Revising history Vatican style

Again, Tom Doyle shows that he "gets" it as a very small miniority of priests and religious superiors do:

It is the entire clerical culture that needs to be revamped from the inside out.

We still see the symptoms: we are told that "they" will fix their own problems internally as "they" see fit. Only priests and religious are fit to assess and evaluate other priests and religious. And this in a strict official and unofficial hierarchy. For example, no woman would ever be expected to pass judgement or to direct any man, particularly not an ordained man.

Accountability is still "upwards" with a clear notion of which direction is "up."

The reality may be that the clergy is in fact incabable of revamping its own culture. It may be necessary for the laity to do it for them.

OK, the bishops have now been thrown under the bus by B16. Now it is time for him to throw Cardinal Law(less) under the bus and send him to a monastery of severe discipline (if such exists) in the US where he can deposed and anything else that US laws require. Of course, this will not save B16, but it will make for interesting games.

It is so obvious that the Vatican, pope, bishops don't get it yet...yes, they promise now to report sexual abuse to the proper civil authorities...what's done is done...but what they still don't understand (or don't want to understand) is how they have been accomplices, encouraged co-dependence, closed their eyes, ears, mind to horrendous acts...somehow they completely manage to ignore their participation in aiding, abetting, and letting these acts happen and continue to occur...the plank in their eye needs to be removed so we can move on with cleaning, growing, building church...I would say to the hierarchy: lead, follow, or get out of the way!

Yes, the ENTIRE clerical culture DOES NEED to be REVAMPED. It must start at the very top: The Bishop Of Rome. The second step must be the abolishment of the College of Cardinals. Such a select few who regard themselves as "princes" rather than simple shepherds, should never be allowed to select the top shepherd in the Church universal. There should be equal representation in electing the pope from lay people, clergy and brother bishops. It should be a totally transparent process and all bishops should serve short terms, perhaps five to ten years maximum. The use of medieval garb worn by bishops must be relegated to the Vatican Museum. It is time for bishops to dress humbly and mirror a disciple of christ instead of an imperial prince or king. The mitre is suppose to be the symbol if the "tongue of fire" of the Holy Spirit. How about a simple scull cap with a three inch high tongue of fire on top? Keep it simple cotton and avoid the silk, satin velvet and jewel encrusted garments. Make the staff of the bishop a simple wood staff of a shepherd. Pray for a third major Catholic Reformation that will drop the mandatory celibacy for priests and bishops, invite women to be ordained to all clerical states, establish open communion with all other branches of Christianity. These steps, along with a new understanding of human sexuality must happen if the sexual abuse of children is to become a reality.

Amen, Tom. Is there any way to get this posted on the front door of every Catholic Church?

If there has ever been a stronger argument for sweeping reform of the hierarchy of the Church I haven't heard it. I recently attended a course in Church History that was developed by Ascension Press. This course was "history through the eyes of the Church". It was an exercise in revisionist history that would have done any Stalinist proud. The half truths, convenient omission of facts that countered the Church's views of history, and outrageous spinning of potentially distressing events was amazing. It was consistent, however, with the the hierarchy has dealt with facts in this matter. I think that attention should be paid to St. Paul's exhortation to "be in the world but not of this world." The hierarchy seems to have no problem not being of this world, but stumbles every time they try to be in this world.

Thank you Fr. Doyle. Clergy sexual abuse is horrific in and or itself; however, the culture that supports, defends and ignores such horrible behaviors is even more damning.

Forgiveness cannot be given until there is honest admittance of error and repentance.

The Vatican and its defenders don't have short memories --- they have very SELECTIVE memories.

To put it another way:

“When I use a word…it means just what I choose it to mean–neither more nor less.” Humpty Dumpty in 'Through the Looking Glass.'

