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PDF versionBenedict's record on abuse: all talk and no action
Mar. 19, 2010
David Clohessy (CNS)
Commentary
As disclosures of carefully concealed clergy sex crimes surface by the hundreds across Europe, even in Pope Benedict's native Germany, defenders of the pontiff are working overtime.
"As pope, he has been unusually and laudably aggressive in dealing with abusers," says David Gibson, author of a Benedict biography.
"[On abuse] Pope Benedict XVI has made it clear that no one, however well-connected, gets a free pass," writes John Allen of National Catholic Reporter.
Well, let's look clearly at Benedict's track record, as pope, on clergy sex crimes and cover ups. He has done three things.
Once, after substantially watering down an already vague and weak proposal, he belatedly and begrudgingly approved the U.S. bishops' 2002 child sex abuse policy.
Twice, in carefully choreographed circumstances, he sat in the same room with and talked with a few hand-picked victims.
And twice, he "disciplined" credibly accused child molesting clerics (one of whom, after multiple allegations and years of delay, was "invited" to live a life of prayer while the Vatican made only the most oblique reference to his actual crimes).
That's it. That's all. Everything else is just talk.
Well, words are powerful, aren't they? Of course, but words are what we use when we're powerless. And with pedophile priest and complicit bishops, the pope is anything but powerless.
When it comes to world peace, hunger, inequality, poverty, AIDS, natural disasters, the pope talks and writes, as he should. He has little, if any, influence over these catastrophes.
But with clergy sex crimes and cover ups, he sits atop a clear, ancient, rigid, hierarchical structure. He's the king, and has nearly limitless power.
But in the greatest crisis the church has faced in modern times, Benedict acts not like a mighty monarch, but like a lowly serf.
Keep in mind that Benedict and his colleagues in Rome have dealt with this scandal for decades. There's really nothing new happening, except victims are predictably speaking out in more nations now than before. But none of this, despite bishops' claims of being "shocked" in recent weeks, is the least bit shocking or surprising.
So we've got veteran, knowledgeable leaders facing an ancient, predictable problem. Action then, should be swift and effective.
But action is nearly nowhere to be seen. Just words -- excuses, explanations, defenses, attacks, and apologies.
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Action, of course, protects kids. Words protect no one. A seemingly-endless flurry of disclosures and revelations and exposes and headlines have emerged in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland and the Netherlands over the past few weeks. But not a single edict has been issued or action has been taken that leaves one child safer as a result.
[David Clohessy is the national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.]
I have had the honor and
I have had the honor and privilege of meeting Mr. Clohessy in person. He is an inexhaustible champion for the victims of child sexual abuse and a source of hope and healing. I don't know how he, Barbara Blaine and the other leaders of SNAP, as well as Fr. Thomas Doyle can keep their journalistic integrity and even-handedness, even their sanity, after listening to and comforting thousands who have been treated so brutally by our hierarchs after already suffering so much from the abuse itself. I would call them saints, but that would be an insult after the likes of Escriba and Wojtyla have been, or will be, elevated to that status.
The greatest Pope of the 20th
The greatest Pope of the 20th century was PiusX11..and the worst was JohnPaul2..he was deadly silent during the worst sex scandal crisis in the history of the church and see how the left loves him.The infiltration of the church continues unabatted.Candidates are recuited in school and trained and sponsored and then to various parishes they go!To claim celebacy is the anser is like saying..'dur,a priest has that feeling,calls his wife,say honey will be home in one hour,its party nite..but instead he now just whispers out the rectory door as an altar boy goes past..'ah,hey David come in here a moment!..not quite this is all a plan,it takes time to condition the young into becoming abused victims of these hate crimes...all a plan of satans.
I must say that Benedict
I must say that Benedict XVI's record is much better than that of John Paul the Great Enabler. Unfortunately, that isn't saying much. This is the moment of truth for Benedict. Either he steps up and does the right thing, or he can go the Bernard Law route and blame it on the press.
Steve
Thank you to David Clohessy
Thank you to David Clohessy for his insights which are always right on target. Benedict really needs to give up the throne of Peter. He won't of course but morally, he should do this. I have little expectations that Joe Ratzinger will do anything that really needs to be addressed with this criminal behavior of the hierarchy. After all, it starts with him and he will never acknowledge his criminal behavior.
Of course, there is nothing
Of course, there is nothing "criminal" in any of the Holy Father's behavior. Indeed, I cannot recall a single bishop who has been charged with any criminal behavior as a result of this abuse situation (unless, of course, that bishop was himself an abuser). But, hey, why should facts get in the way of invective?
In fact, many states --
In fact, many states -- perhaps most -- do have a statutory REQUIREMENT that anyone who has knowledge or a reasonable suspicion of an incidence of child abuse report the concern to child protective authorities. The history of American Bishops' handling of criminal acts by priests within their dioceses suggests that many of them engaged in criminal behavior by their silence and cover-up.
But, as you are undoutedly
But, as you are undoutedly aware, such laws cannot apply retroactively (ex post facto laws, as the Constitution calls them). Thus, while today most states have mandatory reporting laws (relatively recent statues, by the way), applying to all who work with children (except for priests who learn of abuse, etc in the confessional of course), and those who would engage in such cover-up today would be guilty of violation of the law, such was not the case when the vast majority of abuse cases were actually occuring and so no bishop, priest, deacon, etc is guilty of violating those laws since those laws did not yet exist.
As such, I stand by my original statement that these bishops and priests whose only involvement was in maintaing the silence and transferring abusers (based on the assurances of psychologists) may be guilty of questionable judgment, but not of any crime.
How sad that you would choose
How sad that you would choose to be an apologist for these people. All the concern of our church for the unborn rings a little hollow when people such as yourself excuse this criminal mistreatment of children and young adults. How many have had lives ruined by sexual abuse by such people and the perpetrators have never been punished because bishops and order superiors became accessories after the crimes.
Yet, people such as yourself choose to split hairs on this subject. This was criminal conduct, aided and abetted by members of the hierarchy and police officals as well. Lives have been ruined, families torn, faith lost. But you just keep on making excuses for these criminals. They've ruined our Church.
