Don't expect accountability from the last feudal system in the West

CLEARLY, the defense of the pope and the Catholic Church amidst the wide-spread priest abuse scandal continues as if really no-fault is due the church. We see public relations effort go back and forth. Another church cult, “Communion and Liberation” can rally its members for the pope.

Some writer-priests can come up with a crazy concept called “moral panic” to fault the critics (ref. John Allen's blog report). Maybe “moral panic” is what the American bishops had in their opposition to health care reform for millions of Americans. Maybe “moral panic” was what the pope used in Malta and Portugal to oppose divorce and gay marriages.

The church just really won’t admit corporate culpability for wrongdoing despite the fact that it is a very hierarchical church with as much discipline as the military. After all, it is argued, pedophilia is everywhere. Society is to blame. Of course, reporter John Allen knows that most of the Vatican’s arguments were used at the height of the abuse crisis here in the U.S.; albeit, it is a “touché” to the Green Party to point out its leniency towards pedophilia in Europe.

All this, of course, is to ignore the reality that hypocrisy in the church can run deep and the clerical culture readily places itself above all others in the church no matter what the issue is. One of the disturbing things about the abuse of children (whether it is raping them or slapping them) is that the church protected only the interests of priests. That situation occurs in many circumstances other than in pedophilia. Among the most disturbing things, besides hypocrisy (the sin most often criticized by Jesus) is that some priests use their office and the confessional not only for abuse but for spying for the communists behind the Iron Curtain, and still in present times for other things of interest to priests.

The priestly ranks are not without their serious shortcomings; however, the teaching has always elevated them next to God.

The needed reform --- that is not coming as Father Cozzens knows well --- is re-envisioning the concept and role of priests, bishops and pope as servants of the people from which the priestly clerics collect the money to live well. The abuse points to the need for deep reform, but reform scares the Vatican to the core. It is a principle of sociology that once a human group is privileged, there is no desire to turn back from it.

If not the feudal system them what else replaces?
How does the church move away from current power structures? It has nothing to do with power structures, accountability or what have you. Otherwise ther would be no corruption in Congress or the Banking community for that matter.

The problem of the church is as old as time: selfishness, greed, lust, etc, etc.

If the "fathers" would only practice what they preach and be "actual fathers" to the faithful, there would be no outcry for unneeded reform. The doctrine of the church is so beautiful it s just a matter of implementation, athenticity and true love.

I can't agree with you more. These people are ridiculous and I hope the media keeps the cameras on them.

Father Cozzens,

Can you provide the source for the reference to Paul Tillich?

Thank you for your continuing and honest look at church matters.

This is one mess that will only be cleared up with another reformation

The church structure is NOT the only feudal system left in the West. Don't forget the economic system in Latin America. As is often the case, a structure like the Church with no coercive authority, gets plenty of criticism for its medieval mindset. The feudal/colonial economic system of Latin America is what people should be going after. Countries like Venezuela and Mexico have no excuse anymore for their poverty given the amount of oil they pull out of the ground. Look at the violence and corruption that goes on in Mexico today. Guilt ridden white liberals in the US blame the USA for it but that's only part of the reason (NAFTA). The white minoroty of 1% runs the economy and they despise the little brown people in their own country. Read Charles Bowden's new book "Murder City".

Arguably, the biggest issue the church has is the attraction of talent. The little talent it does attract does not go anywhere upwards. It's still filled with cronyism, politics, nepotism, and simony. Many argue how women should be given leadership roles. Great idea BUT......the talented women are too busy today running corporations (think PepsiCo and Xerox), sitting on the Supreme Court, in the US Senate and House, working as state governors, or teaching in universities, among other notable things. A huge percentage of the women that want church "leadership" roles today are people that just want to take over the feudal system and run it themselves through the same cronyism and poltics that exists right now. That's not a suitable alternative either. Going from one system that is broken to aother will not work.