"The Vatican will never be able to “fix” the problem of clergy sexual abuse because the abuse is not the essential problem that needs fixing. It is the entire clerical culture that needs to be revamped from the inside out." This is the most profound conclusion and insight that can be drawn from this tragedy. Nothing short of a Luther style REFORMATION will be sufficient to get this church back on a semblance of identity with Jesus the founder. ALL Catholic practices and structures that have been put in place since Jesus' time must now be closely examined and put up for review by the People of God. Unfortunately with the death of Pope John XXIII, the windows were slammed shut. Now, it's no longer possible to just air out the church with open windows, it now requires that the organization be TOTALLY DISINFECTED. The patient is on life-support!

Thank you once again Tom for a candid and forthright article - most particularly the last two sentences. For me it became a counterbalance to attempts by other Vatican venues to use historical events as offensive defense. I'm speaking of three very recent invocations of Nazis, Nazism, Nazi dictatorship used as metaphors for holding "the Church" and "the Pope" by "the media's campaign". The of the three was used by a different public RC figure: a curial official, the Pope himself, an Italian professor of sociology of religion. In the essay reported the man last named didn't mention the global scandal except by innuendo. In my opinion though he made one misstep when he reported that the anti-catholic, anti-clerical campaign was PROVEN by means of a German Jesuit's research. Documents showed Goebbels directed the Gestapo and journalists to conduct such a campaign - the "smoking gun." Because there is no smoking gun in the accusations official-dom would like to make, it becomes desirable that history should be re-written. We do live in interesting times. Come,Holy Spirit!

I am so glad to read such an article by Fr. Tom that produces the facts as they truly exist. The Vatican has worked so hard to protect itself and the pope that what has been circulating are half-truths and truths that they want us to believe. Fr. Tom has placed all of this in the context of actual truth, reminding us once again that the hierarchy of the Catholic church will do anything to protect itself. If only they would do anything to protect innocent children and vulnerable adults.

Amen to that Father!

In short, there MUST be institutional change put in place quickly if behavioral change at the group and individual level can possible be allowed to take place. Under the present system, saving the face of the "church" (read that as church authorities) trumps everything else. This is an organizational call for suicide at the corporate level. No one who has integrity will partake in this once the truth is out.

The truth is now out for any and all to see.

It is time for bare knuckles truth. What is real in the Christian Faith and what is not? What is myth and what is reality? What is history and what is pious story telling? Who are the true Christian leaders, what does Christianity demand of us and how should the abuse crisis be handled on an individual and group level in that light?

It is time for Catholicism to lead the way for all Christian groups relative to what is reality within Christendom and what is not. Lets start with an honest appraisal of the Gospels and an honest statement of how reliable they are as history. Then lets move on to what is the actual basis of Christian morals and how do we pragmatically implement them in a world that no longer sees Christianity as vital or necessary?

The abuse crisis has cracked the facade of "truth" that is being supposedly protected by the hierarchy. Lets move into the hole that has been blown in the wall of denial and manipulation of the minds of a billion believers using mythology and fear of hellfire as mind control vehicles and lets find out what the actual truth really is across a number of issues that are integral to Christian thinking.

There is no sense in adoring a mythological god-man if he in fact did not exist. There is no sense in a "Christian ethic" if it is not based on anything substantial and integral to the human spirit. Chrsitianity must live or die based on truth. NO MORE LIES by hierophants.

That is what abuse victims ask.

Father Doyle, I was so heartened by your article. Finally someone who knows and cares has come forward with honest words. I am a retired DRE, having worked in parishes for more than 40 years. When this fireball hit in the early 2000's priests at a parish where I worked were all full of sympathy for "those poor priests." When Bernard Law went to Rome and was seemingly promoted, I could hardly believe it. From that moment every bit of moral authority that the Church had was gone. For me the Church became the children we taught about a loving Jesus, personal responsibility, and leading a good life, along with the teachers, priests I knew and could trust and care about, the liturgy, and our community as a whole.
Your article has given me new hope.Maybe someday before I die things will be clean, men and women will be treated equally, and the heirarchy will no longer (for a great part) think of themselves as God. Thank you!

Amen!

THANK YOU, Fr. Doyle. Until the pope and the entire hierarchy admit that this is a systemic problem, nothing will change. The apostolic church has become the hierarchical church with the hierarchs defining God and Church according to their "infallible" definitions.

