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PDF versionThe crisis of episcopal governance in Philadelphia
by Michael Sean Winters on Mar. 09, 2011
It has been almost ten years since the clergy sex abuse scandal blew up in Boston in 2002. NCR readers, of course, had earlier been made aware of the issue but no one in the national media or in the country’s chanceries paid much attention before 2002.
That was when the revelations in Boston were so gruesome, with clear evidence that priests who had raped dozens of children were passed from parish to parish, always with the intent of keeping their horrific activities under wraps, that there was no possibility of containing the scandal.
The press and the people of God both demanded an accounting.
Cardinal Law was forced to resign, giving those clamoring for change a pound of hierarchic flesh, but the truth be told, Law did not do anything that other bishops and cardinals had not also done.
The centerpiece of the bishops’ response to the scandal was the adoption of the Dallas norms for the protection of children. The bishops of the United States essentially said to the Catholics of America: We recognize that we have a real problem.
Horrific attacks on children were called to our attention and we did not react with horror, we reacted with a defensive, self-protecting, overly legalistic response. Instead of caring for the child-victims, we cared more about the priest-predators, and more than either, we cared most about the Church’s and our own reputation. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
But the Dallas norms also did something else. They promised a change. Like the prodigal son, the bishops turned around from their former ways at Dallas. They adopted standards of reporting, guidelines for investigating, and independent review boards to look at the ways every diocese in America handled allegations of clergy sex abuse.
It was not only that they had repented, but they promised that the new measures would make any further cover-ups impossible. They got it, and even if they didn’t get it, the norms were in place to force them to confront this horrific sin and stain upon the life of the Church.
After Dallas, we had the most solemn pledge from our bishops that no priest against whom charges had been made would be in active ministry unless an investigation proved those charges to be groundless.
The announcement yesterday that 21 priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia were being placed on administrative leave demonstrates conclusively that the Dallas norms have failed. (Another five were either already retired or had left the archdiocese.)
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Last Sunday, those 21 priests presided at Mass in their parishes. Last Sunday, those 21 priests were in active ministry. The charges against them had been examined before and...what? They were either wrongly exonerated or diocesan officials decided to look the other way.
And this is no ordinary diocese. It is led by a cardinal, indeed, by one of the most powerful cardinals in America given his active responsibilities as a member of the Congregation for Bishops. Over the past few years, the fastest way to become a bishop was to be a successful monsignor in Philadelphia.
But we now know the man at the helm was not only derelict in his duties, he completely misunderstood the nature and import of the promises made to the faithful at Dallas.
To be clear, the entire reputation of the entire American hierarchy, and that of the officials in the Vatican, is being weighed in the balance. There is nothing that has been done or said by SNAP, or by victims’ attorney Jeff Anderson, or by any of the Church’s critics that comes even close to the damage to the Church’s reputation inflicted by Cardinal Justin Rigali.
All of the warnings from SNAP about the lack of independence by the independent review boards have been confirmed. The Vatican must remove Cardinal Rigali and remove him now.
On a New Orleans radio show the other day, Archbishop Gregory Aymond said, “What has happened in Philadelphia, quite frankly, is embarrassing to us.”
That is putting it mildly, although Aymond gets credit for breaking the unwritten rule that no bishop criticizes a situation in another diocese. What has happened in Philadelphia eats at the very heart of the credibility of the American bishops as a whole.
If they can’t get the clergy sex abuse mess right, after all their protestations that they had taken steps to deal with the problem, and all their claims that the Catholic Church was now ahead of the curve on the issue, that our policies were such that the Catholic Church was the safest place for a child to be, nothing else matters.
The New Evangelization? Forget about it. Pro-life activities? Not a chance. Advocacy for the poor? It rings hollow. If the leaders of the Church cannot be trusted to keep their most solemn pledge to protect children, they cannot be trusted at all. If they fail to see this, their moral sensibility is not merely skewed, it is dead. It is not only that they cannot be trusted, it is that they should not be trusted.
I do not believe that Cardinal Rigali’s mishandling of this situation is the norm. I believe many bishops, even most bishops, have been faithful to the Dallas norms. But if those norms shifted the responsibility for the safety of children from the clergy to the bishops, and those norms have now been spectacularly breached, either the man who breached them must go or the norms will be seen to have no force.
The bishops and the Holy See can no longer place this scandal on the backs of the clergy. The issue is no longer pedophilia among the priests. The issue is episcopal governance.
St. Augustine taught us many centuries ago that evil is an absence. In Philadelphia, there has been a great evil, the absence of effective, Christian leadership. The culture of bowing and scraping, of “Yes, your Eminence” and “As you wish, your Eminence” has brought into question the credibility of the entire American hierarchy.
Cardinal Rigali has proved himself eminent in his arrogance, in his willingness to flout the standards of conduct to which he had pledged himself. For the good of the Church, no, for the survival of the Church, he must go and he must go in disgrace. No continued membership of the Congregation for Bishops. No sinecure. Let him go someplace quiet and repent of his sins.
