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Monday, August 20, 2018

POPE FRANCIS BLAMES CLERICALISM OF CLERGY, AND LAITY, FOR ABUSE SCANDAL, BUT DOES NOT USE THE TERMS BISHOPS AND HOMOSEXUALITY

The pope’s new unimpressive letter is a nice try, pious platitudes and acknowledging the obvious, but it fails miserably. Sounds like the pope is listening more to Cupich and not at all to Burke or Morlino. That’s a huge mistake and the letter shows that blunder!

You can read the pope’s letter to the people of God HERE!

John Allen’s Crux excerpts:

Francis did not, however, offer any new specifics as to what those accountability measures might be.

Strikingly, Pope Francis never uses the word “bishop” in his letter, although the role of some members of the hierarchy in exacerbating the abuse crisis through inaction or outright cover-up has been a central bone of contention for some time.[Neither is homosexuality mentioned by the pope!]
Francis identified clericalism as a central culprit in the abuse scandals.“Clericalism, whether fostered by priests themselves or by lay persons, leads to an excision in the ecclesial body that supports and helps to perpetuate many of the evils that we are condemning today,” he wrote.
“To say ‘no’ to abuse is to say an emphatic ‘no’ to all forms of clericalism,” he said.
The pontiff called for broader and deeper lay involvement as an important part of recovery from the crisis.
“It is impossible to think of a conversion of our activity as a Church that does not include the active participation of all the members of God’s People,” he said.


50 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please. This is a tired argument. Homisexuality does not make a person more likely to abuse children.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

As it concerns the Catholic priesthood, not the general population of homosexuals, the sex abuse scandal is by homosexual priests and bishops who used teenage boys for their self gratification and intimacy needs. Homosexual clericalism has resulted in active homosexual activity with consenting adults be they priests or seminarians or others not to exclude vulnerable adult men.

Your argument is wrong when it comes to the priesthood.

Anonymous said...

He just made things worse. Clearly he is using that old Alinsky tactic of never letting a crisis go to waste. He will use this to purge the priesthood not of the filth that caused this problem, but to abolish what he sees as outdated. He’ll use this to abolish clerical celibacy and to approve female deacons. Just wait. But the homosexual cabal is fine and can stay where it is. It’s no longer humerous to wonder about whether or not this man is the false prophet who is preparing the way for the beast. Scripture and Tradition says it will happen. Realistically does it not look like it is happening in front of our eyes.

Dan said...

Well OF COURSE he blamed the laity. Probably mentioned something about those nasty "rigid neo-pelagians."

Fr Martin Fox said...

As a priest, I am tired of being the whipping boy. It was profoundly gratifying to see at least some of our bishops acknowledge their responsibility.

Mark Thomas said...

What I have "learned" from the accusations lodged against Archbishop McCarrick.

-- Not a thing.

What I have "learned" from the Pennsylvania Report.

-- Not a thing.

Oh, my! Homosexuals are found within the priesthood. Shocking!

Oh, my! Decades ago, bishops transferred, from parish to parish, priests who had been accused of sexual abuse. Shocking!

Why is everybody in a frenzy over such old news? I don't get it.

Pax.

Mark Thomas

Henry said...

"Homisexuality does not make a person more likely to abuse children."

Please. This is such a tired irrelevancy. But it does make him more likely to sexually abuse teenage and young adult males.

Victor said...

Vatican 2+ = clericalism.
That is a pretty obvious equation if one considers its most frequent manifestation, ad populum worship.

Anonymous said...

Everyone is in a "frenzy" because this continues over and over to occur. So what if it also happens in the other faiths as well. When will this abuse of children by person's representing God end? How would you feel if you were a parent of these children? How would you feel if a man of God had abused you or for that matter a woman of God. Ive had it with people representing God and abusing his children. Some of these children will even Hate God if they associate him with these Priests, Nuns, Ministers, etc.. No wonder the world is leaving the churches by the millions. No wonder our children have no respect for the institution. How disgusted God must feel. What an insult to his name. I no longer will attend an organized church. The church for me will from now on be inside of my heart. I won't give money to an institution so that they can pay off abuse cases and cover up sickness. No church.... Catholic or otherwise. Ill give my money to the many poor that I personally know. Im done with it. This was the final straw.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Clericalism is a part of the problem and BLIND trust. But the ultimate problem was also criminal behavior of bishops who mismanaged perverted priests and gave no clues to the trusting laity about the gravity of the situation of recycling perverts back into parishes.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Yes! It’s the bishops, stupid!