Great article, not that it will ever have any effect behind the Vatican stockade. As long as our ivory-tower hierarchy thinks that the whole problem will somehow go away as long as they continue to make their impersonal protestations of sorrow at the horrible things perpetrated by "a few priests", and avoid any hint of episcopal responsibility or transparency, then they will continue to isolate themselves from it and the wound will continue to fester. I don't believe that anyone in the Vatican, or indeed anywhere in the episcopacy, has any clue about how immense and far-reaching their credibility problem is.

Father Doyle has courage.

Like the book says: "Lies and the Lying Liers Who Tell Them". The ghost of Ottoviani still "Roams". It does not seem possible for these duplicitous men to speak the truth or to write it. They seem to have no shame. NO ONE believes that it has ALWAYS been the policy of the Vatican to have bishops report abusers except the gullible or those who refuse to believe otherwise.

This is undoubtedly related to the mindset of who argue "the church has always..." or "the church has never..."

Mental reservation my foot.

Doyle is right. The system is rotten at the core. And yet, the foxes who are running the hen house want to remain in charge of cleaning out the chicken droppings!
We need two things:
1. The world's bishops (those who are not implicated in the coverup) need to assert their collegial authority and demand a church council to clean house at the Vatican and to repeal obsolete practices like mandatory celibacy, suppression of free speech, oppression of women, homophobia, among others.
2. The laity need to close our checkbooks until reform is achieved. Money talks.

Saint Tom smites the evildoers once again and exposes their neverending hypocricy.

Fr. Doyle has nailed the problem: the entire clerical culture. Does the Vatican have so little appreciation for the intelligence of "THE CHURCH"?

Time to discard the lace for love, the silk for sanctification, the hierarchy for humility, and the darling little papal slippers walking on the hearts of the faithful for shoes that can walk among us.

It sort of amazes me that, for so long, we have accepted the rule and pronouncements of frightened, power hungry men who live in palaces guarded from the flock they are supposed to shepherd. "And we like sheep" have followed in this sick and unholy path, comprimising our integrity and our own holiness. If it were not so sad, it would be laughable.

I imagine the author's not having his name put forward for a vacant mitre any time soon!

As usual Tom Doyle eloquently speaks the truth. The reformation of the clerical culture will be authentic only when lay women and men have real positions of leadership in the church and are equal in authority with the clergy. Anything else will be the usual Vatican run-around. Actually, unless there is a major change, more Catholics will leave the church, and the remaining "thinking" Catholics will pay little, if any, attention to what the bishops state on any issue.

The sex abuse scandal was handled by bishops throughout the world who believed that they were above the law, and, therefore, had no obligation to turn over predator priests to the police or prosecutors. An egregious example is the retired cardinal who lauded a French bishop who did not inform the police of a predator priest under his authority. Such hubris goes totally against the gospel message, especially where Jesus states, “Render to Caesar the things of Caesar and to God the things of God.”

I will never understand how the "leadership" of the church could have been so cold for the lives of innocent children. What is so apparent to many of us is the bishops' hypocrisy. They have stated that abortion is the number one moral issue of our day, but these same men failed to protect children who were six years outside the womb.

If the "concrete action" that the pope has stated he will finally implement throughout the church is more words, then he will lose whatever credibility he presently has. He also needs to surround himself with smart people who will tell him the truth and will stop protecting him. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin is one bishop who has stated categorically that the “sexual abuse of children was, is, and will always be a sin and a crime.” Instead one of the pope’s principal collaborators is Cardinal Bertone. Since the abuse scandal has been exposed, Bertone has shown that he is incapable of facing the truth, offering up various excuses such as the American media caused the scandal. It is embarrassing and criminal to hear such a high ranking church official continue to act so stupidly. Bertone, along with others, should have been sacked long ago.

Once again Fr. Tom Doyle's observations and analysis of this horrendous matter in the Church is on the mark.