Rigali’s brother bishops are said to be livid, as well they might be. But livid is an emotion, not an action, and the situation demands action.
Only the Holy See can remove a bishop from his diocese. The ball is now in the Vatican’s court. If they fail to move swiftly in Philadelphia, the people of God in Ireland and Germany and around the world will take note and the church will be seen to be unserious in its promises.
The day of reckoning in civil court will come, and the payouts to the victims of these priests in Philadelphia will be enormous. But, now, immediately, the Holy See must act to restore whatever credibility can still be salvaged.
The situation in Philadelphia is not, as one person put it, “Boston Reborn.” This is worse than Boston. After Dallas, there is no excuse.
Powerful statement!
Powerful statement!
I agree. He must be removed.
I agree. He must be removed. He cannot even be allowed to retire.
And his passport should be
And his passport should be suspended, too. No pussy-footing it over to the Vatican to receive soothing words from his peers and some cushy job a la Bernard Law! Some sackcloth and ashes and a decade of public penance seems more like an appropriate sentence for this despicable archbishop.
I can't disagree with any of
I can't disagree with any of this, but surely the dates in the first part are two late. I vividly recall talking to a quality priest, in the specific context of religious education, in either 1992 or 1993 and he told me that the known prevalence of sexual abusers among his brother priests had totally changed the way priests could interact with children and adolescents. Now he was in many ways more perceptive than most people (if completely non- careerist), but surely that is evidence for common knowledge for anyone who isn't trying not to know?
You have written a very
You have written a very intelligent analysis about the situation in Philadelphia, and also about the Catholic Church throughout the world. Cardinal Rigali and his helpers who did not follow the Dallas Norms need to be removed by the Vatican. I believe that all those involved in this criminal act need to also face the secular laws. I agree with your point that the issue is about the failure of espicopal governance from the Pope, cardinals, and bishops who have been trying to avoid responsibility for sexual scandal. I agree that Cardinal Rigali must be removed from his position as soon as possible.
Symbolism, a metaphor, or
Symbolism, a metaphor, or communications by actions:
- The laity of Philadelphia's cathedral should make sure that during every sacrament at which Rigali presides, or celebrates, the episcopal seat is otherwise occupied by a lay person; at the very least, it be filled with bibles and documents of Vatican II.
- The laity must begin a process by which they can identify a person fit to be bishop of their local church; always maintaining union with the Vicar of St. Peter though not depending on his input in the selection of the new bishop.
- Clergy in the archdiocese should never again concelebrate with Rigali, or allow him to preside at any liturgies in their purview.
- The civil authorities should confiscate Rigali's passport, or at the very least the laity should insist that he turn it over to the state department.
- The finance council of the archdiocese should begin encumber Rigalis pension to cover the expenses necessary to remedy his failure. Also, they should begin civil proceeding to identify any other wealth Rigali might have accumulated so that a lien can be placed on it to the benefit of the church of Philadelphia.
Agreed.......... so sad, and
Agreed.......... so sad, and under sadness is anger.
Lies and Coverup An endless
Lies and Coverup
An endless cycle of lies and coverup, lies and cover up. The bishops of America can all go to Hell, including the ones who are livid, but remain in cowardly silence.
Any U.S. bishop that claims moral authority now is totally delusional.
It is time for a revolt, not a reformation.
Forty Days in Sackcloth and Ashes in public for these princely liars and whitened sepulchers would be merely a beginning. Banishment to a Carthusian cell would be proper. Doubtful that any U.S. or district attorney has the guts to bring felony charges for obstruction of justice or aiding/abetting the rape of minor children.
Enough. Enough. Enough.
This will be my most sorrowful Lent in my 65 years.
Please stop recommending that
Please stop recommending that criminal clergy be banished to Carthusian cells and other monastic dwellings. These are places of prayer and the homes of monks and nuns who have given their lives out of love. Send criminal clergy to the secular prisons where they belong.
Cardinal Rigali's resignation
Cardinal Rigali's resignation should be accepted immediately. I agree to no prestigous committees to be sitting on. The review board of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia should be disbanded immediately having proven their inability to be responsible for the mission at hand. But I'll be surprised if it happens. The men at the Vatican are complicit in all of this. They are incapable of meaningful and constructive action in response to it.
The Philly scandal has even
The Philly scandal has even become the butt of jokes, complete with photos of five or six of the priests. The one that stands out in particular was that of comedian Bill Mahr. Who made several references to the scandal on his March 11 show on HBO. Quite funny coming from a former Catholic altar boy of mixed Irish Catholic and Jewish ancestry who professes to be an atheist.
When it gets to this stage, it's time for Catholics to withdraw the Archdiocese of Philadelphia out of communion with the accessories to these crimes, the Holy See itself. An Independent Philadelphia Catholic Church should now seek affiliation with the Orthodox Church in America, or seek affiliation with the Western Rite of the Orthodox Church.