Excellent points by Fr. Cozzens. I've often thought that we could begin the church's reform simply by giving up all titles and special dress except, perhaps, for liturgical functions. These simple, inexpensive (in fact, money saving) gestures could have dramatic results and could make more profocund reforms much easier to accept.

As a sign of repentence, the bishops of the sex abuse regions of the world might want to spend an entire year NOT wearing their fancy bishop's robes and rings. Let them dress is black robes or in some cases their religious habits. They might also want to drop the princely titles like "excellency" or "your grace" completely!! It seems like signs of humility are in order at this time in our Church's history.

I can't believe what I'm reading from Fr. Donald Cozzens!! You, Father dear are a HYPOCRITE!!

You ran the most tyrranical seminary in the US, until you were finally kicked out. You hide behind your title as a psychologist when spewing any opinion you desire. You beat up on seminarians for simple things like wearing fedoras or cinctures kicking many out. The funny thing is, the precious boys that were your "stars" have left the priesthood or converted to "the dark side" of true Catholicism, while the ones that you gave the most trouble to, were ordained for Cleveland and are happy priests, or have been, after their dismissal, productive priests in other dioceses.

And while you talke about "ermine lined robes" let's talk about the vast amount of money you spent on commissioning a medal for the president-rector of St. Mary's to wear!! Same thing, Father dear. You just prefer precious medal to ermine.

Listening to the laity?????? YOU DIDN'T!!!! The men whom you kicked out were well beloved by the parishioners at parishes YOU assigned them to. When they protested about your decision, you "clericall" dismissed them. YOU ABUSE POWER AS MUCH OR MORE THAN THE BISHOPS!

I'll never forget your speech on "priggish priests", little did I know at that time you were an expert because you were the king of priggish priests, but you did it without wearing a collar and by simple brut force, hiding behind your degrees and POWER invested you by the good Bishop Pilla!

You make me sick.
(Disclaimer: I was never kicked out by him but I can provide an endless names and situations to substantiate every point)

This may appear harsh at first blush but it is painfully accurate. The truth is often very painful to hear. It is true that ALL Christians must be willing to judge ourselves by the same standard we judge "the world". If not, we are banging gongs with a hollow echo, signifying nothing.

Thank u for your analytical and truth seeking views on this subject. As a former Mental Health worker in the area of Aolescent Sex offender treatment , your article was very helpful to me. Adios

The bishops are in much need of our prayers. They have become the Pharisees of today. God help and forgive them.

This particular blog is really clear and therefore very illuminating. Each conclusion is nested in its own piece of data so that examination of one thing naturally leads to the other. On top of that it's really real. Thank you for that, Donald.

It's interesting that respectful, caring, compassionate "outsiders" early on held up warning signs for Catholic official-dom at about the same time. You mention the Lutheran, Paul Tillich. Another was the Jewish philosopher, Simone Weil. Many friends testify to her overwhelming love for the Christ and also to the fact that her conscience abjured her to hold herself always in the intersection between Christianity and not-Christianity (Christianity for her was identified with the Catholic Church which she characterized as "beast"). In my eyes she puts the period on Tillich's declaration.

In our US of A I can think of only one man who fits your description of exceptional bishop, "...who listens to the laity as one disciple to another": Bishop Tom Gumbleton. There are a few women bishops in this category. They are REALLY extraordinary. The times, they are a changing! The days of the monarchy are growing shorter....

Well said, but unfortuantely there is little that can be done about the attitude of bishops. Like in all feudal societies, those at the top see no reason to change. However, their power will wane as they continue to lose credability, and perhaps this is not a bad thing.

Thank you Fr. Cozzens. As a convert from the Episcopal Church, I am still a Catholic after all the scandals and the corruption of the hierarchy, because I believe it is the Church founded by Jesus Christ and where I was led by the Holy Spirit. I do not see the face of Christ in the worldliness of the Vatican and I do not look to it for leadership and/or spiritual guidance. I do see the face of Christ in the priests and deacons of my parish, in my fellow Eucharistic Ministers, in the members of my parish bible study group, and in those who sit with me in the pews. That is enough for me and for that I am very grateful.