It is not just the protection of children that is sought, but the protection of the ALL THE VULNERABLE - which includes infants to adults. It also must include sincere efforts to bring to an end the clerical culture of omertà - the code of silence - which was so clearly brought to the fore by the publication of the letter of Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos. The Cardinal, who formerly headed the Congregation of the Clergy in the Vatican, praised a bishop for not turning over a priest who in another modality was nothing more than a sexual predator of children.

Until clerical omertà is brought to an end, all the efforts to protect even the children from sexual predators in the clergy will be for naught. Let's hope that this keeps rolling and until it convinces the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, and his advisors that no amount of 'waiting it out' is going to 'solve' the problem. Only direct action from the Holy See geared to real reform will change anything.

Thank God for people like Fr. Doyle.
The sad fact, of course, is, that like all prophets, no one (at least in authority) will listen to him until we are all dead!
But there is hope for the future.

By now, everyone should see the truth of the statement, that the clerical culture has to be revamped. Everyone that is, who unfortunately can do little to change it.
The pope and his bishops continue to protect their power base, occasionally showing some sign that they might understand, but are unwilling to do anything about it.

The revsion of history that Fr. Doyle so aptly describes would be funny, if not so very, very sad.

Thanks, Fr. Doyle..... please keep up the good work. Can't believe that you haven't been silenced yet!

Exactly so!

And for some reason members of the hierarchy around the world are now praising what the U.S. bishops did in 2002 as a kind of Gold Standard in dealing with the church's ongoing sexual abuse crisis.

Would that it were so!

Of course it might help is the definition of Accountability and Transparency were not simply left up to individual bishops as it is.

It might help as well if some bishops didn't reject the results of their own hand picked investigative committees regarding credibly accused sexual offenders.

In 25 years or so the programs and standards they were forced to put into place can be evaluated by a truly independent group. Until then I think I will wait until bishops who enabled the sexual abuse of so many are disciplined and some others like Boston Archdiocese auxiliaries Bishops William Murphy and John McCormack have submitted their resignations.

____________________

HOLDING CLERGY AND CHURCH LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE THE LAW

Professor Marci Hamilton and Sister Maureen Paul Turlish on NPR's Radio Times on WHYY Philadelphia 04/12/2010

http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2010/04/12/holding-clergy-and-church-lead...

____________________

Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Victims' Advocate
New Castle, Delaware
maureenpaulturlish@yahoo.com
DACOA VP
www.dacoa.org

Thanks to Father Tom Doyle for this. As with all totalitarian regimes history belongs to the regime. As Peter Damian in the Middle Ages taught that God was so powerful he could change history so our clerical strong men in the Vatican claim they CAN change history and they will. This is not the last attempt at revisionism--we are going to hear what a defender of children John Paul II was.

Thank you Tom for your great work. One day all Catholics will realize what a wonderful asset are to the church. Unfortunately anyone who tells the truth in Catholic ministry ever gets promoted. Kurt Gladsky Christian Brothers Sexual Abuse Survivors Network

Let’s count the errors, omissions or misleading statements:
1. “This is the first time the Vatican has publicly agreed that sexual abuse of minors is not only a crime in the secular world, but one that should be reported to civil authorities. “ But what was stopping the local bishop from doing this before? Nothing, in fact many did. Does the Vatican need to tell every Bishop what to do? Obviously not.
2. “it has finally reached the Vatican. Well that depends on what “it” is. If it=awareness and action then “it” happened under JPII. If it=papal negligence or responsibility, “it” has not yet happened. Being ambiguous is not cute; it is sloppy.
3. Here comes another vague strawman: “This has sent shock waves through the ranks of the faithful including the hierarchy’s staunch defenders. They are disturbed and even enraged” Who exactly are “they”? Since Doyle does not say, he can make any statement he wants.
4. To the extent that people have risen to the Pope’s defense it is because the NY Times and the AP have distorted the evidence and quoted only those who have a financial stake in the debate. By mischaracterizing those he disagrees with Doyle can avoid the actual argument they make.
5. Now for some name calling: “Vatican denizens” and “curial bureaucrats”
6. The NCR Trope: “ who actually run the institutional church”; by implication there is another Church out there somewhere. “We are Church” properly understood includes these institutional vermin; they are part of the “people of God” just as much as anyone else.
7. “If this policy has been buried in deep secrecy, what good is it?” Doyle produces no evidence that it was buried, just the assertion. But does a responsible grown need someone to tell him to follow the law? Does this need to be a policy? Evidently not since many bishops did notify law enforcement. Not all – and not enough – but Cardinal Law was not the norm.
8. More faceless charges: “ The Vatican and its defenders”, “Some members of the hierarchy”, “several very prominent ecclesiastics” – apparently Doyle can’t name any or his rant might be exposed for what it is.
9. No, wait – he found a name: Cardinal Oscar Maradiaga of Honduras. Doyle is fair enough to point out that he “said that clerics who have committed grave errors should be brought to justice by church tribunals.” So what is wrong with also saying that the U.S. attorneys who deposed Cardinal Bernard Law of used “Stalinist” tactics? Massachusetts is known for this thing – anyone remember the Fells Acre Day Care case? Martha Coakley does.
He then goes on to cite opinions of clerics voiced after the CDF took over the cases – in other words, folks who were not involved in handling the cases (and in one case a functionary). What schlock!