TJM said...

The irony, is if the bishops had turned the miscreants over to the authorities those of us who are parents, would have cheered them, celebrated them, and thrown more money into the basket. Instead, they did the opposite and have earned our well earned contempt.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Mark I am afraid you don’t get it. You spare staring Armageddon in the eye and don’t get it.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

You are staring...

DJR said...

MT: "Why is everybody in a frenzy over such old news? I don't get it."

I agree.

People's lives have been destroyed, people's faith has been destroyed, some people have committed suicide as a result, sacrilege and abomination have occurred, and for decades justice has never been done for many.

So what?

Here's what happened in the eparchy where I used to live:

"Klimko said Wednesday that Rebovich (note: the parish priest) paid him and other teenage boys hundreds of dollars to defecate in a chalice while he watched or offered to perform sexual acts on them."

I mean, honestly, folks, get ahold of yourselves. What's the big deal here?

Henry said...

"What I have learned . . . . . Not a thing."

Truer words never spoken?

TJM said...

Henry,

MT calls to mind a remark attributed to Talleyrand on the Bourbons: "They have learned nothing, and have forgotten nothing."

ByzRus said...


I cannot improve on the following provided by Fr. AJM:

"The pope’s new unimpressive letter is a nice try, pious platitudes and acknowledging the obvious, but it fails miserably."

The same tired clap-trap that will result in, nothing. Better he waited until a plan is in place to attempt to address this problem for the WHOLE Church as opposed to lauding where they are trying to address it in "various parts of the world". But, somehow, I suspect such a plan won't be coming any time soon.

John Nolan said...

PF blames 'clericalism in all its forms'. Clericalism can mean two things. Firstly, the undue influence of the clergy in secular matters, something that cannot happen under the US Constitution and which does not occur in modern Europe, with the possible exception of 1950s Ireland. Secondly it can mean sacerdotalism, the idea that a priest in confecting the eucharist offers a sacrifice, or that he has the power to absolve sins.

Clearly PF is using neither of these definitions, so he, like many others is using clericalism as a pejorative term whose definition is vague enough to be made to suit the prejudice of the person using it.

Earlier in his pontificate Francis mentioned, as an egregious example of clericalism, a young priest trying on a cloak and saturno in Gammarelli's. He did not witness this himself; he claimed it was recounted to him by another priest. My reaction was that being a priest should be no bar to dressing and acting as a gentleman. If Francis wants to dress like a slob that is his choice, but it says a lot about his character.

Pride in one's appearance does not betoken either vanity or snobbery, still less clericalism.

Marc said...

Call me a crazy lay person, but it seems to me the problem isn't clericalism so much as priests raping children and then bishops covering it.

It is remarkable that Francis essentially blames the laity for their priests raping children. And we need to convert our activity? I don't know about the other lay people here, but I've been staunchly against priests raping children this whole time -- no conversion needed here. It would seem that the priests should convert from child rapists to non-rapists. And maybe the bishops who cover up for them should be jailed.

And, again, call me crazy, but it might make sense not to call saints those popes who covered up for the bishops who covered up for the rapist priests.

TJM said...

John Nolan,

BRAVO. I particularly enjoyed the "slob" reference. MT will go wild!

Anonymous said...

Cleticalism has a well known and well understood third meaning. It is a belief that one's status as a cleric gives him, automatically, a standing in the community that is, in ways not related to his sacerdotal character, Superior to non- clerics.

johnnyc said...

Seems like a form letter.

Bishop Morlino's statement is the real deal.

John Nolan said...

Anonymous

The sacerdotal nature of the priesthood is only of concern to Catholics. The priest should have a standing in the community at large on account of his calling, and that applies to Anglican clergymen, police officers, Justices of the Peace, teachers, medical practitioners and so on.

Society has certainly become less deferential, but I am frequently called upon to endorse passport applications because my qualified teacher status (QTS) entitles me to do so.

Mark Thomas said...

Anonymous said..."Everyone is in a "frenzy" because this continues over and over to occur."

What occurs over and over?

In regard to the Pennsylvania, the Holy See noted:

"Most of the discussion in the report concerns abuses before the early 2000s. By finding almost no cases after 2002, the Grand Jury's conclusions are consistent with previous studies showing the Catholic Church reforms in the United States drastically reduced the incidence of clerical sexual abuse."

