click on the "update my profile" button to add Kennedy to your list.
Talk about little men...
Talk about little men...
Kennedy's pitch-perfect
Kennedy's pitch-perfect insights into the criminal downfall of Bishop Finn of Kansas City may be rooted in his history as a laicized priest.
It may also be because one can hear so clearly in this piece the psychologist's voice which always originates in metaphor.
You will never find a better description of the devolved corruption of the Catholic priesthood than this:
"Clericalism is, after all, an Aztec god that will tear any cleric’s heart out, whether he is guilty or innocent, as a necessary sacrifice to its own survival."
Kennedy makes clear that if the Catholic Church is to survive this present day evolutionary drama, we Catholics must forever discard the vestigial organ of the all-male feudal celibate priesthood from parish to pope.
These are the elements that,
These are the elements that, in the wonderful Roman phrase, allow a man to “make a career in the Church.”
=======================================================================
Professor Kennedy reveals to us the reasons why institutionalized pontificalism from pope, patriarch, and priest must be eliminated to save the Church.
Well, the "Father" of all
Well, the "Father" of all scandals for us, Bernard Law, safely sits in Roman Protection at St Mary's. Rewarded for towing the Vatican line, sahme on him and the Vatican. He is safe from criminal prosecution.
What a difference between the
What a difference between the measured articles of John Allen and the ideological-pollitically oriented articles of Kennedy. Other than mockery and a cruel kind of humor intent on humiliating a person, Kennedy offers no real insight into a pitiful situation. Kennedy to my mind acts and speaks within the church much like much of the US congress acts and speaks. It's all driven by politics and ideology, not by insight and helpfulness.
James, you are right!
James, you are right!
Bishop Finn Indictment Is
Bishop Finn Indictment Is Legally Defective
http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=116466
Defective or not Bishop Finn
Defective or not Bishop Finn plead guilty to get a deal with suspended sentencing for submitting to oversight. This gives the District Attorney quite some leverage should the problems continue.
This is the same as going to traffic school to hide a traffic ticket. But if one gets another ticket (here in California) within 18 months the hidden ticket comes back. This should improve things.
No, James, you're NOT
No, James, you're NOT right!
As my sainted sixth-grade teacher, Sister Mary Adelaide, always embellished the famous quote from John's gospel:
""I have come to bring you the Truth. And the Truth will set you free." But first, it will make you miserable!"
Granted the grim picture that Kennedy paints is not a pretty sight. But the hierarchs have no one to blame but themselves.
For the corrupt corporate hierarchs it has always been just about "politics and ideology" - it's all they live for - to our everlasting grief.
If the child sexual abuse scandal has demonstrated anything it is that bishops, cardinals and popes are nothing more than politicians in the world's oldest, all-male feudal oligarchy that exerts a complete political hegemony over the world's Catholics - only because they have unfettered access to $billions in their investment portfolios.
Great clomn, Gene, as usual.
Great clomn, Gene, as usual. Bp. Finn is now going to learn what so many abuse victims and priests, both innocent and guilty have learned in the last 20 + years: The Church is that unique institution that buries its wounded.
Msgr. JCD, if you really
Msgr. JCD, if you really believed what you are saying, then you would use your full name here.
I don't ever recall Msgr. JCD
I don't ever recall Msgr. JCD ever suggesting, much less asserting, any attraction to masochism.
On the other hand, we know Rome is very good at sadism (the ecclesial kind).
Janet - Orthodox, loud and
Janet - Orthodox, loud and proud.
Who ever you are, you're NOT
Who ever you are, you're NOT my mother!
A defensive remark - there is
A defensive remark - there is no basis for questioing Msgr. JCD's convictions. A poor personal attack that adds nothing to this discussion. Perhaps you can reconsider this sort of commentary?
OHthor, maybe you ought to be
OHthor, maybe you ought to be using your real name too.
People who genuinely have the
People who genuinely have the courage of their convictions should not be afraid to use their own names.