Don Cozzens, as usual hits the bull's eye. We are deal with a court and a court culture. And court cultures create sycophants. I doubt that a simple adaptation of democratic rules will solve the problem, but there needs to be a change in the court culture of the Vatican. I was several weeks away from leaving the order in which I spent twenty years and talking with a bishop-friend who had come through the States on his way back to Papua New Guinea. It was a long and deeply personal conversation. He spoke at one point of his frustration in not finding good young men who could go through the twelve years required for seminary studies, and we dipped into some of the things I had written in a book published several years earlier. One of key ideas in that book was the need to adapt the path to the ordained ministry to Melanesian social conditions. The bishop agreed with me. I said, "Haven't you just come back from an ad limina visit with the Holy Father?" He said that he had. "Couldn't you have told him of your frustrations?" I asked. "No," he replied, "it might have made him angry, since we know his views."

Please bear in mind that this bishop was a wonderful missionary and pastor, deeply human, profoundly human, straightforward in his dealings with everyone. He lived modestly. Took his meals with the lay and religious staff of the mission. A loyal friend to his priests and a bishop with his door open for the laity to walk thru it at any time during his waking hours.

But he was also caught in a court culture in his relations with his superiors, though he led his own diocese in a way that had no artifice, no frills, no favored courtiers. When I read of the scandals affecting the church in Europe and the United States, I am deeply grateful for having so many years of experience in churches that -- though not perfect -- we so close to the ground and the gospel.

I really wish Cozzens had done a more in-depth look at the scandal. As it is, it seems that he is using the scandal as a reason to espouse a diatribe against the Church.

All it really needs is for all of us to stop using all these fancy titles and to call these guys by their Baptismal names like the rest of us.

The bishops have already undercut their own authority, they just do not seem to realize it. Their handling of the sexual abuse crisis and their holding themselves above it has caused many Catholics to lower their esteem of their bishops. The handling of the abuse crises is not the only item that has diminished the bishops authority and esteem. When a bishop tells a politician that he/she cannot recieve communion because they do not see eye to eye with the bishop on political issues it undermines the authority of all bishops, especilly when the bishops as a group do not stand up for clear rights of conscience. When bishops make anti gay,anti women, and other predudicial decisions and comments, and the remaining bishops do not refute this, all bishops loose credibility. Bishops have made so many stupid decisions and remarks that their ability to govern the church is in peril and they are not even aware of it. Today's catholic is a well educated and well read individual. They are not going to follow predjudiced and ignorant leadership.

Another brilliant article by Fr. Cozzens

These are sobering thoughts as according to your article there is no hope any time soon that this feudal system will change. Since all other feudal systens in the West were changed only through pressure from people below through violent revilutions and uprisings that finally resulted in Constitutions that formed the basis for a system of accountablity that we have in our institutions other than the Church.

The only " popular " uprising would be people leaving the Church. In Europe this has already happened to a great extent. It appears that the Church is even rather impervious to the fact that people have " voted with their feet."
As a faithful Catholic all of this maked me very sad. What is next?

Right on Fr Cozzens. This explanation is excellent and well describes the situation. Thank you.

Sad, but true.

And the Bishops wonder why there are so many of us who simply ignore them.

