From the National Catholic Reporter:
BREAKING: All of Chile's bishops offer resignations after meeting pope on abuse
Bishop Juan Ignacio Gonzalez Errazuriz of San Bernardo,
Chile, and Auxiliary Bishop Fernando Ramos Perez of Santiago, Chile, at a
press conference in Rome May 18 announcing that every bishop in Chile
offered his resignation to Pope Francis after a three-day meeting with
him at the Vatican. (CNS/Paul Haring)
Vatican City — Every
bishop in Chile offered his resignation to Pope Francis after a
three-day meeting at the Vatican to discuss the clerical sexual abuse
scandal.
"We want to announce that all bishops present in Rome, in writing, have placed our positions in the Holy Father's hands so that he may freely decide regarding each one of us," Bishop Juan Ignacio Gonzalez Errazuriz of San Bernardo said May 18 in a statement on behalf of the country's bishops.
The unprecedented decision was made on the final day of their meeting May 15-17 with Pope Francis.
Auxiliary Bishop Fernando Ramos Perez of Santiago, secretary general of the Chilean bishops' conference said the pope had read to the 34 bishops a document in which he "expressed his conclusions and reflections" on the 2,300-page report compiled by Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta and his aide, Father Jordi Bertomeu, during a visit to Chile to investigate the scandal.
"The pope's text clearly showed a series of absolutely reprehensible acts that have occurred in the Chilean church in relation to those unacceptable abuses of power, of conscience and sexual abuse that have resulted in the lessening of the prophetic vigor that characterized her," Bishop Ramos said.
MORE TO COME
"We want to announce that all bishops present in Rome, in writing, have placed our positions in the Holy Father's hands so that he may freely decide regarding each one of us," Bishop Juan Ignacio Gonzalez Errazuriz of San Bernardo said May 18 in a statement on behalf of the country's bishops.
The unprecedented decision was made on the final day of their meeting May 15-17 with Pope Francis.
Auxiliary Bishop Fernando Ramos Perez of Santiago, secretary general of the Chilean bishops' conference said the pope had read to the 34 bishops a document in which he "expressed his conclusions and reflections" on the 2,300-page report compiled by Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta and his aide, Father Jordi Bertomeu, during a visit to Chile to investigate the scandal.
"The pope's text clearly showed a series of absolutely reprehensible acts that have occurred in the Chilean church in relation to those unacceptable abuses of power, of conscience and sexual abuse that have resulted in the lessening of the prophetic vigor that characterized her," Bishop Ramos said.
MORE TO COME
12 comments:
I'd like to see that spill over into every country, not just Chile
There would not be very many Priests left...
Let me come out and say it: about time!
Ever since the "Dallas Charter," which was swiftly implemented by the U.S. bishops in the wake of the revelations of abominable clerical behavior circa 2003, every single priest in this country knows that all anyone has to do is accuse him, and he is toast. Priests have been removed simply because of an accusation, told to pack up and leave the parish -- their only home in most cases -- without a word, without a goodbye. And they then live in a kind of limbo: they never know when -- or if -- they will be restored.
Yes, some are restored, but who believes that solves the problem of suspicions and rumor and doubt?
Meanwhile, what happens to bishops? Where is their accountability?
I hasten to point out that the so-called "clerical abuse scandal" was, far more, a bishops' failure scandal. A handful of perverted priests caused vast damage, abetted by bishops' inaction or inadequate responses. To be fair, I think many -- perhaps most -- of those bishops' failures were from following misguided advice, or else a failure to appreciate the gravity of the harm being done. Only a minority of the bishops' failures arose from complicity with perversion.
To be clear, I think priests should be held accountable. But what has mostly happened is that priests became the fall guys.
Also, I am not advocating bishops likewise be treated unfairly.
This reminds me of instances where a member of the president's cabinet resigns in an effort to save face for the president when actually it is he who should be the one stepping down.
Bee here:
So the Chilean bishops have kicked the ball back into the Pope's court, have they? Are their resignations a noble gesture, or a political ploy to place the onus on him again?
I shake my head in dismay over them all...
God bless.
Bee
Thank you, Fr. Fox! Very good followup comments to a very troubling elephant mess in the Church room, past and present.
The one observation I would add is that I would love to see the Vatican clean it’s own house mess as well...
Well if he could get all the German bishops to resign then I would be impressed. Otherwise yawn.
Fr Fox is exactly right. It may be a bit of drama and political maneuvering to have the entire cadre resign, but this is actually a smart step that should become a common practical step. There are special assignments in the various services where the mental, psychological, and emotional fitness of the person assigned is monitored closely. If there are questions not only of loyalty or criminal activity but simply of impared judgement the person can request or someone close to him can recommend that he be placed on leave pending the *rapid* conclusion of the situation. In my many years of working with that sort of thing it pales, in my opinion, compared to the responsibility for souls and the glory of God and his Church. This should become a standard procedure.
As a parent, I was always amazed at how some bishops responded to sexual abuse. Instead of calling in the cops and turning the miscreant over, they usually moved the priest to another assignment and got them some medical help, which generally did not work. This is pure evil and it is also illegal, something someone running a large organization should know. One of their motives in hiding the problem was to protect the Church's "reputation." Hell, I would have cheered and thrown in an extra $1,000 a year if they had turned them over to authorities. The Church would have been basking in kudos instead of opprobrium. The Church suffered a real hit to her reputation and the money started flowing away either in settlements or smaller collectons.
So this doesn't become nothing more than a media stunt, HH should accept all of the resignations. Let the example be made.
I have personally witnessed what Fr. Fox describes - priests, accused, nothing credible, resulting in their removal and limbo status for years on end. Such accountability would end the exclusivity of suffering that currently resides within one part of the presbyterate, might make the process for vetting fact from fiction more timely and fair and, would ensure the accountability of all - what is lacking at present.
Oh brother, awful usage on my part... The first sentence should read: So this doesn't become anything more than a media stunt, HH should accept all of the resignations.
ByzRC,
Excellent point. I recall years ago a priest I knew was accused of sexual misconduct but the persons account was so bizarre that the prosecutor decided to not prosecute. But many priests aren't that fortunate when wrongly accused.
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