Janet Doubek on Nov. 13,
Janet Doubek on Nov. 13, 2011.
You stated:
"People who genuinely have the courage of their convictions should not be afraid to use their own names."
-------------------------------------
And obviously you DO NOT WORK within the walls of a Catholic chancery, parish or social institute. People who do---know that they can loose their jobs, their health insurance (which also covers family members) and be so black-listed---that one will never be able to be hired in ANY diocese for the rest of their lives. This only applies to the laity.
It is very easy to claim to have the courage of one's convictions (and sign a name), if one doesn't have to face the real issue of paying the piper for stating those convictions.
LittleBear, you are RIGHT, in
LittleBear, you are RIGHT, in that I do NOT work for any Catholic entity, other than volunteering at my own parish and volunteering for other Catholic organizations (none of which has EVER been paid work). However, if a person speaks what they know to be the TRUTH, then they should not fear loosing their job over it.
Then again, if a person does NOT believe in the institution for which they work, or if a person, in some way, is trying to undermine the very organization for which they work, then that person should at least have the INTEGRITY to cut those ties and seek employment elsewhere.
Sometimes, the PRICE of integrity IS "paying the piper for stating those convictions." And, that is what takes REAL courage.
Easy for anyone to say until
Easy for anyone to say until that someone is in a situation where their effort to blow the whistle may cost them dearly, suddenly respect, years of dedicated service and sacrifice are forgotten, no more job......there's the door, c ya! I wonder what happened to the principal who first reported Father Ratigan to his superiors, does she still have her job? What's her status in the diocese? I wonder how she has been treated by the powers in the diocese......Our Church has had a very nasty habit of shooting the messenger and/or blaming the media.....It's convenient that way, you can play the role of a victim and plead ignorance, "How was I supposed to know, no one told me the truth, they kept me in the dark." We've all heard those lines before, eh?
anonymous, yes, according to
anonymous, yes, according to St. Patrick's current website (as viewed today), their principal, Julie Hess, still has her job at their school. And, they would be foolish to fire her over this scandalous mess with Fr. Ratigan! Julie Hess COURAGEOUSLY did her job with regard to protecting children; she TRUTHFULLY reported the grossly inappropriate behaviors of Fr. Ratigan, her own boss (the pastor of St. Patrick's Parish at that time) to the diocesan "gatekeeper", the Vicar General (who was, at that time, the designated diocesan official to receive such complaints); she informed the "gatekeeper" in a TIMELY manner as well. So, Julie Hess did the right thing, even though she could have, conceivably, been risking her own job.
Unfortunately, the diocesan "gatekeeper" clearly did NOT act as responsibly with that critical information (the Hess letter) as he should have. According to the Graves report, the "gatekeeper" DID keep Bishop Finn "in the dark", to a large extent, and for many months too, as to the severity of Fr. Ratigan's boundary issues with children; the "gatekeeper" MINIMIZED the serious nature of Fr. Ratigan's extremely inappropriate behavior around children and he MINIMIZED the serious nature of the images that were found on Fr. Ratigan's laptop computer in his summary of the situation to Bishop Finn; that is, presumably, why the "gatekeeper" no longer retains his previous responsibilities of receiving such reports.
Yes, we have heard those "kept in the dark" lines before, because, SOMETIMES, those words just happen to be TRUE, whether the TRUTH fits in with our speculations or not.
As to the media, yes, they do have a DUTY to report news stories like this one, however, they ALSO have a DUTY to report those stories ACCURATELY, and they have IGNORED or DISREGARDED a lot of important FACTS in this particular story. WHY?