Exceedingly well said Thomas. And while we investigate the orthodoxy of the women religious of the US and call the whole Church to penance over the abuse issues, we are told that celibate clerical system within our Church has nothing to do with the situation and is not to be reviewed in any fashion. As much as it hurts to be Catholic and hear the inevitable exagerations and simplistic takes on things Catholic, we can in all honesty only applaud the one mechanism that beats the secrecy and revisionism. Go the media - keep pinging them till they one day hear!

We in the US are fortunate in usually being able to trust law enforcement officials. That is not the case everywhere, especially when clergy are critical of a government. When a military government wanted to get rid of Archbishop Romero and other courageous priests, it had to assassinate them. Now it would only be neccessary to make a false accusation.

Thank you, Tom Doyle, for ferreting out the quotes to put the lie to countless statements by bishops and their apologists that the 2001 Ratzinger letter never meant abuse was not to be reported to civil authorities. It was a damn lie, a damnable lie, I say.

Further proof is found in accounts of what happened to priests who DID report to police. They found themselves removed from their positions and hounded by their bishops.

See the story of John Conley in San Francisco and the disgusting way he was treated by Levada, who now runs the store in Rome, BTW. (scroll half way down)

snip: http://www.sanfranmag.com/story/man-who-keeps-secrets
A month later Conley was summoned to a meeting with Archbishop Levada and Monsignor George Wester. By then Conley was convinced of two things: the boy had been Aylward's sexual target, and the archdiocese was closing the wagons around Aylward.

Conley says Levada used the word "calumny" in reference to Aylward's innocence. Noticing that Monsignor Wester was taking notes, Conley pulled out a tape recorder, fearing he was being set up as a scapegoat. Levada was surprised, asking, "You don't trust me?" Conley said he just wanted an accurate record of the conversation. But Levada ordered Conley to turn off the tape recorder or court suspension from the priesthood.

"This meeting is over," said Levada. "I'm placing you on administrative leave." At the door, Levada told him, "Think about obedience."

Bruce Teague, a survivor and priest in Springfield, MA:
http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories/032302_priests.htm

snip: "Five years ago, when the Rev. Bruce Teague noticed a convicted child molester was hanging around St. Brigid Church, he sent word to his superiors at the Diocese of Springfield.

But after hearing nothing back from the diocese, Teague went to Amherst police, who issued a trespass order, threatening the child molester with arrest if he came back.

Teague said that after his superiors got a copy of the order, he was reprimanded for going outside the church, touching off a dispute with diocesan officials over his leadership of the parish that eventually led to his ouster as pastor.

His transgression? The child molester he turned in was another priest."

Outstanding to get solid reporting like this. How come John Allen did not pick up on this?

Thank you Fr. Tom for your excellent article. Your analysis is right on, as usual. The Medieval notion that the clergy are above and immune from the civil law still exists in the clerical halls of power in the Twentyfirst Century. You are excatly right that it is a malignant clerical culture that creates and sustains this problem that should have been addressed decades ago.