Is this how you would
Is this how you would continue to feel if your children had been abused by a priest and the bishops maintained the silence and transferred the abusers---over and over again?
Dear Mr. Green, Why is it
Dear Mr. Green,
Why is it that I as a physician who just suspects abuse must report it or be held Criminally responsible? Once again your lame defense of criminal activity only shows that instead of facing the issues, there are many who wish to deny wrong doing. It is only through political power that these men have not faced prosecution in the United States, but it is still not over in Los Angeles (and other cities) where Mr. Mahoney is under criminal investigation. The Church has fought all recent attempts to make more laws with more teeth in them to protect children against predators. This political activity is only a self serving attempt to protect fearful clerics and especially Bishops. With all of your grammatically well written defenses, I would not be surprised if you were not a cleric or Bishop yourself. These defenses by Bishops and the Vatican itself are one of the direct causes of the leadership implosion in the Church.
Why have not these men been removed by Church law. Certainly by the words of Christ, they should be laying away funds to purchase mill stones.
May we gain grace by attempting to keep the little ones safe!
R. Dennis POrch, MD
The state I am most familiar
The state I am most familiar with, New Hampshire, has had a mandatory reporting law on its books long enough to have covered many cover-ups, and its requirement is not confined to those who work with children, but applies to anyone with a reasonable suspicion. Presumably that would include a parent who is aware of a priest's violation of a child.
But the legal hairsplitting aside, "questionable judgment" only begins to describe the irresponsible complicity that some bishops engaged in when they learned of heinous acts of child rape. In the genuine cases of pederasty, I doubt that any reputable psychologist offered credible assurances that a transfer and a good hug would set things right. That, in fact, is the ultimate buck passing, worse than saying "I was just following orders." I believe, Clint, that you're defending the indefensible. If the crime in question were murder, would the same silence and transfer be justifiable? (say the priest to one parish, the corpse to another). In the case of either murder or rape, it is probably a felony.
"The ordinary catholic is a
"The ordinary catholic is a simple person. It is the role of bishops to protect these little people from the power of..." Abusers? Ah no, ".... intellectuals".
With the exception of the inserted "Abusers? Ah no" these are the words of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, as he rationalized the censure of Hans Kung. Role -responsibility. Point is - it is the role/responsibility of bishops to protect the little people, "simple catholics" and particularly children.
Clint Green your "original statement" is less than credible.
We need more than the kind of
We need more than the kind of action proposed by Mr. Clohessy.
We need to rebuild this church from bottom up --- by "cleaning house" from the top down.
How to do?
Inter alia:
+ By withholding your financial contributions to your parish (money is the
only potentially effective leverage that the laity have);
+ By telling your pastor that you do not want the upcoming liturgical texts
used in your parish, and that if you see their appearance/use in future
worship, you will divert your tithes to other good causes;
+ By encouraging your bishop to begin behaving as a local bishop should behave
--- rather than acting like a papal lackey/flunky;
+ By supporting efforts to get B16 removed from the papacy (or to remove
himself);
+ By generally resisting papal and episcopal initiatives to bring back the
Tridentine mass and related cultural artifacts that ultimately serve to
elevate the ordained and subordinate the laity, and
+ By doing anything else to get the Church of Rome back on the Vatican II
track and trajectory.
BRAVO, Joseph! Sign me up as
BRAVO, Joseph!
Sign me up as a supporter for all of the above.
AMEN! This should be the
AMEN! This should be the agenda for our Vatican II Church in the United States! Can some progressive-minded Catholic organization please make and publicize this the agenda ? Let’s also remove “Roman” from our moniker. These actions would scare/wake up our bishops!
Be protestant. We dont need
Be protestant. We dont need people like you in the Catholic Church.
Sorry, but i can only agree with your 3rd proposal, which also applies in protestant communities where you may trasfer.
And God bless you, too,
And God bless you, too, "KING".
King on Mar. 24, 2010. You
King on Mar. 24, 2010.
You stated:
"Be protestant. We dont need people like you in the Catholic Church.
Sorry, but i can only agree with your 3rd proposal, which also applies in protestant communities where you may trasfer."
------------------------------------------
It is not for you to tell anyone what Church they should belong to. According to your comments, you are stating that anyone who uses the gifts that God gave them---their good common sense---and speaks truthfully---is a Protestant.
And according to you, Catholics---are brainless twits who can only parrot what their religious leaders say they should say---and aren't able to see or reason. Although successful corporations thrive on outside consultants, feedback, suggestins, and brainstorming, by changing constantly and rewarding self-criticism, in religious circles it is considered a sign of disobedience, rebellion, heresy, or even disbelief to question, think about, or change ideas or authorities.
With such Catholics, words are to be repeated and memorized, and behaviors are judged externally and almost mechanically. Apparently, that is why most of the prophets, and certainly Jesus himself, were killed by their own----the uncritical insiders who resist any change of their minds and their hearts.
Sometimes it seems that
Sometimes it seems that people do not understand the Church at all. Some people seem to have the profoundly erroneous belief that the Church belongs to them, or to me, or to us and therefore should be responsive to, or obedient to, the wishes and whims and opinions of its members. Sadly, for those folks, the Church does not belong to us; the Church belongs to Christ.
Having said that, now to your specific points:
1. Tithing does not support the Holy See; indeed, there is only one collection per year that supports the Holy See, the Peter's Pence. That collection goes to the Holy Father so that he may, in turn help those in need (such as in Haiti or during the typhoons and storms in Indonesia). So, if you want to hold your tithes to Peter's Pence, that's fine. After all, you're only hurting those in need. Meanwhile, the weekly collection goes to pay for the needs of the parish, the employees of the parish (secretary, orgainist, maintenance, teachers/principal/aides ((if a parish school)), deacon (if one), sisters (if any), pastor, etc). Your weekly offering also helps (along with donations and fundraising) sustain parish ministries (soup kitchens, youth groups, hospital ministy, food pantries, etc.). So, if making a political statement means more to you than helping your parish fulfill its ministries, then by all means, withold your tithe.