BTW, anonymous, I WAS in an
BTW, anonymous, I WAS in an employment situation (over 30 years ago) where my blowing the whistle on a more senior, higher level employee than myself could have cost me my job at the time. I blew the whistle on that immoral man anyway, even though it was only my word against his, since there were no other witnesses to what he did. I blew the whistle because my mother taught me, "Always tell the TRUTH, and let the chips fall where they may." That is exactly what I did in that case, and I never regretted it either. In the end, it turned out badly for him, but it turned out well for me, although it was NOT an easy thing for me to do at the time. I realize that I took a BIG RISK in filing my complaint against him, and that it could have turned out differently, especially since it was only my word against his. It was the RIGHT thing for me to do though, so I did it anyway.
Janet, Whatever you know
Janet, Whatever you know about this case, you'll be able to present your side of it in a court of law. This is not the place to be slapping yourself on the back and telling us how virtuous you are. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to demonstrate that later in the appropriate forum.
Anonymous, I will NOT be
Anonymous, I will NOT be involved in this court case in ANY way.
As to your accusation that I was slapping myself on the back and proclaiming my own virtue, the ONLY reason that I brought up that 30 year old case from my former workplace was because I was challenged here as to what I would actually DO if speaking the TRUTH could have cost me my job. Be there; done that; that's all; no more, no less.
I have NOT always followed my mother's advice either. And, If I was truly virtuous, I would NOT be wasting my time here!
I meant to say, "Been there;
I meant to say, "Been there; done that..."
Our parents taught us that
Our parents taught us that those who lack the courage to identify themselves should not be listened to.
Janet, The truth is or it
Janet, The truth is or it isn't the truth. You don't need a name.
Msgr. JCD either knows what he's talking about or doesn't, but knowing his name is irrelevant.
What a wonderfully succinct
What a wonderfully succinct description of the Finn situation. I almost feel sorry for Bishop Finn. ALMOST!!! As a fromer Kansas Citian and a Catholic woman, I am disgusted with his behaviour as well as that of the Vatican. I hope Finn really has learned from this but I doubt it. I imagine that he thinks he is being perscuted for his Catholicism, when he is being prosecuted for violating the civil law. Yes sometime we as Catholics must say that we cannot follow an evil civil law. Yet there is nothing evil in this law. It is designed to protect the innocent, not the pedophiles and their patrons. I doubt Bishop Finn would agree with you that he has been wronged by the hierarchty that made him, but you plead a persuasibe case.
I periodically question why I remain Catholic. But my husband, who is not reminds me that so long as I am Christian and believe Jesus was the messiah, I have a fundamental problem with my only other choice which would be Judaism. Heck I like to stay close to the fundamentals. So I guess I'll ytake my liberal VII attitude and offer it up with my rosary prayers tonight for Bishop Finn. I pray that he sees the lights and issues his own mea clulpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! Do you think my latin will satisfy the clericalist? I doubt it. Oh well as Sister taught me in grade school -- offer it up for the poor souls in Purgatory.
IS HE "FINN"ISHED? ...
IS HE "FINN"ISHED? ... Thanks, Gene, for your usual deep perspective. The recent gratuitous trial balloon by well connected Nicholas Cafardi suggests the Roman clique may be getting ready to hang Finn out to dry. But then again, mutiple pedophile protector, Bernard Law's Italian palace my still give Finn hope that in Rome the mighty usually fall higher, defying moral gravity. The Finn case was dissected thoroughly at dotCommonweal.org on Oct. 14, indicating in some comments that clericalism is still alive and well.
For information on the dump Finn effort, please note the NCR comment under the comment heading, "WHY ONLY FINN?", accessible by clicking on at
http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/law-expert-us-bishops-should -persuade-finn-resign
For the broader discussion in the Oct.14 dotCommonweal.org article and comments on KC/Finn, please click on at
http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog//?p=15534
FINN'S HANGING .........
FINN'S HANGING ......... Oops! The correct link to the trial balloon to prod Finn to resign and cut a deal with the KC prosecutor is to the NCR comment under the comment heading, "WHY ONLY FINN?", accessible at
http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/law-expert-us-bishops-should-pe... .