Steve

“Civil law concerning reporting of crimes to the appropriate authorities should always be followed.”
This is the FIRST time the Vatican has publicly agreed that sexual abuse of minors is not only a crime in the secular world, but one that should be reported to civil authorities."

Memo to Fr. Doyle:
Thanx for giving us "UNE BONNE DOSE D'HISTOIRE" ("a good dose of history") as Pere Congar used to say.
http://www.crusadeagainstclergyabuse.com/htm/AShortHistory.htm
If only the Vatican had heeded the advice given by another renowned Dominican, Pope Pius V:
http://lasalettejourney.blogspot.com/2009/01/cardinal-mahony-under-feder...

Wow! Yours is truly a voice of reason. I'm not a Catholic, but I would call you "Father." I hope that Roman Catholics will heed your advice and do the necessary "revamping." Otherwise, there will be nothing left of their church.

Bartone speaks of "the 'PROFESSIONAL' secrecy of priests", is interesting. First priests have avoided laws about professional standards by declaring they are NOT prossionals like other professionals. Now we know they are so in the UK we can charge them with professional breach or duty of care and breach of trust when they molest adult women they are helping. Secondly Bartone doesn't seem to understand that 'secrecy' is always suspect but confidentiality is respected. However professionals keep confidentiality ONLY when it benefits, not to hide criminals.

The Vatican is playing 'catch-up' and doing it very badly. Unfortunately we professionals can assess the situation well...pathological story tellers and twisters of truth should NOT be running the Church.

We catholics should demand a total reconstruction of how our church is run.

"The Vatican will never be able to 'fix' the problem of clergy sexual abuse because the abuse is not the essential problem that needs fixing. It is the entire clerical culture that needs to be revamped from the inside out."

So very true.

Sexual abuse of children is an ARTIFACT of this sick, dysfunctional, corrupt culture. Respect for God's children is an ESPOUSED VALUE. What is the SHARED TACIT ASSUMPTION operative here? The latter is what has proven successful over time.

Which begs the questions:

a. What constitutes "success" in this culture?

b. Who defines "success" in this culture?

I suspect the answers to these questions will be a disappointment to folks who value ecclesial transparency and accountability.

I see it this way: Canon Law is like Corporate Policy. It dictates how the organization handles non-criminal, bureaucratic, issues within itself. It does not reach the standard of civil law. Even Jesus put "rendering unto Caesar" first in his response to the Pharisees.

Revising history is a long-time Roman practice. For example, I have long believed that the Encyclical authorizing the ordination of women priests will be called "Sic semper Ecclesia docens" (As the Church has always taught...)

You go, Tom!!! Keep it up!!! Truth will out!!!

After this exactly what coming from the Vatican should we believe. To attempt to "change history" is to lie! If the powers that be will lie in this instance, in what other situations will they lie?

The Vatican hierarchy has created confusion over the actual responsibility for these crimes. Since they in effect are the " top management" of the Church , they need to bare the blame for creating this level of confusion and cover-up. It's actually rather simple, in my view. A crime , is a crime, is a crime... To deal with crimes we have had police, prosecutors, juries and judges for centuries in this country. What is there not to get???

Perplexed Catholic mother, grandmother and one who loves the Church as well as her faith!

The Vatican in its capacity as the " top management" of the Church has created a massive confusion in its lower ind mid-level hierarchies about something that appears to me rather simple as it does to most Catholics as well as others:
A crime is a crime is a crime. For crimes we have the police to investigate, prosecutors to do their job, defense attorneys for the accused, juries who decide and Judges who preside.

What is there not to get?

Perplexed Catholic mother, grandmother, one who loves her Church still and her faith!

Time to come clear once and for all!

What is it that the Vatican doesn't geT?

Perplexed....

Isn't it strange that a priest can rape little boys and not be excommunicated, but just let a qualified woman celebrate Mass and she is automatically excommunicated by her action. I don't get it.