Any further obedience to archbishop Rigali should be dissolved by his clergy and the faithful in private or publicly declare their allegiance to him severed. This situation is unspeakably gross, mortifying in the embarrassment it creates, and demands that no further funds should be forthcoming from Philadelphia Catholics.
When was Pope Benedict
When was Pope Benedict elected to the papacy, 2005?. Where was he during this time? Cardinal Rigali and the papal nuncio in Washington either kept Benedict informed, or they chose to keep it a big secret.
As a student of mass movements and bureaucracies, I'd say, either way, the archbishop and perhaps the nuncio have some explaining to do. As they say in the bakery, both could be toast.
Molly Roach, Cardinal
Molly Roach, Cardinal Rigali's resignation "ACCEPTED"?? More like DEMANDED by the Catholic clergy and laity of Philadelphia. In view of the fact that his predecessor, Cardinal Bevilacqua has been under an even darker cloud. Saved from further investigation and likely prosecution by his advanced age and alleged senility.
This is a scandal that just keeps on giving and growing.
Molly Roach, Cardinal
Molly Roach, Cardinal Rigali's resignation "ACCEPTED"?? More like DEMANDED by the Catholic clergy and laity of Philadelphia. In view of the fact that his predecessor, Cardinal Bevilacqua has been under an even darker cloud. Saved from further investigation and likely prosecution by his advanced age and alleged senility.
This is a scandal that just keeps on giving and growing.
My anger at all this is
My anger at all this is slowly turning into heartbreak, first for the children victimized by the predators and the covering-up hierarchs, and second for the church victimized by the unending atrocities committed by bishops like Rigali. How dare they condemn any of their pelvic obsessions in the name of the church. How dare they even speak for the church.
The thing about the Catholic
The thing about the Catholic hierarchy is that they lie about everything.
The child abuse story is the only inside stuff that get most attention because of the media and the courts.
However, there is much to be revealed about everything else on the inside of that decadent instution.
The common one is the so-called annual "Bishop's Appeal", which every diocese has. It is always touted as requesting donations for the poor. However, very little is for the poor. The bulk funding in such appeals are for the bishop to run his bureaucracy and have money for his other needs.
The Bishop's Appeal is
The Bishop's Appeal is actually the Bishop's Tax. The diocese decides what members of each parish must contribute. If the don't cough up the money as individuals, the parish must write a check for the outstanding amount.
Thus, one can not support one's parish without also supporting the bishop.
Bob, you may be onto
Bob, you may be onto something. I don't know how to be certain what percentage of the money given to the bishop's appeal will go to the poor. As a result, I give my money to other Charity organization: some Catholic, some not. I would suggest a small, but, I fee,l significant change of wording. The last word in your post is "needs". I certainly can't begrudge anyone for meeting their needs. I think what you mean would better be stated as "wants" or "desires".
His Eminence Cardinal Rigali
His Eminence Cardinal Rigali is a good and holy man, and a good and holy priest. I know him personally and find this situation to be utterly out of character. Nonetheless, IF these priests are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, then yes they should be dealt with and His Eminence's inaction is quite serious.
If, on the other hand, these priests are simply accused, then that is a different story. Unlike SNAP and NCR and Mr. Winters, I happen to believe in the rule of law, and the rule of law presumes a person is "innocent until PROVEN guilty". A person is NOT "innocent until accused" or, God forbid, "guilty until proven innocent".
You are blind, on this matter
You are blind, on this matter at least.Ever notice how quiet the sacristy can be? Very bad things happened in the sacristy! God's heart is broken! Time is short. The Roman catholic church is crumbling. Find your voice, speak up.
I watched Rigali during his Lenten performance courtesy of Youtube. His words struck me as EMPTY,if you believe in the efficacy of prayer then send up your petition for this whitened sepulchre whose candle is extinguished. I saw him, I listened. Just one more Roman catholic cleric for the dumpster. Lying is a cardinal sin or do I need to find a catechism? They're rationalizing bureaucrats. Some are CRIMINALS. Oh yeah, it goes right to the top.If I were to receive an embossed invitation from the 'holy' Bavarian who was supposed to have dealt with all the buggery over a twenty three year reign in the CDF I would decline. I decline,thankyou. Ratzinger's candle is no longer alight.He is in very deep trouble. Trust is broken, it's over for me. DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE!
Ratzinger must speak to the universal church definitively concerning his malfeasance "The commission of an act that is unequivocally illegal or completely wrongful. Malfeasance is a comprehensive term used in both civil and Criminal Law." I hold him responsible for the torture and rape of all the catholic children. You no longer hold a censer before the altar. You hold the flaming embers of G-d's judgement.JUDGEMENT BEGINS WITH THE HOUSEHOLD (HOUSEHOLDER) OF g-d. It's over. No more sacharin theological 'gems'! Herr Papa is dirty. Benedict has little time left to get it right.