2. Tell the pastor all you want. He is not free to do whatever he wants. Priests make a promise of obedience to their bishop and his successors at their ordinations and the VAST majority of priests take that promise very seriously. So your pastor is likely to commiserate with you, or tell you that he understands your concerns, but in the end, those liturgical texts will be implemented. So, then you can choose to punish the priest and the parish and the poor and needy by withholding your tithes, or you can be an adult and live with it.
3. I agree with this. Too often bishops act as if they do not have any authority of their own and they act afraid to offend people by telling them the truth. Bishops are successors to the Apostles and it is high time that they tell the truth and teach what the Church proclaims, even if it means offending pro-choice Catholics, gay and lesbian Catholics, pro-contraception Catholics, etc. Christ said the truth will "set you free", not that the truth will "make you feel good".
4. The Holy Spirit chose Pope Benedict XVI to be Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church. As such, he occupies the Throne of Peter because he is chosen by God. Now, you are free to believe that God does not guide the College of Cardinals when they elect a Pope, you are free to believe that Jesus lied when He promised that the Spirit would be with us and guide us, and that the "gates of Hell shall not prevail" against His Church. But, either way, the Holy Father is Pope for life, until God calls him home.
5. The Left usually supports the right of people to believe as they wish and to practice that belief freely. Except, of course, when it comes to the Tridentine Mass. Apparently, the Mass that fed and nourished countless millions of Catholics, that nourished saints and sinners alike, for centuries, is nothing more than an "artifact" that elevates the clergy. So, you would rob the Catholic faithful of their heritage and you would deny those who find the Tridentine Rite to be prayerful and to speak to them the right to speak to God in the way in which they find most spiritually moving? How kind of you.
6. And what, pray tell, is the "Vatican II track"? The one set by the Council Fathers in the documents of the Council? The one that says, for example, that Gregorian Mass and the pipe organ, Latin and communion rails all belong in the Mass, even now, as Sacrosanctum Concilium says? Or is it the "spirit of Vatican II", that elusive idea that seeks to justify every sin, every doubt, every question, every lifestyle, every freedom, every choice, every disobedience to the Church and the will of Christ Himself? If you mean the former, that is exactly what Pope Benedict is trying to do; he is trying to rescue the Church from the "spirit of Vatican II" that has hijacked and derailed the Council's actual reforms and authentic teachings over the last forty years.
Just some thoughts...
Pope Benedict would not agree
Pope Benedict would not agree with you that the Holy Spirit chooses the Popes. He has stated that he, himself, doesn't believe that, because there have been some really bad popes. So, you can take your theology from the 19th century, make a novena about it, send out holy cards, ask for an indulgence, but the Pople doesn't agree with you on this one. Sorry, Clint.
Good grief, there you go
Good grief, there you go again, Clint. You are indeed a stalwart of orthodoxy! But your view is very revealing of a myopic way of seeing the issues you choose to address. Case in point: your response #6 leaves out other sentences that go right along with the ones you selectively use. Example: while Latin "is to be preserved in the Latin rites," the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy goes on to state that the "mother tongue" is to be used in the Mass, the administration of the sacraments, or other parts of the liturgy (the Divine Office, etc.). All versions of the liturgy everywhere in the world has had the approval of the Vatican before being put into practice. Same goes with the pipe organ: it holds a preferred status, but in the rest of the statement, the Constitution goes on to state that other instruments are perfectly allowable (I will give you that guitars just don't fit well with me!). You write (and, I am sure, think) with such rigidity, it is no wonder all of the other writers here leave you frustrated and even more insistent. But the fact is, Clint, that each of us have, for the most part, a particular way of seeing things, and hold, to a large degree, other and sometimes larger views than you do. And to that, I say "Amen!"
1. There are many Catholic
1. There are many Catholic and non-sectarian charities besides Peter's Pence to help people in need. If parishioners can arrange to set up separate accounts to pay the organist et al and to continue help to the needy, etc., then I say "Go for it." On the other hand, I would encourage parishioners to stop contributing to any collection that funds the bishop's office and related administrative expenses. Money talks, and the hierarchs know it.
2. If a pastor knows that his parishioners are staging their action as a fight against continuance of the Tridentine clerical culture and the sick, sinful, dysfunctional behaviors associated with it, I doubt he'll feel punished. I do feel sorry, however, for those presbyters who strongly support Vatican II's call for renewal and have seen this pope and his predecessor chip away at it. As for the upcoming liturgical texts, they will be implemented only insofar as they are used by those Catholics who either (1) truly want them or (2) go along as pew potatoes. I acknowledge a presbyter's promise of obedience to his bishop (and successor ordinaries) at ordination. I'm not prepared to be a "backseat driver" in this scenario. Every pastor ultimately serves the People of God.
3. I agree the truth will set us free. Rome and its episcopal lackeys have a poor track record in this arena. I trust the typical bishop about as far as I can throw him, which is to say not at all.
4. If the Holy Spirit chose Pope Benedict XVI, the Spirit also chose popes who fornicated, adulterated, murdered, ad nauseum. As for the Throne of Peter, I'm relieved you didn't write "Throne of Jesus". When you assert that the Spirit will "be with us and guide us," please remember that the "us" is all of us, not just the pope or his flunkies. I agree the gates of hell shall not prevail against the People of God, but that does not absolve Catholics from exercising good ecclesial citizenship, including reminding this pope and his bishops that they can learn from us as much as we can learn from them. No more "pray, pay, obey".
5. The Tridentine mass is, indeed, a cultural artifact that has played a key role in elevating the ordained and subordinating the laity. It would be foolish and dangerous to overlook this conclusion. Slavery is part of our collective "heritage", but it's one part of our history that is best remembered and no longer continued. Count me out when it comes to sanctioning any liturgy, etc. that enables the dysfunctional clerical culture of the Church of Rome. If you're so concerned about our religious heritage, I suggest you consider supporting a return to the worship of the primitive churches rather than a triumphalist, monarchical liturgy that played a key role in getting us in the corporate mess in which we find ourselves today.
6. What is the Vatican II "track"? It's the spirit of Vatican II and its logical trajectory leading to corporate renewal, not a return to the sick and dysfunctional Tridentine clerical culture. As others have suggested in the area of worship, do not reduce matters to the language in Sacrosanctum Concilium. Even a very conservative Catholic lawyer has argued that SC very much supports the changes we saw in the liturgy after Vatican II ("Sacrosanctum Concilium: A Lawyer Examines the Loopholes").