This kind of insulting drivel
This kind of insulting drivel is unworthy of us. Bishop Finn, at his worst,would never resort to this kind of language. It's sad that NCR would even print something this sophomoric.
The problem is the sophomoric
The problem is the sophomoric behavior of so many men has led them to molest little children. They entered the seminary--some to high school seminaries, too--were never alone to be with a woman even in a non-sexual relationship--were still often shielded from normal relationships with anyone, coddled in seminaries, and grew up outside of normal family life...all just in time to be ordained after training that emphasized loyalty to their Holy Mother Church. Jump a few years ahead and for some weak ones with poor boundary issues, acting out can easily become the norm...and maybe even worse, acting out on a computer versus actually hurting a child might seem OK to a weak bishop, too. Seminary training is getting better in some dioceses, but this retro behavior of wearing berets, button cassocks, loves for purple and red, and aspirations of moving on up the hierarchical ladder still goes on. The man in the seminary needs to have had some real life experience before going out to serve...and there is no substitute for maturity and real life relationships to give support.
Janice actually Eugene
Janice actually Eugene Kennedy shows ultimate respect for his readers in this piece. In one layer of prose his laying out the individual case of one cleric's fall from a pedestal to which he aspired (not "in all humility). At a deeper level there's the continuing attempt to inform us about a hierarchical cleric's culture that operates from a perspective of fraternity, family until that fraternity or family incurs a hurt by the actions of one cleric. Then that cleric is on his own hanging in the wind so to speak. Finally this particular cleric is left alone "officially" but his diocese (in authentic innocence) shares his isolation and abandonment.
Eugene, thanks for the usual eye-opening and caring account.
Janice, you are right, but at
Janice, you are right, but at least this column has sparked an informative discussion (that is if you read all of the comments).
Janet, what's you're agenda?
Janet, what's you're agenda?
I noticed that you have asked "Msgr. JCD" to fess-up and identify himself because apparently you doubt his actual stated belief in his own comments.
Well, the same should be true of folks like you: You wouldn't happen to be one of those "supernumeraries" coming to the defense of your fellow Opus Dei zealot, Bishop Finn, would you?
If Msgr. JCD has to put it all on the line, so do you!
BTW, Janet, Finn has broken the law: Finn failed in his responsibility to report child abuse crimes to authorities, acted to protect a known priest child abuser, and is therefore complicit and condoning of child pornography. "You do the crime, you must do the time!"
What you're doing is called "defending the indefensible!!!"
Jim I think Janet has an
Jim I think Janet has an incredible amount of pain in her. The one emotion that always precedes anger is FEAR. Something in her has frightened her so profoundly that her anger is being projected here. Count the many times she has written in this thread. That should tell you something.
For sure. I've heard that the
For sure.
I've heard that the root cause of most sin is fear.
I would take it one step further. It all starts with ignorance. There is no ignoring the basic facts of this case as reported in the secular and religious news media. To perceive the facts, however, requires that one remove his or her blinders, the perceptual filters.
Ignorance leads to fear, which, in turn, leads to hatred and then possibly to violence (the Civil Rights Era is a good example).
A major challenge to all of us in life is to be prepared to acknowledge what we do not want to see or hear. Values play a big role here.
A number of years ago, I was invited to sit in on a training course about conflict management/resolution given by a guest instructor at our medical center (I was the primary organizational trainer at the time). She noted four levels of conflict:
+ Facts
To resolve, check the facts
+ Methods
To resolve, compare the different approaches to problem-solving
+ Goals
To resolve, identify and rank in terms of achievability, desirability, etc.
+ Values
To resolve, good luck; often not resolvable
In trying to resolve conflict, try to "work down" the ladder toward facts. To increase conflict, "work up" the ladder toward values.
Much of the acrimony within the Church of Rome today is, I suspect, values-driven, e.g., perceptions about use of authority, the importance of traditional, i.e., medieval, practices, etc.