I am in total agreement with Fr. Don Cozzens's analysis. The most unfortunate consequence in this disaster is the damage done to the little ones, some of whom may never recover. The next hapless victims are the priests who understand what real priesthood means, living accordingly and who are now treated with disdain and disrespect because of the sins of the structure of the RCC.
The good news, once again as Jesus proclaimed, is that as Sr. Joan is fond of saying 'this massive betrayal by the RCC has nothing to do with Jesus'. The loyalty of true Christians is to Jesus NOT to the RCC. This blasphemy of the RCC illustrates exactly why Jesus was opposed to organized religious structures.
Perhaps when the princes walk into their royal palaces and all the minions and peasants are gone to be with Jesus, then they might understand what Jesus meant when he asked us to care for one another. Ask yourself, who would you rather spend time with: Jesus and the little ones whom you care for and protect; or with the Bishops, Cardinals, and Popes who instituted a system to protect the felons who abused them?

Such an exceptional bishop was Jacques Gaillot from Évreux - and he had to step down.

Thank you Fr. Don for telling it like it is. There are a few words that I would change to be more realistic and descriptive. The word monarchy I would change to "ABSOLUTE DICTATORSHIP" and the word princes to "REGIONAL DICTATOR" The Roman Catholic Church's governance is modeled after the Roman Empire of 1500 years ago, with Caesar the head dictator in Rome and regional (mini-Caesars) - Dictators out in the country side. The Roman Catholic Church is currently the worlds oldest Absolute Dictatorship in existence!!!

The Roman Catholic Church of today is not the church founded by Jesus Christ. In Jesus' church the bishops were elected by the People of God from their midst. The early church had female and male clergy and most were married.

Theologian Edward Schillebeeckx in his book "Ministry" says that ordination is not top down but bottom. Ordination is conferred when the People of God accept you as their leader of prayer. Anything else is window dressing or as the phrase goes, "All Flash and No Cash".

"Nearly
 all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, 
give him power." –Abraham Lincoln

You can work out an ecclesiastical system that remains reasonably faithful to the gospels while still holding bishops accountable to their people. Episcopalians in this country have done it. Do a Google news search on the bishop of Pennsylvania, a man put out of office for covering up abuse done by his brother, who was also a priest. Their system isn't perfect, but it's way better than the RC system.

Fr. Cozzens gets to the heart of the matter:   "There is no real accountability for bishops"   and there is no motivation on the part of prelates to change that privileged state of affairs.     Lack of accountability provides fertile ground for all manner of malfeasance and outright corruption to take root.     The Fullness of Holy Orders notwithstanding,   the men holding episcopal office are flawed human beings just like the rest of us,   and subject to the same temptations of unbridled power.
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In an irony of words,   the institutional 'Peter Principle' applies even in the RCC institution.     The climb up the Roman career ladder is primarily hinged to allegiance to the pope,   not competence,   mature spirituality,   pastoral skills,   or   integrity.     Politicians that they are,   the "friends of the pope" are the men who get the goodies   (such as the coveted "red hat").     The Vatican State is overrun with unsavory examples of how this works.
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Notably,   the 2002 Charter   (with Vatican endorsement)   specifically excludes bishops from its intrusive investigations and 'zero tolerance' policy...   by the bishops' own specific vote.     The glaring reality is that while ~3-4% of priests were involved in sexual assault on minors over a fifty year period,   there were 60-66% of bishops who were criminal accomplices in covering up these crimes and moving predators to fresh pastures to find more victims.
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Now the Vatican is using a legal strategy claiming that bishops are not employees of the Vatican,   therefore the Vatican is not legally or financially responsible for their crimes.     Of course,   there is no mention that bishops worldwide have sworn allegiance to the pope and are an integral part of this feudal system of governance.     It's a shameless effort to have the best of both worlds:   exemption from accountability in one,   and the perks of privilege in the other.
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In consequence of the above duplicity, the 'princes of the Church' are rapidly making themselves to be irrelevant and untrustworthy in the minds of the majority of "peons in the pews".     The successors of the apostles are not behaving as Jesus instructed them to do.

One of the great gifts of America to the world of governance is the understanding that checks and balances creates the healthiest system. This is a gift that our American bishops could bring to the church, at least starting the discussion about the value of having checks and balances. As long as we have this monarchical system, with no checks and no balances --- well, under which king would we peasants have liked to live?