Clint once again your
Clint once again your thoughts seen only to support the implosion of the church that is happening at the leadership level. I think Joseph, not you, is on a better tract to support the spirituality of the People of God. It is laughable that you say the RCC, an institution created by men with a leadership structure patterned after the Roman Empire, belongs to Christ. The real question is are the men in the Vatican really Christian? Rather are they just in the mode of preserving the Roman Catholic Church at all costs no matter what happens to the spirituality of all the people in the world. Seems to me they have a long way to go to become Christian!
It is a real shame that the leadership is so very poor that Christ would see them as no more than the leadership He opposed while on earth. And yes, given, the chance anyone that appears more Christ like is often attached by these men. The signature of Pope John Paul the Great Enabler and Misogynist to relieve Oscar Romarro of his diocese on the very day of his Martyrdom is a prime example. The lack of understanding or purposeful misunderstanding by Cardinal Ratsinger of the breadth and width of the theology of so many great theologians and his attempt to kill off their minds by saying they were not catholic is another prime example. The duplicity of the Vatican in the assault on Nuns in the United States by various bishops is an attempt to kill of the great spiritual theology of their fabulous work. We the people of God have found the evil and it is us, the Church emanating, from the leadership since the death (murder?) of JP I.
May we gain the Grace of God through peace and understanding?
R. Dennis Porch, MD
God Bless the work of Pope
God Bless the work of Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church.
I read with great interest
I read with great interest the articles last week about satan being in the vatican - why pray to or for a demon ?
With sincere compassion,
With sincere compassion, sympathy, and prayers for anyone who was abused by a priest, religious, or anyone else, I cannot help but wonder when, if ever, Mr. Clohessy and SNAP will be completely satisfied with the Pope's and the Church's response to the crisis.
Mr. Clohessy's and SNAP's militant agendas, much like the LeFebvrites, do not come across as really interested in justice, reconciliation, and healing as much as they are revenge and retaliation against the Church.
The answer is simple: I
The answer is simple:
I cannot help but wonder when, if ever, Mr. Clohessy and SNAP will be completely satisfied with the Pope's and the Church's response to the crisis.
When they are satisfactory.
You can't throw up your hands and say "these people will never be satisfied" when they should not be satisfied.
Unless one is oneself a
Unless one is oneself a victim, one's second-guessing of the victims' motivations really rings hollow.
Here is my recipe for restoring the decency and dignity of the church: (1) all the hierarchs who aided and abetted the abusing priests to submit themselves to the courts of their country to receive trial and verdict, and to fulfill their sentences just like any other criminals. (2) to remove from the church all vestiges of clericalism and roman triumphalism.
These would be the deeds not words needed to demonstrate remorse.
It's not just "When .......
It's not just "When ....... will Mr Clohessy and SNAP be completely satisfied with the Pope's and the Church's response to the crisis ...... " Rather it is, "When will the Vatican start to take realistic action and come forward to admit that as Cardinal Ratzinger, the one and the same, Pope Benedict XVI, did all within his power to collude with bishops in the worldwide network of the Holy, Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church, by issuing a directive in May 2002 called, "De Delictis Gravioribus!" This irrational directive was deviously designed to "Protect the Church from SCANDAL, at all costs, by making all allegations of Priest/Nun/Monk/Brother Pedophilia reportable ONLY to the Vatican. In addition, there were outright "Threats of Excommunication" for anyone, including bishops, archbishops and cardinals, who broke what we now call, "The Culture of Silence." For 23 years, "God's Rottweiler," Cardinal Ratzinger, as Prelate of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, held extremely tight control over his office and orchestrated additional coverups of abuse, based on an early Vatican document from 1962 called, "Criment Sollicitationis," which I understand was in effect until "De Delictis Gravioribus," was sent out to all of the bishops, worldwide. Crimen Sollicitationis also required the silencing of any abused child or teen, who came forward. The silencing was done, again, by threats of Excommunication, which are very real to a young Catholics, because to tell of his/her abuse, a young, abused Catholic would forfeit his God-given right to heaven, and he/she would spend all Eternity in Hell, unless of course the Pope saw it clear, in his magnanimous heart to forgive this talkative sinner!
Give me a Break! The Bible teaches, "Ye shall know the truth, and the KNOWLEDGE of the Truth shall set you free." Now, at long last, after centuries of abuse, we have "Knowledge of the Truth," in the most minute of details, and yet the Vatican and members of the Magisterium, refuse to acknowledge the Truth, even though it is placed before them, in black and white, along with the Papal Seals and seals of the CDF. I have often wondered how the holy Child Jesus would have fared in a Catholic Orphanage, work house or choir, like the one at Regensberg. Would he have been molested as well? I think the chances are fairly high that he would have been, particularly if Cardinal Ratzinger had been Head of the CDF at the time.
Working to hold the Church
Working to hold the Church accountable is not revenge or retaliation. On the other hand, if one or many victims feel a need for revenge and a need for retaliation, which is actually a healthy thing for them to do in light of their previous roles of victims, it is the abusive cleric and the prelates who worked to hide it or enable it that bring it upon themselves. So you really don't demonstrate any sincere "compassion, sympathy, and prayers" for victims: you are more interested it seems in in degrading them in one more way ("militant agendas") and hoping that they will just go away.
What response are you talking
What response are you talking about? The big investigation that took place here in the U.S. after the scandal became public in 2002? Remember that investigation? You don't? That's because there was none.
The Church did what Toyota just did with its cars. It hushed up any negative stories, did nothing to rectify the problems, and when it all became public it was a nightmare that kept seeping out in nasty little pieces. They've made very little effort to even find out why this all happened, let alone punished much of anyone. So, as I asked in the first paragraph, what response are you talking about? There was none. And this is what happens when you spend all your time whistling in the dark.
As Ghandi said: "I like your
As Ghandi said: "I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians; they are so unlike your Christ".
Beautiful, Barb. Everytime I
Beautiful, Barb. Everytime I read this, I think of the wonderful man who reminded us that we need to be more.