It certainly is not "out of
It certainly is not "out of character" when the character in question is a bishop, an archbishop, or a prince of the Church. Indeed, it seems very much in-character for that lot. Perhaps we are to believe that it is out of post-Dallas Charter character. However are we really to believe that the whole of the USCCB membership changed their characters in one fell swoop in Dallas? We hear from profiles elsewhere than Justin Rigali is what might be referred to as an "old school" cleric, more accustomed to the administrative than the pastoral, perhaps more oriented towards clergy than the flock, and more oriented towards the Roman hierarchy than the rank-and-file clergy.
Do not, CWG, confuse persona with practice.
How many times have I said that a priest or religious whom I thought I knew well has reacted to the abuse crisis among his or her brethren or sistren in a way that was "out of character."
How many times have we had to listen to parishioners tell us that the actions of a credibly accused or proven predator priest were "out of character" and thus impossible.
And how many times have we heard individuals get up on their soap-boxes and milk-crates and drag out the Americanist appeal to "innocent until proven guilty."
The problem with your precious "rule of law" CWB, is that the officialdom of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia did everything in their collective power to thwart the "rule of law" when their clergy were accused of sexual abuse and exploitation. It is therefore rather disingenuous to trot out the "innocent until proven guilty in a court of law" in the wake of a conspiracy to keep the guilty out of any court of law.
No, His Self-Importance is
No, His Self-Importance is not a good and holy man or priest. He is obviously adept at maintaining the superficial appearance of goodness while sneakily protecting and enabling child rapists to evade justice and continue to ruin innocent lives. All of your protests about knowing him personally and "it must be out of character" do not change the facts.
The children are the real innocents in this appalling mess, and we are arbitrarily handed a life sentence for the crime of being vulnerable enough to attract the attention of sexual predators. And for having catholic parents. No rule of law there.
While the rule of law you are so fond of, something the catholic church completely ignores in its rush to protect itself from the consequences of its own actions, is so unsuited to dealing with this type of crime that the vast majority of sexual criminals escape justice because of loopholes. Just like my abuser who escaped trial because he is mentally unfit.
He is also a serious danger to the community and guilty of thousands of child sex crimes, against at least 50 victims as young as six, many of whom, like me, suffered years of torture at his hands.
The catholic church in Australia hid him and protected him, just like your good mate, until forced to admit the truth after I went to the police. Yet, despite overwhelming evidence of his guilt, including six eyewitnesses to his crimes against me, according to you he is "innocent" and should be treated as the victim here so that you can feel better about attacking the inconvenient truth from victims like me.
Sounds just, but tell me do
Sounds just, but tell me do you think in our society of "rule of law" that everyone convicted was guilty and everyone not convicted was innocent?
The rule of law is simply a legal process that may or may not reach a truth.
So, I wonder how you judged Cardinal Rigali as a "good and holy man," by what process?
Thank you for the reminder
Thank you for the reminder CWG. I think that with all that has come to light about abuses on so many levels concerning this scandal, it is too easy to simply reduce every situation as if they all are the same. Even though there has been some clear patterns shown, I have seen significant differences not be acknowledged. I have great sympathy with the outrage over some of what has happened, but we can't allow that to be reason to judge before the full body of evidence is presented. Yet, quite honestly CWG, if there is reason for the Cardinal to be removed, I don't have any confidence that the Pope would do it. I hope I am wrong and there is no reason to remove him. And I also hope I am wrong and that, if there is, it will be done. Only time will tell. In the meantime, let us pray for all who are involved; both the guilty and the innocent.
Peace and prayers,
John David
It seems to me that those
It seems to me that those bishops who signed on to the Dallas Charter and then violate them are worse than those few arrogant theocons (Bruskewitz, etc.) who refused to even sign them.
Being worse in this case, however, is a matter of degree, not distinction.
Thank you for your article.
Thank you for your article. Your article seems to contain hope that the
episcopal hierarchy is capable of change. The facts show the opposite.
I am afraid the church has been killed from within. Very sad indeed.
Benedict "the reluctant"
Benedict "the reluctant" remove a cardinal? Are you kidding?
He's hermetically sealed in the 14th century and has too many more important things to do like going through the Vatican closets looking for pre Vatican II garb to drag out and wear. He dresses like he belongs in New Orleans on Mardi Gras!
He refused to accept the resignations of two Irish bishops over the sex abuse scandal in Ireland and he certainly won't remove a sitting cardinal.
Antidote, You're right.
Antidote,
You're right. Because Benedict is "heremetically sealed" into the past, don't expect him to make any changes or reforms. Action has to come from the larger Church, WE the Church. By taking legal action against their own dioceses and bishops, severing all parishes and schools from episcopal and papal oversight. If necessary, creating an independent presbyterate disassociated from the current crop of clergy, most of whom are joined at the hip with Rome and their bishop. I would expect few, if any to say bye bye to Rigali. They need their salaries and the cushy lives to which they've become accustomed. Since it is unlikely ANY bishop would cooperate, it means getting schismatic bishops to carry on apostolic succession. Eastern (Uniate) Catholic jurisdictions can't assist because they would only buckle under Roman pressure.