Anonymous, you are right
Anonymous, you are right about my PAIN, but calling me fearful is rich coming from a person who does NOT even have the courage to use his/her own name as I have done here!
The only things that I am angry about are real acts of abuse (especially those that go unpunished), and false accusations against innocent persons, (whether they are sitting on death row or sitting in the chancery office).
Jim, my only "agenda" is
Jim, my only "agenda" is speaking the TRUTH.
No, I do NOT doubt Msgr. JCD's "actual stated belief in his own comments." Where would you get that idea from?
I am using my real name here, and I presume that you are doing the same. So, why won't the Msgr. use his name here as well?
Jim, you have made some pretty ridiculous assumptions here. I am NOT now, nor have I ever been a member of Opus Dei, Regnum Christi, or any other such movement, and I do NOT intend to become one either. What else do you want me to put on the line here?
BTW, Jim, you have just proven my point (stated in one of my other comments) that Bishop Finn has ALREADY been convicted in the court of public opinion, so it is doubtful that he can even get a fair trial now.
Bishop Finn made mistakes, that is NOT the same thing as breaking the law, even though he has now been erroneously charged with a crime.
No, I am NOT "defending the indefensible." Child abuse SHOULD be punished. Shawn Ratigan ought to be punished for what he actually did, since the evidence is pretty cut and dry as to what he did. That is NOT the case with Bishop Finn though.
I would identify the sin as
I would identify the sin as "aiding and abetting".
No one should be accused of
No one should be accused of "aiding and abetting" if they did NOT do so, and Bishop Finn did NOT do that.
The self-righteous and judgmental comments being made about him on this "Catholic" website are mind-boggling!
Please, inform yourself of the FACTS by reading the Graves report!
Jesus wept.
Jesus wept.
Yes, Jesus wept, and He's
Yes, Jesus wept, and He's still weeping over the abuse of innocent children and the condemnation of innocent persons.
We could hope that Finn would
We could hope that Finn would do the honorable thing and admit to his flock that he let them down, and then resign.
If he did, would it be
If he did, would it be accepted in Rome?
Just because others think a bishop is a disgrace to the church, and he may want to resign, does not mean the resignation will be accepted. I'm waiting for a Shermanesque resignation (If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.) I wonder if Rome would reject that?
Do, and absolute authority is asserted, but it undercuts the claim that responsibility is only local.
Bishop Finn HAS admitted to
Bishop Finn HAS admitted to his flock that he let them down. He HAS said that he needs to "change". No one knows Bishop Finn's failings better than he does himself. Believe me, Bishop Finn has been hit squarely in the face every day with his own failings for months now.
As to the possibility of Bishop Finn's resignation, as a bishop, he is "married" to his diocese, like it or not, for all concerned.
Maybe the worst "punishment" for Bishop Finn (for those who believe he deserves it) would be to leave him right where he is now, because, sadly, some members of his own flock may not forgive him.
We each need to pray the Lord's Prayer, and meditate on what that prayer calls us to do.
So Finn is "married" to his
So Finn is "married" to his diocese?
Then what did Raymond Burke commit by moving from LaCrosse to St. Louis? Adultery? Spouse abandonment?
What happened when B16 removed Bishop Morris from his Australian diocese? Unlike Finn, Bishop Morris was not removed for failure to report clerical sexual child abuse --- but only for raising discussion about non-infallible matters within his diocese.
Episcopal marriage to a diocese???
That, Ms. Doubek, is a fiction.
(but believe as you will, m'am)
Joseph, I did not mean
Joseph, I did not mean "married" in the literal, sacramental sense of the word; I meant it in the same sense as the word "joined"; I put the word "married" in quotations to show that it was a FIGURATIVE USAGE of the word. It was still a poor choice of words on my part. Thank you for calling it to my attention, however, you could have been a little less sarcastic about it.
A bishop is, of course, "entrusted" with the pastoral care of a particular church, his diocese. (See CCC#1560.)