Right on the mark, David.
Right on the mark, David. The pope's words are weak, indeed, his actions, weaker, and I'd like to posit, his true indifference immense. Right after a clergy sex abuse cover-up came to light in my home town, I sent the pope (along with others up the chain of Catholic command) demands for an apology and action in the way of an investigation. The offending religious order, accredited by an esteemed child safety body, should never have gotten away with the deception. Surprise, surprise. Next thing I heard, the school where the credibly accused priest had worked (and I worked too) earned a papal blessing (in writing) on the anniversary of its founding. Just one small example of the pope's position. Please the "prayerful" with words, ignore the victims with inaction.
Thanks for telling it like it
Thanks for telling it like it is. This pope should resign and be removed from the papacy. He is Silencer Sex Scandal Joe , Cover-Up ConMan Joe Ratzinger, Victims Don't Matter Business As Usual Joe Ratzinger. BXVI must no longer be the pope.
This Barque of Peter is Sinking because Captain pope BXVI is destroying it.
Justina, if the barque of
Justina, if the barque of Peter is sinking, smart rats get off a sinking ship. Goes to show you are not too intelligent.
Lets get the predators out of
Lets get the predators out of the priesthood.
Who will be left? Rather,
Who will be left?
Rather, let's get Benedict out of the papacy and the priesthood; then there will be at least a fighting chance to clean up the mess in the seminaries by admitting married men as candidates for priesthood.
Encouraging married men to apply to study for priesthood will raise the psychological standards because there will be a lot more candidates. Then seminary rectors will not be forced to accept those with questionable psychological profiles.
And, while we're at it, let's cross John Paul's name off the "sainthood" list and then burn the 'New' Roman Missals -- or, donate the Missals to museums and they can burn them.
Wow, Associate. What a
Wow, Associate. What a wonderfully charitable opinion you have of the priesthood. If we get the predators out, as suggested, you say "who would be left", thereby claiming that ALL priests are predators. Very charitable, very Christian. Very disgusting.
Oh, and I think your idea of getting married men into the seminaries is a great one, because, as we know, no married man ever abused a child. All married men are psychologically healthy and would never harm a child or anyone else, for that matter.
I wonder, upon deeper reflection, if you are not just saying all of this for the purpose of illustrating absurdity by being absurd. After all, you can't possibly be so ill informed as to actually believe what you say.
Clint Green, The conclusions
Clint Green, The conclusions you projected onto Associate's words had nothing to do with what he or she actually said. There was no claim or implication in Associate's letter that "ALL priest are predators" or that "married men...would never harm a child." But ridding the priesthood of the absurd and unworkable (in many, many cases) requirement of celebacy would in fact increase the pool of applicants and attract a greater number of individuals likely to remain psychologically stable throughout their years of service. It would also, as Associate suggests, allow seminaries to be more selective in their weeding out of unfit candidates.
Not to mention the improvement to the applicant pool if seminaries were open to that other (less-Christlike, according to JPII) half of the gene pool.
This entire article is
This entire article is absurd. I hope you read these comments, though I doubt you do. This Pope, in addition to being the Vicar of Christ (a term that many mis-guided members of the Church now unfortunately roll their eyes at), is one of the most brilliant theologians alive. He is an undeniably holy man. I would add that he is far from uninfluential when it comes to "world peace, hunger, inequality, poverty, AIDS, natural disasters". I like to read NCR because I am often turned off by the knee-jerk conservative attitude found in other Catholic newspapers. But I am truly saddened at what I often find here. Attacks on our Church, Holy Mother Church (I can actually feel the elitist contempt of most liberal Catholics when they read that description of the Church), these attacks are shameful.
I thank God every day that my generation (I am 24), shows less eagerness to bash our Church. Those of my generation are tired of the old arguments about birth control and THE DISTORTIONS OF THE SEX ABUSE CRISIS (as if pedophilia was a uniquely Catholic disorder. It exists in any profession with easy contact with children.).
We are heartened, in a world full of relativism, to have a Pope as brilliant and courageous as Pope Benedict. I know, from personal experience at a very conservative Catholic college, that there are downsides to both ideologies of the Church. Yet when moderate Catholics like myself try to look for an alternative, we are often met with this kind of bitter and disgustingly innacurate attack on a Church that we never stop loving. For the all the faults on the conservative wing of the Church, and there are surely many, their upside is that they choose to spend their lives believing in their hearts that the Church is, as it has always been, a living sacrament, despite its imperfections.
In short, the young Catholics of this world, thankfully are sick of hearing about the "authoritarian, rigid" Church. These cheap, tired, and quite frankly cliche and mindless descriptions of the Church mean less to us. We accept the Church's definition that freedom isnt the ability to do whatever one wants, its the ability to choose the good.
In short, National Catholic Reporter should very simply be ashamed of itself for allowing the massive amount of defamation of the Holy Father's reputation on its website.
In short (since most people
In short (since most people already know this), the National Catholic Reporter should very simply be proud of the stand it took over a decade before anyone else regarding the responsibilities of the Church to address the devastating problems created by an elitist clerical culture that was willing to protect itself at the expense of children and families. Thank you again and again, and keep up the hard work!
Oh, so young. So idealistic.
Oh, so young. So idealistic. I was there one time, too. I saw no wrong, heard no wrong and spoke about no wrong when it came to the church.
I was so proud that I looked at these other groups with cult-like followers: Hell’s Gate, Branch Dravidians, Jones Town, Polygamist Mormon groups in their child marriages, followers of some Indian gurus, and all those Americans who support TV televangelists that just wallowed in riches, promises and lies.
I said we Catholics, thank God, are not like these.
Then, I met Legionnaires of Christ and found their secretive cultic ways, learned about their evil founder (who is still touted on their Web site). I met a few more Catholic cultic groups. Then, I talked to victims of priest abuse (of all kinds). Then I found out more about church secrecy and its authoritarian structure. Then I found that priests and bishops can lie and deceive. Then, I learned more about the priest club and how it operates to create a church more centered on priests than the faithful.
I came to wonder, what is the difference between us and them?