Affiliation with the Orthodox Church of America (OCA) ,the Western Rite of the Antiochian Church, and the Polish National Catholic churches are just some possible affiliations.
The process of selection of
The process of selection of Bishops since 1978 has not been one where intellect and pastoral ability were the main criteria. John Paul II wanted Bishops who were rigid conservatives, priests who were against the ordination of married men, against contraception, against the ordination of women, and who were willing to crack down on those who were perceived as "dissenters."
We are now reaping the fruit of this policy, this elevation of the rabid "yes man" to the Episcopacy.
No one in the hierarchy has the guts to speak the truth. Cowards. The erosion will get worse, while the snide yes men of the Curia will continue to appoint more snide yes men to the Episcopacy. Anyone who dares to speak up will be shunned or demoted.
We will not see a major schism, just relentless erosion of the laity and priests. I am not leaving and I am not shutting up. Perhaps some of the hierarchy would like to see a "Church" which is like LC/RC or Opus Dei, i.e. small, fanatical and exclusionary. The "Church" is all of us, not just a few fanatical "Trads" and a few snide yes men Bishops.
Rigali stays. even a Qaddafi
Rigali stays. even a Qaddafi 'hanging on' is an amateur compared to Rigali and Vatican cover-up mercenaries. . Only a perp walk by Rigali will get a resignation.Watch his Ash Wed. homily on video on whispersintheloggia and see not even one hint of apology. God bless Philly Catholics. maybe they should pack the sidewalk in front of the cathedral until he goes.
I'm troubled by this
I'm troubled by this assumption: "I do not believe that Cardinal Rigali’s mishandling of this situation is the norm."Is
How do we often respond to horror? By minimizing it and convincing ourselves that it can't be widespread. That's what we did for years with clergy sex crimes. Now we're doing the same with cover ups of clergy sex crimes.
Is it just an amazing coincidence that the archdiocese that's gotten the most external scrutiny inthe last five yeasr (two grand jury invetigations) just happens to seme the most corrupt?
Does a cop ever believe a motorist who, after being pulled over for driving drunk, claims "Officer, this is the first time I've ever done this?" If the exterminator glances at one corner of your house and sees termites, do you say "How odd. I happen to have termites in the one spot the inspector looked at."
Let's err on the side of prudence. Let's assume, until we learn otherwise, that Philly is the norm, not the exception.
David Clohessy, Director, SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, (7234 Arsenal Street, St. Louis MO 63143), 314 566 9790 cell (SNAPclohessy@aol.com)
Just wait. The Vatican's
Just wait. The Vatican's reaction will be typical....blame the priests, especially if they're gay, and, as to Cardinal Rigali, "Circle the wagons!".
I'm troubled by this
I'm troubled by this assumption: "I do not believe that Cardinal Rigali’s mishandling of this situation is the norm."Is
How do we often respond to horror? By minimizing it and convincing ourselves that it can't be widespread. That's what we did for years with clergy sex crimes. Now we're doing the same with cover ups of clergy sex crimes.
Is it just an amazing coincidence that the archdiocese that's gotten the most external scrutiny in the last five years (two grand jury investigations) just happens to seem the most corrupt?
Does a cop ever believe a motorist who, after being pulled over for driving drunk, claims "Officer, this is the first time I've ever done this?" If the exterminator glances at one corner of your house and sees termites, do you say "How odd. I happen to have termites in the one spot the inspector looked at."
Let's err on the side of prudence. Let's assume, until we learn otherwise, that Philly is the norm, not the exception.
David Clohessy, Director, SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, (7234 Arsenal Street, St. Louis MO 63143), 314 566 9790 cell (SNAPclohessy@aol.com)
It is worth noting that a
It is worth noting that a similar situation now prevails in the local Episcopal diocese. Everyone from the Presiding Bishop of the church,to the local diocesan Standing Committee wants to get rid of Bishop Bennison,who somehow has mannaged to alienate almost everybody,both in and out side his diocese. He was accused of covering up a sexual situation, but that denomination's judicial system,while accepting the fact of the accusation,declined to proceed with the case,owing to a statute of limitation provision within Epsicopal canon law.
"The Vatican must remove
"The Vatican must remove Cardinal Rigali and remove him now...Only the Holy See can remove a bishop from his diocese."
And until this happens, collection baskets and weekly envelopes MUST remain EMPTY. It's the ONLY language Rome will listen to and understand!