It's great to hear such "truth telling" from someone who is within (to some respect)the heirarchy. Thank you Fr. Doyle (and I rarely use the term Fr. for anyone, but feel the connection here is important) for bringing "out" some of what many of us are/have not been not aware of in the past. You are absolutely right: "The Vatican will never be able to “fix” the problem . . . . . . " because "It is the entire clerical culture that needs to be revamped from the inside out." (Amen, Amen, again I say Amen) There is and has been so much "stuff" coming from the heirarchy it's almost impossible for some of us main-stream, day-to-day Catholics to read, hear or absorb it's nice to have someone sort through some of that and put it out there in "laymans" terms. The desire within the the heirarchy for "secrecy" is not only profound it is disgusting and perverse. What in the life of Jesus or the teachings of Jesus had anything to do with keeping "secrets." I still believe that the history of the "church" (which I don't believe is really the Church, but is the heirarcy that runs the institution) which had to do with the Pope, AKA ruler/king/monarch "owning" and ruling/running a country, or at least part of a country/piece of land with it's citizens beholding to that ruler, is a major part of the problem. Who besides monarchs/presidents/kings/rulers REALLY needs so much secrecy in "controlling"/protecting his/her country/property? Certainly NOT Jesus or even the Apostles of Christ. What is the historic presidence for "obedience to the Bishop?" - We have an acquaintance who became a priest in the "Old Catholic Church," installed by a female Bishop, and during the installation took a vow of COLLABORATION with the Bishop, not a bow of obedience to the Bishop. - Thank you for your candor and risk taking in reporting this to us. I suppose you may now become a member of that special group, the “Catholic bashing media,” and may, in one way or another, suffer the consequences. We have to keep up the pressure on this heirarchy to make progress in the RC Church and get beyond the backsliding into the pre-vatican days and continue with the "power-down" attitude that pervades the heirarchy.
respectfully, Wayne Olson

Thank you Thomas Doyle!
YES! The Clerical culture needs a thorough reformation! Stop putting the spot light on other non-issues. (AKA - Apostolic Visitation of American Women Religious) and shine the light into the dark shadows of the Clerical world!

I agree.

"The appearance of the “Guide to Understanding” is a failed attempt at damage control through revision of history"
This is a damaging and misleading statement. It implies that the document is newly fabricated and it changes facts to create a false picture which is simply not true.
The document existed and the Church is now making the wider public aware of its existence to show that because as you rightly point out some of the hierarchy did fail to report a crime to civil authorities it needed to be put into black and white that a crime should be reported and the Church has finally woken up to the scale of the abuse that has occurred.
Of more interest to me is your comment
"It is the entire clerical culture that needs to be revamped from the inside out."
I would like you to write your ideas in this regard.
The above article rehashes what we know already there were individual members of the hierarchy who confused compassion for the sinner with a clear grasp of the necessity to recognise the nature of the sin required that the offender surrender to civil authorities for worldly justice proceedings.
The fact that the 2001 document contains a sentence recommending this practice be the norm proves the Pope began the turn around since it was he who initiated this set of protocols.
I know that working with the victims of abuse for so long would take its toll and build up a deep anger and frustration with those members of the hierarchy whose failure to act helped this evil to flourish but the tide is turning and any abuser who escaped worldly justice cannot escape Divine Justice.

Thank you for presenting these facts in such a clear manner. How can we challenge the clerical culture to realize that they as well as the laity will be better off with a though revamping of the structure of our Church? Action is needed desperately!

Father Doyle, as usual, is correct legally and morally.

Thank God for Fr. Tom Doyle. He is the one who first broke the sex abuse story
to the U.S. Bishops in 1984. He was a prophetic voice then and the bishops
did not listen to him. Now that the scandal has blown up to a mushroom cloud with hovers over them & the Vatican, perhaps they will start listening
to Fr. Doyle.

There is only one procedure that will rid the Church of hierarchical silence and ineffectuality in cases of the sexual abuse of minors. Some District Attorney must indict a bishop for aiding and abetting an abuser and seek the maximum penalty. That would bring an end to the episcopal practice of favoring the cause of the abuser over that of the abused and his or her traumatized family. NPC