All of which, if true, begs
All of which, if true, begs the question of how so many otherwise holy, apostolic, brilliant, pastoral, compassionate, men managed to botch these issues up so badly, now doesn't it?
"Attacks on our Church, Holy
"Attacks on our Church, Holy Mother Church (I can actually feel the elitist contempt of most liberal Catholics when they read that description of the Church), ..."
Not at all. In fact, it is refreshing to see a feminine image from time to time in the single, all-male society we know as the church. The Latin word for 'church' is 'ecclesia.' It is feminine.
"I thank God every day that my generation (I am 24), shows less eagerness to bash our Church."
Have you ever read the biblical account (LK 18.9-14) of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? The Pharisee prays, "God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men..." The Tax Collector prays, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus praises the humility of the Tax Collector and says, "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." Jon, you play the part of the PHARISEE. Think about it.
Oh yes, there is less eagerness because there are less people: the majority of your generation do not go to church.
"We are heartened, in a world full of relativism, to have a Pope as brilliant and courageous as Pope Benedict."
Is this a paid, political announcement? C'mon man, wake up. You are way too young to be so religiously comatose. Yes, Ratzinger is brilliant. So was Hitler. So was Napoleon. Watch what the Pope DOES, not who he is.
"their [conservative wing] upside is that they choose to spend their lives believing in their hearts that the Church is, as it has always been, a living sacrament, despite its imperfections."
Their upside has a downside: the 'conservative wing' of persons your age is most definitely JUDGMENTAL. That is sinful.
"Yet when moderate Catholics like myself try to look for an alternative, we are often met with this kind of bitter and disgustingly innacurate[sic] attack on a Church that we never stop loving."
And you, of course, are the only people capable of 'loving' the church? Do you have children? Perhaps not. There are many ways to LOVE, including offering criticism where it is needed in order to help the person or institution to grow by changing a harmful course of action.
By the way, you mention the word "Church" 12 times and NOT ONCE do you mention the word "Jesus." You, "jonl1919" are in love with the *church* and more specifically, the *hierarchy*, not Jesus Christ. Perhaps you might consider trading in your Canon Law books for a good Bible and Commentary. You will have a happier life instead of spending your valuable time as the ecclesiastical parasite you have allowed yourself to become.
Dear associate, Seems also
Dear associate,
Seems also that your generation is less misogynistic and homophobic than is the Church. They may not understand why it is necessary to critique this authoritarian organization, but they certainly are not as a group following it. This is because of the implosion of a rather sinful leadership of homophobes, enablers, money launders misogynists, etc.. They understand that these characteristics are not what they have learned to accept.
I think it is the responsibility of those of us that have lived through this nightmare of failed leadership to speak out loud and clear to these failed and sinful Bishops, and certainly that includes the Bishop of Rome, not so affectionally referred to by a cradle catholic neighbor as the “Rat Pope!”
May we the People of God find our way through this messy leadership to become decent men and women and true Christians.
R. Dennis Porch, MD
I'm 64; left and came back.
I'm 64; left and came back. jonl1919, you've written very well and much more maturely than most of the critical posts on this topic. Most of them use vituperation, shallow reasoning, and have no sense of historical contexts ("frankly cliche and mindless descriptions" as you correctly identify). They can't see beyond their own self-will. They hate the Church --although they claim otherwise-- and delight in pouring on vindictiveness every chance they get. They can't hold a candle to B16 and they know it which is what makes them so mad (as in crazy).
The dissidents in our generation are passing away, dying out. The NCR generation will shortly be gone. Generally, they contributed nothing and destroyed much. The young they influenced are too poorly educated to have much impact. The local churches they have led are withering. The diocese I am in is noted for being on the cutting edge. It is nearly dead. Many of our parishes are headed lay "pastoral administrators" --female priest wannabes (one is a prominent member of the Women's Ordination Conference and a close friend of our bishop). Nearly all the schools are now closed in this diocese and the number of parishes shrinking --it sometimes seems church closings are announced on a monthly basis. The most orthodox parish (there are only a very few relatively orthodox ones here) in this diocese, however, is mushrooming! It's populated with many young large families headed up by moms and dads who are professionals. They know their Faith and are socially conscious and involved.
Keep the Faith. We are just beginning to turn around. Fight to update and reform the Church where needed; but always be respectful of Her sacred Tradition, as it appears you already are. Pray that NCR will have a long life with a transfusion of new blood.
If Pope Benedict really was
If Pope Benedict really was the "Vicar of Christ on Earth," he wouldn't have stood by, silently, and orchestrated the heinous coverups of abuse, when he was Head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. One can't be a holy, sanctified, protector of Pedophile Priests one minute and be voted in as Pope, and automatically be invested as "The Vicar of Christ on Earth." To even claim such a position, with Cardinal Ratzinger's life-long track record of coverups is nothing short of Blasphemy! When I see him, I don't see Christ! I see Christ, in the Word of God, made flesh. He is the real Jesus, the certified Lamb of God, whose blood was shed for the sins of mankind; whereas, on the other hand we have a mere man, Joseph Ratzinger, who always put the Holy, Roman, Catholic and Apostolic Church's refutable reputation above the welfare of young children and teens, who were sinfully and unscrupulously abused, the world over. No! Sorry! I'm not convinced that Joseph Ratzinger is the "Vicar of Christ on Earth." So excommunicate me! I rest in the loving hands of my Lord and Savior. Jeannie Cole
How naive you are!! At 24,
How naive you are!! At 24, it is a good report on your individual life your impressions of the church are positive;however, listen to my testimony:at age 11 my abuse occurred. It was not the abuse we speak of on here but it was over-the-top-kick-a-kid-in-the-face-abuse nonetheless. I am now 53. I understand well the absolute NEED like SNAP and other organizations like it, because you see it is always all about POWER--not so much religion. Religion is just the CONTEXT in which the POWER is wielded. Read through World History, read through the Bible, and one overriding and overarching theme resounds:Man cannot get enough of power, once he has a taste of it. It is an addiction and a corrupting influence according the proverb:"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
And then ask yourself one simple question about the Catholic church and its response to the verified levels of sex abuse that has occurred therewithin:"Who oversees the Roman Catholic Church in society?" There are several POSSIBLE answers to that question that might seem to make sense, but the FACT is that NO ONE DOES. Therein lies the continuing DANGER.