Again, we are talking about one allegation after another that occurred from 1948 A.D. to the early 2000s...but few after that.

The Pennsylvania Report, which is designed to smear the Catholic Church, has employed cases that are 70 years old. However, the notion is that the Pennsylvania Report is filled with up-to-date cases of priests who abused people sexually.

It is important to note:

1. We are talking about allegations...allegations...against priests.

2. We are talking about allegations...allegations...that, in the main, occurred from 1948 A.D. to the early 2000s.

Therefore, why do decades-old allegations constitute a "crisis" in August 2018 A.D?

Pax.

Mark Thomas

Anonymous said...

John Nolan,
The scandal within the church is concern to everyone not only Catholics. When Children are hurt, or when the reputation of the Holy Church is ruined that should be concern for EVERYONE who loves the Lord. The "Church" Catholic or otherwise are children of God. Those that hurt the children hurt everyone. I have NEVER known a priest that I did not love and respect. Its just a shame that rigid rules that contribute to this abuse and trying to "buy silence" is far more dangerous to God's people than a Priest. There is sickness in every occupation. Its not just the Catholic Faith with abusive ministers.

I also wonder if Jesus Christ issued "passports" for individuals that did not even apply for them. He certainly had the Qualified Teacher Status to do so and yet.... he would leave the flock to find the one hurt sheep. All sheep are his children not just Catholics and one more point. On a blog you never really know who you are talking to. I am so glad you have a QTS issue your passports wisely. God will solve this crisis and the Church will remain firm. God I think requires us to make changes so that our church can continue to help all of the sheep, not just the Catholic ones.

Gene said...

MT, What I want to know is...is a person who makes allegations and allegator?

Mark Thomas said...

Gene said..."MT, What I want to know is...is a person who makes allegations and allegator?"

What I want to know is...is a crocodile who makes allegations against an innocent alligator a crockogator?

Pax.

Mark Thomas

John Nolan said...

The John Jay report ignored the elephant in the room. The PA grand jury report did the same. Now, it appears, has 'who am I to judge?' Pope Francis.

But his predecessor pointedly did not. In June 2003 the CDF issued an important ruling concerning the legal recognition of homosexual unions. In November 2005 the relevant dicastery ruled that practising homosexuals, those with deep-rooted homosexual tendencies and those who supported the 'gay' culture should not be allowed to train for the priesthood.

The next day the Washington Post reported that Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, then chairman of the USBCC, was going to interpret this ruling in such a loose way as to nullify its express intention. He was backed by Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, who announced through a spokeswoman that there would be no change in the current policy of admitting homosexuals to seminaries. Other bishops openly disagreed, and even James Martin pointed out that the Vatican directive was clear-cut.

The previous year the Spokane diocese had declared itself bankrupt in order to avoid further payouts to alleged victims of 'historical' abuse. It had already agreed to cough up some $48m in out-of-court settlements.

Meanwhile Pope Benedict was under sustained attack in the secular media (including the London Times, which by then had become as anti-Catholic as its Victorian predecessor, although for different reasons) for his supposed antipathy towards homosexuals. The fact that he was merely reiterating Church teaching was overlooked; in the age of individualism everyone is assumed to speak only for themselves.

John Nolan said...

Anonymous @ 7:02

You've missed the point. The other Anonymous maintained that it was clericalism for a priest (and presumably a bishop) to presume he had any status in society at large. I argued that professional qualifications automatically confer a certain status.

I do not issue passports - the Home Office does - but in this as in other areas the law requires a counter-signature from someone of standing who knows the applicant. One's local priest would be an obvious recourse. Yes, it's a formality, but an important one.

As for the parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd would seek it out, but would break or dislocate one of its legs before returning it to the flock; by the time it had healed it would have learned not to stray. This example of 'tough love' would not have been lost on first century listeners.

TJM said...

John Nolan,

Of course McCarrick would do nothing to empty his stable of young men. That should have been the first clue about that pervert

Anonymous said...

John,
Really Really do you think Christ would dislocate one of the legs of a sheep returning it to the flock?
How can hurting anyone teach them about love. You do not teach love through pain and violence.
God is love. I cant imagine Jesus hurting a sheep. Have you ever seen those beautiful pictures of Jesus
holding a baby lamb? What would you think of him if in the next photo he was dislocating the leg of the
lamb. My Goodness John.

DJR said...