Memo to Rigali:
You HYPOCRITE! You PHONY! You CHARLATAN! You WOLF in SHEPHERD'S clothing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF93J9NoAzY
DO THE RIGHT THING! RESIGN TODAY!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8pugxNvf-E
After Archbishop Listecki
After Archbishop Listecki issued a strong statement, seconded by our local Bishop Ricken, affirming the moral imperative of workers to be treated with dignity, upholding collective bargaining as moral, criticizing by implication our governor's intransigent drive to kill collective bargaining, I felt optimistic for the first time in years about church leadership. Now the Philadelphia anathema. Will we (church) be subjected to more smoke and mirrors at the highest level? When will the enablers and pedophiles be excommunicated? Fat chance. The princes of the church seem to be as untouchable as the plutocracy that refuses to pay taxes. I'm so frustrated. So inarticulate with rage.
Michael, Your posts today
Michael,
Your posts today provide a compelling challenge to American Catholics and our Bishops. Thank you for taking this courageous public stand.
I read Rocco Palmo's Whispers in the Loggia this morning also, and find his report on the comments of one "anonymous" bishop to be heartbreaking. For too long the clerical culture which requires bishops to refrain from offending one another has prevailed. That culture has only served to exacerbate the problems the Church faces today. No Bishop should be speaking anonymously. That is cowardly and hypocritical and it is unfortunate that one Bishop feels that this is the only way he can speak. While Rome certainly has a role to play in this instance, the ball is, in fact, in the court of the American Bishops. They have been consecrated to provide leadership. It is long past time that they did so. At this point, they need not fear causing scandal. They need to address this scandal and take whatever steps are necessary to end it; transparently, truthfully and collectively. You're right - until they do, they cannot and should not be trusted.
Regarding your additional post about the Catholic League's Bill Donohue and his
unfortunate remarks to and about Mark Silk: you are absolutely correct. Mr. Donohue's arrogant demagoguery only brings more scandal to the Church. He certainly does not speak for this Catholic.
The USCCB would sleep through
The USCCB would sleep through the Sermon on the Mount.
Only the Holy See can remove
Only the Holy See can remove a bishop from his diocese. The ball is now in the Vatican’s court. If they fail to move swiftly in Philadelphia, the people of God in Ireland and Germany and around the world will take note and the church will be seen to be unserious in its promises.
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Catholics need to assert their right to demand the local bishop's removal, or begin preparations to take their parishes and other diocesan Catholic institutions out of the archdiocese of Philadelphia and out of the Roman Communion altogether.
Archbishop Rigali and the pope have demonstrated nothing but contempt for the welfare of parishioners and their children. The likes of which we haven't seen in modern times.
The pattern here in the U.S. and in Europe is as clear as crystal. It isn't a matter of some old men with a tin ear, it is a matter of arrogance and being removed from the real world. The total lack of corrective measures to effectively deal with a scandal now three decades old, and a reliance upon empty symbolic liturgical acts to pacify the public media and those in the pews is an abomination without equal in modern times. It reflects a dismissal of the laity's need for safety in parishes and Catholic educational and charitable institutions without parallel, in or out of the Church. We see a cancer at the core of the Church and it is spreading rapidly. Either it is treated, or the patients need to find new physicians and institutes for meeting their spiritual and devotional needs.
The Vatican is like every
The Vatican is like every other cultic secret organization. They protect their own!! And their own doesn't include the non-ordained with those ordained to the episcopacy are involved.
Until and unless the subservient laity finally have it up to here and STOP FUNDING FOOLS, nothing will change. Money talks to the Vatican even more clearly than the Holy Spirit - Who doesn't get involved or listened to much these days.
Here here! Michael Sean
Here here! Michael Sean Winters for a serious church leadership position!
"The New Evangelization?
"The New Evangelization? Forget about it. Pro-life activities? Not a chance. Advocacy for the poor? It rings hollow. If the leaders of the Church cannot be trusted to keep their most solemn pledge to protect children, they cannot be trusted at all. If they fail to see this, their moral sensibility is not merely skewed, it is dead. It is not only that they cannot be trusted, it is that they should not be trusted."
Yes, they fail to see and their teaching authority is gone period. Our only solution is to keep the money from going to this bankrupted system.
"The bishops and the Holy See can no longer place this scandal on the backs of the clergy. The issue is no longer pedophilia among the priests. The issue is episcopal governance."
I agree one hundred percent. The lack of moral leadership is appalling.
"The New Evangelization?
"The New Evangelization? Forget about it. Pro-life activities? Not a chance. Advocacy for the poor? It rings hollow. If the leaders of the Church cannot be trusted to keep their most solemn pledge to protect children, they cannot be trusted at all. If they fail to see this, their moral sensibility is not merely skewed, it is dead. It is not only that they cannot be trusted, it is that they should not be trusted."
Yes, they fail to see and their teaching authority is gone period. Our only solution is to keep the money from going to this bankrupted system.
"The bishops and the Holy See can no longer place this scandal on the backs of the clergy. The issue is no longer pedophilia among the priests. The issue is episcopal governance."
I agree one hundred percent. The lack of moral leadership is appalling.