God bless you.
But I am truly saddened at
But I am truly saddened at what I often find here. Attacks on our Church, Holy Mother Church (I can actually feel the elitist contempt of most liberal Catholics when they read that description of the Church), these attacks are shameful.
How many times have we heard this line before. When someone disagrees with you, therefore there are elitist. Of course.
He knew all about all of this
He knew all about all of this when he headed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. All the cases went past his desk. How can he act "shocked" now?
I'm embarrassed, never mind intensely frustrated, with the Pope and the hierarchy.
Thank you, David, for continuing to speak out for those who have suffered so much including having their lives ruined. Maybe he'll call the Irish Primate to Rome for a cushy position heading a basilica.
Christ's "millstone" solution echoes in my mind time and again as I see the denial and irresponsibility go on and on.
It is becoming painfully
It is becoming painfully apparent that there is no sign on the Pope's desk saying "The buck stops here"
No, that sign is on the desk
No, that sign is on the desk of the Vatican Bank President.
The Church belongs to the
The Church belongs to the People of God, not the cardinals. Thanks to David Clohessy for his article. The laity need to bring honesty, transparency and fidelity to the Gospel back to the Catholic Church. The hierarchy in Rome are modern day pharisees. The church belongs to the people of God, not the hierarchy. As for the sickening, pervasive and unending revelations of clerical sexual abuse of children . . . Matthew 18 5 - 10 says it all.
Are we talking about the same
Are we talking about the same letter here? The letter I read called out the bishops involved for not adhering to canon law and dealing justly with the accused priests and responding pastorally to the alleged victims. It also admonished those who abused children to plead with God for their eternal soul (not something to be forgotten!) and to submit themselves to justice. To me, that means "Maybe, if you are contrite, God's mercy will save you from going to Hell for what you did. In the meantime, however, turn yourself in." How can these statements be called empty words?
When they are not followed by
When they are not followed by any appropriate action. And they won't be. If the creepy closet case in the Vatican manages to have any miter or red hat imprisoned, I'll kiss your derriere in Macy's window.
Please stop obscuring the
Please stop obscuring the Truth Mr. Clohessy.
It's NOT a child sex abuse scandal, IT IS a homosexual predator scandal, per "A Report on the Crisis of the Catholic Church in the United States" by The National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People (Feb 27, 2004), in particular, p. 80-81:
"However, we must call attention to the homosexual behavior that characterized the vast majority of the cases of abuse observed in recent decades. That eighty-one of the reported victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy were boys shows that the crisis was characterized by homosexual behavior....
It has been reported to the Board that, in some areas, the large number of homosexual priests or candidates had the effect of discouraging heterosexual men from seeking to enter the priesthood. In the 1970's and 1980's in particular, there developed at certain seminaries a "gay subculture," and at these seminaries, ...homosexual liaisons occurred among students, or between students and teachers. Such subcultures existed or exist in certain dioceses or orders as well. The board believes that the failure to take disciplinary action against such conduct contributed to an atmosphere in which sexual abuse of adolescent boys by priests was more likely."
Stop covering up NCR.
Chris in Maryland,
Chris in Maryland,
Predatory sexually abusive behavior is about aggression, control, dysfunctional psycho-sexual development and dysfunctional psycho-social development, …it is psychological and physical assault on a victim using sexual behaviors as a weapon, regardless of victim demographics. It has nothing to do with a person’s sexual orientation one way or the other. Adolescent and pre-adolescent males happened to be targets of greater opportunity, but some predators abused both males and females… whoever was available. Of the cases we know about, often alcohol abuse was involved — but it doesn’t follow that all alcohol abusers are sexual predators. Further, the vast majority of these cases have absolutely nothing to do with pedophilia as it is clinically defined.
.
Your incorrect assertions play right into the hands of a Vatican and its carefully chosen "experts" intent on throwing up smokescreens and scapegoating homosexuality in order to divert attention from their own criminal malfeasance. Paperback pop psychology and personal bigotry, whether done by clergy or laity, contributes nothing substantive or helpful to the conversation, or efforts to prevent future abuse. Try widening your repertoire of clinical reading.
.
The fact remains that the Vatican and its bishops were aware of clergy engaging in criminal assault on minors, there was an ongoing episcopal conspiracy to conceal evidence and silence victims, and our current Pope along with his predecessor, were part of that criminal conspiracy. For anyone whose faith is rattled by those facts, perhaps they should refocus their gaze on Christ and cease worshiping a human institution of church. Those who truly love God, their fellowman and the Church, will take their blinders off. Pretending corruption in governance doesn’t exist will not make it go away — it's a governance problem.
On the other hand, please
On the other hand, please see:
http://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/study-no-link-between-gay-pries... .
When I checked the USCCB report/press release on this preliminary finding, it was not included in the USCCB report/release.
Given the bishops' earnest desire to scapegoat gays, one should not be at all surprised.
Stop falling for a convenient
Stop falling for a convenient excuse. How was the sexual expression supposed to be otherwise? No altar girls, no female seminarians, no females available. Last I checked prisons have a similar problem. Naval ships had a similar problem. It's called male sexual predation.
Check out the reported abuse in Africa and you see something different. You see convents of female novices being preyed on as virginal AIDS free zones. The NCR reported on this phenomenon a couple of years ago.
Oh well thats' just women, who cares?
On behalf of myself and the
On behalf of myself and the countless other female victims, I resent the fact that you are discounting what happened to us. As a human being, I resent you blaming homosexuals for the assault crisis when most gay people would not abuse a child or teen, anymore than most straight people would.
There is a huge difference between two equal partners entering into a same-sex relationship and a more powerful person deliberately exploiting, coercing or forcing a young person into sex. If you can't see the difference, you are blind.
I see that the Vatican
I see that the Vatican Kool-Aid dispenser has made it to Maryland. A couple of quick points. First the problem is not a "homosexual issue". If it were, there would be no female victims (either girls or vulnerable women). Second, the pedophile sex crisis has been going on for decades, possibly centuries before the 70's and 80's. That is why there are canon laws dated early in the 20th century to specifically deal with the problem of priests sexually abusing children. Third, we are talking children, in many cases, here. Despite homophobic ramblings to the contrary, homosexuals are no more likely to be pedophiles or ephebophiles than heterosexuals.