"Therefore, why do decades-old allegations constitute a "crisis" in August 2018 A.D?"

There is no ongoing crisis. Everything was taken care of long ago.

August 21, 2018: Body of Missing Priest Allegedly Part of Gay Network Reportedly Found in TX. Police believe a body found buried in a shallow grave is retired priest William Costello, with a scandalous past linked to a gay network of priests in Massachusetts.

August 20, 2018: DALLAS — A Texas priest accused of molesting teens and stealing from his parish has gone missing. St. Cecilia Catholic Church officials believe the Rev. Edmundo Paredes may have fled to his native country of the Philippines, The Dallas Morning News reported. He had been a pastor at the church for 27 years.

July 27, 2018: Montana Diocese Asks Catholic Laity to Help Pay $20 Million Sex Abuse Settlement.

September 15, 2017: Vatican Recalls Priest From D.C. Diplomatic Mission, Launches Child Porn Probe.

July 5, 2017: Vatican cops bust drug-fueled gay orgy at home of cardinal’s aide.

September 29, 2013: N.J. priest in sexting sting thought he was talking to 16-year-old boy, wanted to meet.

February 26, 2018: High-Ranking Michigan Priest Arrested for Gay Sex Assault, Saginaw Diocese.

July 19, 2018: WILLIAMSTON, Michigan - State police say they discovered $63,000 hidden above ceiling tiles in the home of a Michigan priest who is accused of embezzling millions.

May 11, 2018: Louisville priest on retreat after an "inappropriate relationship." Father Duvall.

August 15, 2015: Louisville priest placed on leave amid child porn investigation. Father Pohl.

TJM said...

DJR,

Good list. Maybe MT will now discuss the fact that PF has done nothing about the gay sex orgies at the Vatican.

Marc said...

I'm guessing Anonymous at 12:54 doesn't have any children. Otherwise he or she wouldn't ask how hurting someone can teach them about love.

Pictures of Jesus with a baby lamb -- sheesh. How about that time he whipped the money changers? Was God not teaching them about his love in so doing?

George said...


Love and discipline are necessary companions for those who are parents and guardians.The relationship between each is complimentary, not adversarial. The consequences of allowing a child (or a lamb) to go about unfettered, without constraint or discipline, can be serious and in some cases fatal. Better the remedy now than the malady later.





TJM said...

Marc,

Anonymous at 12:54 shouldn't have children because allegedly he's a catholic priest, although reasonable minds could differ on that!

John Nolan said...

I'm guessing Anonymous at 12:54 is being ironic. The Good Shepherd is a parable. Our Lord was not literally a shepherd.

Marc said...

TJM, Catholic priests have to be men, so we can be sure this Anonymous is not a Catholic priest.

TJM said...

Marc, touche!

rcg said...

To answer the Anonymous question, yes, I believe the compassionate Christ would break a leg or inflict any number of infirmities as part of His recovery efforts, if it pleases Him. We all wear the “stripes” of his chastizment if *we* are wise enough to see them.

Mark Thomas said...

Father McDonald said..."Mark I am afraid you don’t get it. You spare staring Armageddon in the eye and don’t get it."

I don't get it.

I also don't understand as to why Armageddon is upon us?

1. Homosexuality within the priesthood has existed from the dawn of the Church. That will not change.

2. In regard to the Pennsylvania Report, Rome noted:

"Most of the discussion in the report concerns abuses before the early 2000s.

"By finding almost no cases after 2002, the Grand Jury's conclusions are consistent with previous studies showing the Catholic Church reforms in the United States drastically reduced the incidence of clerical sexual abuse."

Pax.

Mark Thomas

TJM said...

MT,

The McCarrick Scandal and the gay sex orgies in the Vatican are au courant. So now you are accepting sodomy?

Marc said...

TJM, Mark accepts what Francis accepts... ergo...

ByzRus said...

Mark Thomas -

Please stop. You are making yourself sound out of touch.

TJM said...

ByzRC,

and moronic, you forgot to add moronic.

ByzRus said...

TJM -

I was going for the soft touch as I suspect there's a degree of fragility there.

Anonymous said...

I drink the Vat 2 koolaid therefore I am.

AJP.

Anonymous said...

Brevity is the art of wit......and, most times, blog comments.

Fr Raymond Marks.

John Nolan said...

I can see where MT is coming from, but the incidence of alleged sexual abuse was already in steep decline in the 1990s BEFORE the US Bishops addressed the problem.