By the way, it's Mrs. Doubek, NOT "Ms. Doubek" (My husband and I ARE sacramentally married to each other.).
Janet, I know you were on
Janet, I know you were on retreat this past weekend, I was thinking of you and praying for you....I read your comments and I sense the extent of your anger. Please, for your sake and those close to you, please begin to face and confront the source of your anger or it will eat you alive, trust me I know, I've been there too. My anger, like yours is an emotion, it has no morality, however what I do and say because of it does.
Anonymous, THANK YOU for your
Anonymous, THANK YOU for your prayers and your concern.
I knew how you were using the
I knew how you were using the word 'married'. I'm familiar with basic church history, which tells us that bishops at one time were supposed to stay with their diocese, that they were not supposed to accept transfers to other local churches.
Thank you for informing us of your marital status (not that it was necessary).
Use of the abbreviation 'Ms.' is no different than use of the word 'Mr.'
In case you didn't know.
Joesph, I know how common the
Joesph, I know how common the use of the abbreviation Ms. is, but Ms. is also a vague term, and the subject of marriage was involved in this discussion, so I was just trying to be clear about where I was coming from.
BTW, Joseph, during
BTW, Joseph, during Archbishop Timothy Dolan's opening remarks at the 2011 Fall Meeting of the USCCB, this Monday, he said to his brother bishops, "We're MARRIED........, because LOVE for JESUS and HIS CHURCH must be the PASSION of our lives."
You're going to have to trust
You're going to have to trust me on this one Janet....I'd wager everything I owe 90% of all Catholic priests do not consider themselves married....secondly, those that think they are, don't have the slightest idea what marriage is! Archbishop Dolan is speaking of symbolic marriage not the reality. Symbols are great until you're hungry, homeless and naked...
anonymous, I was simply
anonymous, I was simply relaying Archbishop Dolan's recent remark; it's what HE said.
well my parents taught me,
well my parents taught me, don't say or write anything you don't believe....you obviously must agree with Archbishop Dolan's statement or you wouldn't have written it, yes or no? To me this only indicates that celibate men have no understanding of what marriage really consists....do you agree with that statement or not....and please don't tell me every priest had a mother and father, not the same and you know it! Remarks like Dolan's only evidence his distance from reality, he might as well say the moon is made of green cheese.
anonymous, I do not know,
anonymous, I do not know, since I am not a theologian. I do know that Archbishop Dolan is not the first member of the Catholic clergy to use that "marriage" analogy though.
I met Archbishop Dolan (before he ever became an archbishop). And. although I cannot really say that I know Dolan, he seemed very down to earth and quite in touch with reality to me.
Archbishop Dolan's father has been dead for decades, but his mother is still living in the STL area. Archbishop Dolan still maintains close contact with his mother, his siblings, and their families. Dolan has been an involved uncle and he knows what marriage and family life mean.
If you listened to or read Archbishop Dolan's entire address to his fellow bishops from this past Monday, it was not all the usual pleasantries that we would normally expect from a president of the USCCB. Dolan also mentioned the clergy sex abuse scandal in his opening speech.
"The Kansas City incident is
"The Kansas City incident is only an American example of the faltering hierarchical, high clerical universe. Finn Is charged with a misdemeanor because he is, despite his blustery backwardness, a minor character in a much larger drama of the transformation of hierarchical structures that, in the Space/Information Age, can no longer control their inner lives or their outer public destinies."
The Catholic Faith, and all of Christianity, is hierarchal in structure, and has been from the begining. Jesus is King,and all he asks for is good servants. And although he has Ultimate Power, Jesus, from the begining, delegated and shared that power, with his Apostles and their successors. So the above referenced statement, the basis of your article, does not succeed.
RE: your second paragraph,
RE: your second paragraph, for heaven's sake, just *what* gospels have you been reading???
