Worse than bungling, McCarrick report shows Vatican failed to take abuse seriously
An excerpt and my brief comment on that excerpt:
Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese writes this in The National Chismatic Reporter:
The Vatican appears to play down his misconduct by noting that his victims were adults, not minors, but the fact that they were seminarians makes it an abuse of power. If he had simply picked up willing young men in a bar, that could be forgiven. His preying on those under his authority disqualified him from being a bishop. Again, one wonders how many other bishops received similar clemency.
My comment: What the hell? Homosexual clericalism would crack down on McCarrick if he picked up willing young woman in a bar and that would not be forgiven!
DISCUSS
9 comments:
Again, one wonders how many other bishops received similar clemency.....
If it is even one it is TOO many.......and more than likely the number is higher........
Closing ranks seems to be a professional and vocational hazard for just about everyone. Even good police will often turn a blind eye when a brother officer is accused of doing wrong. Teachers do it. PARENTS even do it. I have personally witnessed bishops who were perfectly decent men in most respects, either look the other way or find ways to stick up for priests who did not deserve their protection. The only problem is, when police, parents, teachers and other authority figures do this, it does serious injustice to the victim. WHEN BISHOPS AND PRIEST DO IT, IT DESTROYS INNOCENT PEOPLES' FAITH. And sometimes it causes serious damage to the temporal lives of the victims.
IT HAPPENS FATHER. I'VE SEEN IT IN OTHER DIOCESES.
I'VE SEEN IT IN THIS DIOCESE. DON'T KID YOURSELF.
Clericalism isn't limited to the priesthood. It's just more damaging.
Bransfield, for one. When Lori was first notified about him, he ignored the complaints until Bransfield reached retirement age and could go away quietly.
Currently Hoeppner and DiMarzio are being "investigated" but that "investigation" seems aimed at investigating how long the Vatican will have to string it out before the bishops in question are eligible for retirement.
Mahony's episcopal pass extended so far as to allow him to speak to his brother bishops on the urgent need to deal with sex abuse after covering it up himself for years in LA.
Is it time to elect bishops locally? Even popes were elected by the Roman people at one time. So, perhaps, the Pope could veto the result of an election if he can show legitimate reason for dismissing the local wishes.
I would hate to see the process become even more politically charged. I would prefer more vetting of bishops with more inquiry among the laity who would know a potential bishop. Priests often get letters from the papal nuncio (under pontifical secret) asking for input about this or that candidate. Often, too, letters request names of potential candidates for a diocese and the qualifications of the priest. I do not think the laity, though, are consulted and that needs to change. I am not suggested an unruly number of laity, but laity like pastoral council and finance council chair persons, and other truly active laity who might know a potential candidate.
I believe that the issuance of the report on former Cardinal McCarrick is a tremendous sign of hope.
Certain folks had declared repeatedly that Pope Francis would not permit a report upon McCarrick to see the light of day.
Others claimed that Pope Francis would whitewash the McCarrick case.
The reality is that it had been a given that Pope Francis would deliver unto us an honest, thorough report in regard to McCarrick.
Pope Francis has, for years, moved the Church past the manner in which our Churchmen had handled clergy sexual abuse. In that regard, the McCarrick report is a giant step in the right direction
Thank you, Pope Francis, for your holiness, sense of justice, and determination to discard outdated, ineffective ways to handle the "crisis" in question.
God has blessed us with a Pope who we need desperately for our time.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Nice to see that Mark Thomas is back to normal.
Yes, back to his ole delusional self.
Aren't there any Dragnet reruns today?
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