Excellent, thank you.

Yes, completely correct. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The pope and hierarchy have proven the axiom to be absolutely true. Now lawyers for the Vatican (a foreign country) will argue in US courts that the pope is not responsible for the bishops' actions, because they are not his employees. MORE COVERUP MORE LIES!

The pope appoints the bishops. They travel to Rome to receive his blessing and to report on their activities. There is a papal representative of the church, also appointed by the pope, in the US to keep an eye on things and also report to the pope. When Cardinal Law faced problems, the pope spirited Law out of the country and gave him a position in Rome. Law is still a Cardinal and still a Prince of The Church and thus he is eligible to be elected pope some day.

There is another true axiom.... fish stink from the head down.

For some of us the feudal system and monarchical structure of the clerical hierarchy of the institutional Roman Catholic church has been shattered. I can't remember when exactly I realized how silly the hats of the bishops, cardinals and even the Pope looked. Or when I thought that men wearing lace was odd. The decisions that so many made as it relates to the sexual abuse of children tells you how lost they are. Isn't the message of Jesus quite obvious. Call no one "good" or "Lord" much less "your emminence". I think many of us can see right through these clerics.....we don't need the explanations offered in this article. It's all too evident that their way of life does not follow the teachings of Jesus.

Cozzen's description of the present structure of our Catholic Church is distressfully accurate: "...the last feudal system in the West and one of the last absolute monarchies in the world." All of us Catholics have to honestly ask ourselves: if this church is, as we believe, the church of Jesus, can it be the church that Jesus wanted? If it is not the church that Jesus wanted, then we bear the responsibility of doing everything we can to bring it closer to the message and vision of Jesus.
No one has the one neat answer on how to do that. We all have to work together, talk together, learn from each other. But part of what we will have to do will be to confront the bishops, including the Bishop of Rome, as honestly, resolutely, humbly, and lovingly as we can. The structures of centralized, secret power in the hands of an all-male leadership have to change if the church is to move closer to being the church that Jesus wants. So it seems to many of us, laity and clergy. And so we must speak.

So very well said, so very well said. And alas, now we see why the moral authority of the Catholic bishops and priests has disappeared. It is because they hauled it off themselves during the night, hoping nobody would notice. They know what must be done to restore it, and they blind themselves to that requirement. All the while Rome burns on incessantly. Soon, nothing will be left but a hollow core of worn out old men with no wives or children in tow leading nobody and nowhere to go.

The system won't change until it collapses.
All appointments need to be for a finite time e.g. 5 years and then you go back out into the workplace minus your title and hierachical position>
Now thats humility!

What about accountability from the nuns? There has been ZERO accountability from them on their own abuse record and payoff record!

I guess part of the "changing face of the priesthood" is for priests who write articles for NCR to have pictures in sports shirts.

Excellent article. Thank you.

So the Vatican fears that real accountability might "diminish [the] credibility" of the bishops. I have news for the Vatican. Between the sexual abuse crisis and, in the United States, the penchant of many bishops to almost openly go politicking for the Republican Party, the credibility of the bishops has sunk nearly to the point of no return.

Father Cozzens is quite right, unfortunately. As, at last, we see this system begin to unravel (at least at the edges) before our eyes over a truly big issue, we also see how the corruption and grip of power extends to smaller issues like the so-called "translation" of the liturgy. All of this is bolstered by a piece of now-mythology that seems not yet to have been discussed, the theory of the Two Laws, civil and canonical.
Even in our own country until relatively recently, the most common law degree was not the J.D., but the LL.B. Why two "Ls"? For the two kinds of law, which stood upon an equal footing. This might have been the case in medieval Europe, but is no longer true in 21st century America, nor hardly anywhere else. The Roman Catholic Church needs to understand that its canon law is of a different order from civil law, and that it is subject to both, not just its own by-laws.
The whole "princely" thing is largely an artifact of the accidents of history, from Constantine to the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West and its consequences. It is hardly supported by Scripture (e.g., Acts). We need to re-think the whole governance model of the Church. For better or worse, we have plenty of "pilot projects" to examine, in the form of the polities of our Protestant brothers and sisters. A good start would be to return to the collegiality taught by Vatican II.
--mjc