(TRANSLATION: Your comments do not reflect the Lord's message in the gospels.)
the last shall be first, the
the last shall be first, the first last
whosoever would be greatest among you must be the servant of all
blessed are the meek
blessed are the poor
sell all that you have and give the money to the poor
it is the opposite of the hierarchical
a pyramid scheme on its head
This is why no one reads NCR
This is why no one reads NCR anymore. This kind of venom went out decades ago.
Sister Rita said: "This is
Sister Rita said: "This is why no one reads NCR anymore. This kind of venom went out decades ago."
Sorry, Sister, NCR is alive, well and well read! I would have finally left this Church by now if it wasn't for NCR! I am in contact with many younger people I have worked with over the years and who are on the verge of leaving the Church, or have recently left. I send them NCR articles, and recommend they get a subscription. They thank me for this and I hope it will bring them back
NCR keeps me close to the National Catholic news instead of just the propaganda in our local diocene paper, and I am glad that here there are open minds and open discussions. I am particularly glad to know that others like myself are very concerned with the direction our beloved Catholic Church has taken. Vatican II was ABOUT openess, and it was wonderful.
And venom went out decades ago??? Have you read the venomous things some of these Bishops are writing and publishing, and that are been repeated from the pulpit in many Churches? What about spreading scandal, calumny and defamation of character--are they no longer major sins? Or just not for the hierarchy because "the end justifies the means"? Mitzi Allen
Bulletins from Human Side?
Bulletins from Human Side? In spades, dripping with venom.
Bishop Finn's actions, or lack thereof, appear egregious. But he still entitled to a presumption of innocence in our country's legal system, despite the guilty verdict already rendered by so many.
Father, that entitlement only
Father, that entitlement only applies to the courtroom. And even if Finn is found "not guilty", the verdict will not mean that he did the "right thing" - only that they couldn't prove a crime.
Thank you Fr. Robert!
Thank you Fr. Robert!
Bishop Finn's literary
Bishop Finn's literary accomplishment should be noted. His first pastoral letter was the 20-page “Blessed are the Pure in Heart: A Pastoral Letter on the Dignity of the Human Person and the Dangers of Pornography”, 2/21/07. http://www.diocese-kcsj.org/_docs/Pastoral-02-07.pdf
It was written “at the request of the diocesan Anti-Pornography Task Force that he established in 2005.” http://www.catholickey.com/index.php3?gif=news.gif&mode=view&issue=20070...
“… Bishop Finn’s excellent pastoral letter …. has a wealth of good information about the scope of pornography, the damage it does and many practical tips to fighting it in our homes.” (Denver Archbishop's Column 3/21/07) http://www.archden.org/dcr/news.php?e=411&s=2&a=8636
Jack, the first link in your
Jack, the first link in your comment doesn't work without cutting and pasting it.
I'll try to post it again below.
http://www.diocese-kcsj.org/_docs/Pastoral-02-07.pdf
The actions of these sick
The actions of these sick child molesting priest's will continue, as long as the Catholic church keeps covering up the lies. When the congregation has finally had enough & stops tithing, then something will happen as money talks. Until that time these pedophile priest are just randomly moved from one parish to another.
Normally, I like Eugene
Normally, I like Eugene Kennedys input. This time, in this article, not so much. There's no adequate defense for Bishop Finns behavior which the NCR has detailed in a number of articles, recently, with very specific examples of his episcopal malfeasance.
But this posting is a sort of stream of conciousness meandering that lacks specificity, and makes assumptions about Bishop Finns human development that, I think are speculative.
I agree with Kennedys description of the 'larger story' of the problems in the Church, and I don't think any informed person would question Bishop Finns thoroughly delinquent behavior, especially in the matter of returning the computer to Fr Ratigans family, waiting many months to report the issue to civil authorities, et al.
But, I would much prefer that Kennedy provided facts, not airy assumptions.
If you want the real FACTS,
If you want the real FACTS, please, read the Graves report. I already put a link to it in another comment on this same article.
Post new comment