A sign of systemic decay of a
A sign of systemic decay of a truly chilling magnitude and Pope Benedict, for all of his brilliance as a theologian and experience as a Vatican bureaucrat, is either a continuing accomplice to the perpetuation of the rot and cover up since 2005 and perhaps earlier, or he's as clueless as the bishops who report to him. Or should I say the episcopal "NON-EMPLOYEES"? As the Pope's attorney has argued in the Vatican's defense.
Either way, the crumbling foundations of the Church are clearly evident. There is no hiding this fact and any attempt to pretend otherwise becomes the supreme folly. Only the hopelessly unquestioning pious, or Catholics awaking from a 35 year slumber might have dismissed the depth and seriousness of this scandal.
The furture, indeed the
The furture, indeed the survival, of the Catholic Church in the United States depends on how Rome rsponds to this. The the whole world (i.e., universal Church)is watching!
According to the Catholic
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia ordination includes "the people approving the candidates by acclamation". It is time that real meaning be given to that part of the rite. We have ignored this vital part of the ordination process. The people of God need to rise up and take back their Church.
The fetid files dripping
The fetid files dripping filth from chancery cabinets must be ignored.
The years of spiritual formation and theological education must be ignored.
The scandalous decade just past must be ignored.
There is no need for structural or systemic change!
The bishops, smarter than everybody, are incapable of discerning morality having forfeited their identity, humanity, decency and integrity for frilly, fancy finery. (How about some sackcloth along with the ashes.)
Their motivation is never truth or reconciliation. Everything has been dragged out of them. Priests are pipsqueaks in the power structure. Their vile behaviors are trumped by episcopal arrogance and indifference.
Blind guides!
When I see bishops referred to as "pastors" or "spiritual leaders", I have to laugh because they are parading, posturing, lying, smug shells of men. We need to starve ($) them and ignore them.
Fraud Rigali is shill Dolan's patron. Masters of the ecclesiastical show both.
Justin Rigali is over 75
Justin Rigali is over 75 years old. His resignation is already in the hands of the Pope. All the Pope has to do is accept it. And then, send the Cardinal to wherever it is that bishops are sent when they do misconduct.
Priests are thrown out into the streets.
What kind of sleeping pill
What kind of sleeping pill allowed Cardinal Rigali to sleep at night while knowing about all the pedophiles saying Mass and hearing confessions?
Did his underlings pretend it wasn't happening? Did they get to peek into the files? Did they sleep at night?
And the folks on the Review Board, did they know?
How about the perp priests themselves? Did they really think that they could still get away with it? Why are they so willing to destroy the church?
Who are these men who have been prancing around altars allowing pedophiles to run the show?
AW
And the band plays
And the band plays on...
While Benedict fiddles away in Rome...
And in Philly, the buck stops at......
The Monsignor??????
CWG wrote: "the rule of law
CWG wrote: "the rule of law presumes a person is "innocent until PROVEN guilty". "
Priests must be suspended with pay while their case is under review. They are not thereby assumed to be guilty: but it is recognized that we do not know whether they are innocent or guilty, and, until that is determined, they cannot remain in ministry. Once the review has reached a conclusion, if they are cleared then they can then go back to ministry with honors. Why is that so complicated to understand?
Cardinal Rigali - a good and
Cardinal Rigali - a good and holy man? So was the preist who abused me - or so everyone thought until hundreds of victims came forward. So was the bishop of the diocese - or so everyone thought. Until he lied to me in 1992 telling me all abuse cases would be reported to the police. I am not finding these priests guilty by accusation. I am demanding that the "holy bishop" follow the charter that the USCCB touted as the most forward thinking directive on child abuse ever crafted. It demands that accused priests be removed from ministry until a determination can be rendered. This holy man lied to our faces and said he was following this directive. This holy man exposed children to predators. This holy man is responsible for believeing the reputation of a priest was more important than the life of a child. He is not my holy man and Philadelphia should reject him or they should be considered complicit in any unfolding action.
David Lorenz
Bowie, MD
A brilliant analysis by
A brilliant analysis by Michael Sean Winters of the sad sad situation in Philadelphia and its perpetrator Rigali, the latest revealed and worst example of the doings of the roman criminal conspiriacy.
This article needs to be prominently displayed on the NCR Home Page, not buried in the many interesting contributions of Winters. This article deserves to be noticed, read, and reflected upon by every NCR reader, and then promulgated far and wide on the web.
Mr Winters says "I do not
Mr Winters says "I do not believe that Cardinal Rigali’s mishandling of this situation is the norm."
As a Catholic physician, I am sad to say that the continued protection of predator priests by the hierarchy seems to be the norm across the world. We Catholics have given the Pope and the hierarchy the benefit of the doubt for too long, and they are playing us for fools, or mindless sheep, or, as they might say, we are "the simple faithful".
