AMEN BROTHER, I MEAN FATHER!

At Crux Father Jeffrey Kirby has a very good commentary. I think most Catholic laity and clergy would agree with his suggestions. Most of us know what clericalism is and it is epitomized by Pope Francis’ stonewalling as well as those of his supporters, his cohorts like Cupich. However, their stonewalling is the clericalism at the root of the rot—root rot and placing oneself on a pedestal above reproach.

Press title for full article. Below it are the three common sense requirements:

Voicing ‘immense hope’ that Francis will act swiftly and honestly on abuse

• Father Jeffrey F. Kirby
  Feb 17, 2019
  SENIOR CRUX CONTRIBUTOR

And so, here are only three pressing issues:

1) The pope needs to address the charges leveled against him by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano and the questions surrounding portions of his episcopal ministry in Argentina. If he made mistakes, he needs to repent. If he put his trust in the wrong people or for the wrong reasons, then he needs to address them and take accountability.

Dismissing these and thinking he can make veiled comments in liturgical homilies and that they will go away, only indicates that he does not realize how much this omission hurts his moral authority and the trust that people of goodwill wish to place in him.

Right or wrong, the pope needs to clear the air and regain a higher level of trust in himself and in his authority to shepherd and reform the Church.

2) The ecclesial life and series of promotions of Theodore McCarrick need to be fully investigated. We are beyond a mere laicization. Now, the names of enablers and protectors need to be given. Other clerics need to be disciplined.

If this doesn’t happen, then trust in the internal governance of the Church will be lost. The hierarchy will appear to be a stained boys’ club which looks out and protects its own, even when they abuse and hurt others. The enablers and protectors of McCarrick need to be removed and disgraced for their shameful compliance with evil. It must be clear to all that there are consequences for cooperating with evil.

3) The obvious question of gay priests needs to be taken seriously. Attempts to place this abuse and cover-up solely within an arena of clericalism is only a raw and unthinking display of the very clericalism that is supposedly being exposed and denounced.

Beyond these empty efforts, the pope needs to legitimately address whether men with homosexual tendencies should be in the Catholic priesthood. Supposedly that is already our discipline, and yet it doesn’t seem to be enforced or taken very seriously.

These are only three of the many issues in the hearts and minds of the faithful.

As the international gathering approaches near the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, it’s the immense hope that the pope will act swiftly and honestly and that the harm done to victims, to the faith and to the Church will be taken seriously and that a concrete path of repentance and wide-scale reform will be spelled out and justly followed by all.