People like Chris will continue to be robotic supporters of the Catholic hierarchy despite all indicators of a significant problem. A quick note to Chris, when a priest incapacitated me at age 13 I was not engaging in voluntary sexual relations with him, he raped me. Other victims of this man recount similiar experiences. Some of those victims were as young as 9.
Your lack of insight is alarming and indicative of a Catholic Church in denial.
Michael Bauman First the
Michael Bauman First the problem is not a "homosexual issue". If it were, there would be no female victims (either girls or vulnerable women).
....
Actually, more than 80% of the victims were same sex.
This also happens in prisons,
This also happens in prisons, all boys and all girls boarding schools, residential treatment centers, group homes, and so on. What is known after careful study is that sexual orientation is very, very different from the actual sexual behavior of people in such closed settings. The report you are quoting appears to be the one commissioned by the USCCB - which only served to support the predetermined agenda of the Bishops. So it now appears that you,Chris, participate in the cover up - not by NCR as you allege, but with the heirarchy who have refused to deal with the abuse crisis openly and with transparency.
In future editions of
In future editions of behavioral psychology textbooks, the ongoing Catholic Church scandal with its dysfunctional governance may be found as an example in the category of operant conditioning. Roman hierarchs have made ‘negative reinforcement’ an art-form.
.
Negative reinforcement of behavior: when a behavior occurs and unpleasant consequence/stimulus is removed, there is significant probability that behavior will recur. From the top down — from the Vatican to the bishops to the predator abusers — the ordinary repercussions/consequences of criminally abusive behavior (and enabling that behavior) have been deliberately and systematically removed. Instead there is a pattern of cover-up and pleading ignorance — offenders are moved around, victims are silenced — the clerical culture moves on as if nothing happened. As a result, over the decades the criminal behavior was reinforced, the sexual abuse perpetrated by a relative few priests (~3% over the past 50 years) exponentially increased to multiple victims. The outcome was a no-brainer.
.
Benedict and his loyal minions would have us believe that he now is ‘on the case’. Yet, the glaring omission from his statements remains the lack of any admission of the obvious complicit criminal guilt of the Vatican and its bishops, the lack of any serious consequences for the ~60+% of bishops involved, and the ongoing foot-dragging about handing over the decades of damning documentation, from both the Vatican and chancery offices worldwide. Being "sorry" for victims is not the same thing as validation and vindication of victims with concrete action. The lid is off — the scandal is now hideously public — justice with serious repercussions must be swift and public.
.
As horrible as it is, in this sinful world criminal abuse will happen — but it is inexcusable that men who are supposed to be teachers of faith and morals would engage in such blatant and premeditated obfuscation of that criminal abuse for the sole purpose of protecting an institution, its material assets and its privileged leadership. There is nothing "holy" about this sort of blind obedience. It is both criminal and mortally sinful.
.
Meanwhile, the body of Christ continues its slow hemorrhage — death by a thousand cuts.
Aileen, your take, as
Aileen,
your take, as unfortunate as the conditions are, is a truthful way of understanding just what is happening. Thank you for this critique.
R. Dennis Porch, MD
To the young person who is
To the young person who is upset regarding what s/he reads in the NCR. I think the so called negative things you read regarding the crimes of child abuse perpetrated by and covered up by the clergy, is anger at the criminal, sinful behavior of individuals and the hierarchy. I think the anger is from the love that SNAP, Voice of the Faithful etc have toward their faith. The article is not absurd; it is an attempt to determine the substance, if any, behind the words written by the pope. Jesus spoke with authority because of the integrity and truth of his words and life. The problem that has arisen is the scope of the acts of child abuse throughout the universal church and the coverup of these crimes by those with religious authority, authority bestowed upon them by the church. It is not easy to deal with the reality of such kinds of sin in the midst of our church. It is harder when those involved, especially the leaders - bishops, cardinals and pope - attempt to deflect responsibility. Prayer is indeed needed but so is action by those responsible for these crimes and the cover up.
At the very least, the Pope
At the very least, the Pope should go after serial abusers with the same ferocity directed toward nuns who, because they care for the poor and sick every day of their lives, could not keep quiet about the advantages of health care reform.
Sadly, Mr. Clohessy
Sadly, Mr. Clohessy represents a body of people who do not understand the concept of forgiveness. The folks he represents, a small portion of alleged victims of clerical abuse, are those who seem more interested in vengeance and "getting even" than in justice.
The charter that the Holy See "grudgingly" approved should not have been approved because it denies accused clerics their due process rights. It presumes their guilt and requires only "credible" accusations of abuse; it does not require that those allegations be proven, all that is required is that they are believable. Since when has the believability of an accusation been enough criteria for a judgment of guilt or innocence? Please.
Second, the Holy Father has dealt severely with clerical abusers. I know of one priest, personally, who abused dozens, perhaps hundreds, of kids at a summer camp. This priest was removed back in 1992, and he continued to operate internationally as a priest, leading tour groups around the globe and celebrating Mass publicly for those groups. Yet, after Pope Benedict was installed, it took him a very short time to dismiss this priest from the clerical state. He has taken this action far more often than his predecessor, the Venerable Servant of God Pope John Paul II.
Finally, it amuses me to no end when folks who criticize the Pope for being "monarchical" and intervening in local affairs, become the first to advocate that, on this issue, the Pope should intervene. The bishops in the US dealt with this crisis; granted, their method of dealing with it was to invoke an overly harsh and unjust charter, but their actions have made kids safer in the US. The Holy Father knows that the various national conferences of bishops are both competent to deal with this crisis and are empowered to deal with it.
The Holy Father is an inspiration to the Church, the right man at the right time. He is God's choice to be His vicar on earth, and God knows what He is doing. If Pope Benedict is the supreme pontiff, it is because God has willed it so and has a reason for it to be. That is enough for me, should be enough for Mr. Clohessy and his group as well.
....ho
....ho hum.......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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