From what I have read, a lot of the credit in exposing the guilty priests in Philadelphia goes to former District Attorney Lynne Abraham. As I read the apologetic words that the present District Attorney Seth Williams, a former altar boy and serious Catholic, used with Cardinal Rigali, it reinforced my view that the RCC can easily manipulate Catholics and these cases should be dealt with by non-Catholic attorneys, who look for truth and are not swayed by a deference to members of the hierarchy. I do not believe that the Pope and many members in the hierarchy are worthy of my trust anymore.
Since the road of priest sex abuse and mishandling seem to lead to poor policies created in the Vatican, which were continued by Pope Benedict XVI, when he was known as Cardinal Ratzinger and head of the office of faith and morals in charge of sex abuse cases, it is time for Pope Benedict XVI to admit his huge part in the mess that "Holy Mother Church" is in at present. In fact, the phrase "Holy Mother Church" is a very inappropriate title for the RCC, as more and more cases come to light of the sexual exploitation of innocent children by Roman Catholic clergy.
The claim that the Pope is protected by diplomatic immunity needs to be challenged. A new book, THE CASE OF THE POPE, written by Geoffrey Robertson, Queen's Counsel, human rights lawyer and judge at the United Nations, deals with the nebulous claim of the Vatican that it is a sovereign state within the city of Rome. Mr Robertson believes that a case can be made against the Vatican being a sovereign state. That would remove the diplomatic immunity from the Pope and he would have to release records and be deposed.
On reflection, I wonder what has happened to the Roman Catholic Church where the Pope and many Cardinals, Bishops, and priests are active in or complicit with clergy sexual abuse of innocent children and have allowed this to continue up to this very day?
I thought integrity, and transparency before God, were qualities that we were all striving to live, as followers of Jesus.
I thought the Pope especially would want to model integrity and transparency, as the leader of the RCC.
Where is the transparency of Pope Benedict XVI? Why is the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church hiding behind a claim of diplomatic immunity? What is he trying to hide???
"BY THEIR ACTIONS, YOU WILL KNOW THEM!!!"
Thankyou, Michael Sean Winters for your excellent article.
Sincerely, Dr Rosemary Eileen McHugh, Chicago, IL.
Very well and strongly
Very well and strongly stated, Michael.....
Is John Allen still giving
Is John Allen still giving voice to the idea that the church has done too much regarding the sexual abuse scandal?
Thank you, Michael Sean Winters, for providing another perspective on Rigali. You redeem NCR somewhat for Allen's apologetic coverage.
I think a nice "quiet place
I think a nice "quiet place to repent his sins" would be JAIL!!!!!! He has been aiding and abetting criminals and obstructing justice.
We begged the Bishops to
We begged the Bishops to include accountabilty in their Dallas Charter, and they refused. Thanks guys, for absolutely nothing.
Yes the Cardinal is to blame.
Yes the Cardinal is to blame. And his boss is to blame. But after all these years and repeated claims to reform, the laity is most to blame for continuing to support the abuse of children, for continuing to support the abusers, for continuing to support the system that protects the abusers and abuses the victims.
Yes, evil is often supported
Yes, evil is often supported and allowed to spread, not just be those who are participating in the evil, but by the silence of so many others.
I doubt Cardinal Rigali will
I doubt Cardinal Rigali will resign or be fired. In Rome, power and authority is the only thing that really matters, to be enforced at every hierarchical level. So, vent all you want. It will do no good.
In Rome, power and authority
In Rome, power and authority is the only thing that really matters, to be enforced at every hierarchical level. So, vent all you want. It will do no good.
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"Venting" isn't exactly what most people should have in mind. When the American cash cow for Benedict's Vatican stops giving milk (the biggest single contributor to the Vatican), B16 and the drag queens in scarlet are going to feel the pinch.
Furthermore, it is indeed a mistake for the laity to wait for the pope and clergy to affect reforms. The laity themselves must remove these malcontents and start doing it now. Replacing them with a popularly elected clergy for fixed terms and removable for cause. It isn't a question of the Church falling out of communion with Peter as B16's apologists would have you believe, but Peter having to seek communion with the larger Church which he has himself abandoned.
It's time to cleanse the temple of the harlots.
I feel a little sorry for
I feel a little sorry for Rigali. Most of the damage done was by his predecessor, Bevilacqua, quite possibly the most arrogant and insensitive cardinal ever to grace the US with his presence. Rigali's failing has been to reexamine his predecessor's actions. Bevilacque, now in retirement, should stand trial.
This is really tragic.
This is really tragic. Perhaps we should adopt the notion of accountability from the Navy. If a captain runs aground, loses the ship, there is not new captaincy available. they retire! They all understand it because they understand that people put their trust in a leader and when that trust no longer prevails, they need to move on. These leaders don't fight their accountability, they understand it. So some of the responses indicating that the leader is a good priest are true but irrelevant. Trust is lost; the leader retires. Simple.
I agree, the untruthful and
I agree, the untruthful and dishonest cardinal must go - the vatican integrity( what's left of it) will again take a huge hit.
How can these bishops and pope expect us to believe and follow their direction and so-called leadership and guidance.
Not I!!
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