Donald, thanks for keeping up the comment that provoke thought and reflection -you as usual are right on. At this time of the Church year, it is good to remember that the Spirit does not speak only through those who presume to be in authority - but it speaks through the entire church - the halt and the lame - the blind and the deaf. When those in positions of authority forget how to listen to the whispers or the shouts of the Spirit - or choose to be deaf - then how can they presume to teach? Any teacher knows that the first rule is to listen - and then to listen again before speaking. It is one thing to listen with the ears but much more importantly to listen with the heart. When all that is heard is the sound of one's own voice and ego, then all that results is death - not life. Keep up the good work.

Well done. Donald Cozzens puts his finger on two-thirds of the problem with the hierarchy. The only part missing is the fact that they rarely if ever get the real, unvarnished feminine perspective -- let alone from the experience of parenting a child who was abused...

You've got that right Donald!

Thank you. This clearly describes the presnet situation. While not being accountable to anyone but the Bishop of Rome and being insulated from the struggles, it becomes apparent why they have to attack and try to judge harshly the religious women in the country.

Thank You Father

Now, here is the first truthful clip that allows us a look into the lives of the Catholic Royalty that has been presented without a lot of caveats or footnotes that I would be willing to call honest. Even, however, in its rich honesty it fails to offer space or create an opening for reconciliation. I really don't think that was Fr.Cozzens intent, but after all this time, one has to be waiting for the opening that will finally put this scandal to bed.
Where then, if honesty of this nature fails the reconciliation test, will it emerge? The Pope certainly hasn't the credibility to pull it off any longer and maybe a very small percentage of the Cardinals and Bishops might if they were no so wrapped up in being company men. If you spend a long time thinking about the dead ends that the current attempts at reconciliation are apt to produce, very few lights, dim as they might be, hang low on the horizon.
Fr. Cozzen amalgamated to a dedicated laity, a congregation, might pull it off in a small local way. Many solitary priest might do it. The ladies of the Church would certainly be able to do it and I think there is a subterranean movement that senses the need within that group to surface and try. (I would support that) But in the final analysis the Church and all that it has deformed over the centuries will, in my estimation, never do it and the leader of that Church is the one most unlikely to bring reconciliation about. So why are we hanging on? Why are we not serving Christ and rejecting the deviant nature of the organization? What is holding us up?

Spot on Donald. Thanks for you comment. Our poor, battered church stands in sore need of a makeover by the servant vision of Jesus.

You echo the famous statement made in the 19th century by the English historian John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, better known as Lord Acton. He wrote in a letter to the scholar Mandell Creighton this statement that seems to foreshadow the self-protection that seems to be the first line of defence for so many who call themselves pastors and teachers:
Acton wrote:

"I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men with a favourable presumption that they did no wrong. If there is any presumption, it is the other way, against the holders of power, increasing as the power increases. Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or certainty of corruption by full authority. There is no worse heresy than the fact that the office sanctifies the holder of it."

"Even armchair psychologists can *** missing word: NOT?*** imagine how insular the life of royalty inevitably becomes -- and how dangerous the royal power can be even in the best of men."

As a professional writer you should get a better copy editor. CRUCIAL word I think.

Otherwise I agree 110%.

Can you name a LIVING bishop who measures up?

Bishop of San Jose in California is close.

retired teacher in CA

I have seldom read such self-indulgent and self-serving crap in all my life.

Translated into plain English this little piece means: "I Fr Donald Cozzens am a far better man than all these bishops. Only the Vatican does not realise that."

God save us from such tosh