Friday, April 30, 2010

Post #23

Excerpt from PBS Television: "Cardinal Levada: 'We Should Hold Ourselves to a Higher Standard'."

As part of a series of reports from the Vatican, Cardinal William Levada, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that handles sex abuse claims, speaks to reporter Margaret Warner in his first television interview about the scandal rocking the Catholic Church.

MARGARET WARNER: Now many people we've spoken to, certainly in the States, in the church, are surprised that you all here seem surprised by this new wave. That, after all the American church went through this eight years ago, painfully had to come to a new way of operating after many revelations. Why was the Vatican not more prepared? Why is this a surprise?

CARDINAL WILLIAM LEVADA: Well I think that there are two things involved in the current media attention. I think one is the situation in Ireland, where the report on the Archdiocese of Dublin triggered a lot of attention not only in Ireland but in Europe and then I think throughout the world. The second frankly, I think, is if I will say a certain media bias. I shouldn't. I don't want to scapegoat anybody or have a conspiracy theory but I do think that the American media in particular, the question has been driven by information given by the plaintiff's attorneys who are looking for ways to involve the pope somehow in a court process or something like that, which are I think bound to be futile but nevertheless I think that has driven a fair amount of the media coverage if I may say so.

MARGARET WARNER: So do you think that some of the media are out to get the pope or the church?

CARDINAL WILLIAM LEVADA: Well you know I guess the media likes a good story but I think that by reasonable standards I think that they have not been fair in giving a balanced picture, a picture in context.

MARGARET WARNER: And what is that picture? What is that context that isn't being reported?

CARDINAL WILLIAM LEVADA: I haven't seen in the reporting much attention given to what the United States church has done. The bishops, it's true through media attention, constant media attention in 2002, met and took very concrete action. When you see the programs that have been developed, the educational programs for parents, for children, for all church workers, including priests and teachers, there is a real success story that I personally we ought to be proud of and say this also can be a model. We're not proud that we had to create it but it can be a model for public schools, Boy Scouts, some of these other groups where we're seeing now, while they don't get the media attention the church has in this --either we see, I see huge punitive damage case in Oregon was reported today for the Boy Scouts -- so I think that's one aspect of it.

MARGARET WARNER: So you don't think it's appropriate that people hold the church to a higher standard? There is more focus on the church?

CARDINAL WILLIAM LEVADA: That's a fair question. I think we should hold ourselves to a higher standard in the sense that this is not something that one would have expected that a bishop or anybody in the church, parents none of us would have expected this but I think the causes we will see go back to changes in society that the church and priests were not prepared for, particularly changes involving how to be a celibate person in a time of the sexual revolution, that's one of the causes I'd say.

To read the complete transcript of the interview, please click here.

To see the video of the interview, click here.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Post #22

Excerpt from The Irish TimesPope accepts another Irish bishop's resignation

Pope Benedict XVI has formally accepted the resignation of Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Jim Moriarty.

Following the resignation of Bishop Donal Murray of Limerick last December, Bishop Moriarty is the second Irish bishop to have his resignation accepted in the wake of the fallout from the Murphy report.

The acceptance of Bishop Moriarty’s resignation comes as no surprise, since he himself had made it known in recent weeks that he expected it to be confirmed by the Holy See.

Bishop Moriarty confirmed that he had spoken about his decision to resign during Pope Benedict’s February meeting with the Irish bishops in the Vatican.

Calling his resignation “the most difficult decision of my ministry”, Bishop Moriarty confessed that he had not originally intended to resign following the publication of the Murphy report.

“However, renewal must begin with accepting the responsibility for the past. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that we needed a new beginning, and that I could play my part in opening the way,” he said in a statement today.

"I know that words of apology are not enough. Before speaking on other matters, it is important to be able to report that, learning from the past, the Irish Church now has excellent child safeguarding procedures in place.

"The truth is that the long struggle of survivors to be heard and respected by church authorities has revealed a culture within the Church that many would simply describe as unchristian. People do not recognise the gentle, endless love of the Lord in narrow interpretations of responsibility and a basic lack of compassion and humility."

Speculation remains rife that Cardinal Seán Brady, currently in poor health and also under pressure to resign because of his involvement in a case involving the mismanagement of notorious paedophile priest Brendan Smyth, could yet offer his resignation.

On top of that, the pope last month also accepted the resignation of Bishop John Magee of Cloyne.

Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0422/breaking20.html

Friday, April 23, 2010

Post #21

Excerpt from the London Telegraph: Belgian bishop Roger Vangheluwe resigns over abuse of boy

The resignation of Bishop Roger Vangheluwe, 73, Bishop of Bruges since 1984, was the first from Belgium since a child abuse scandal began testing the Catholic Church several months ago in Europe and the United States.

Vangheluwe issued a statement in which he announced his resignation and said it had been accepted by Pope Benedict XVI.

"When I was not yet a bishop, and some time later, I abused a boy," Vangheluwe said in the statement.

"This has marked the victim forever. The wound does not heal. Neither in me nor the victim," Vangheluwe's statement said, adding that he repeatedly has asked the victim and his family for forgiveness.

"I am enormously sorry," he said. Vangheluwe had been due to retire next year.

As elsewhere, the Catholic Church in Belgium has a weak record of cracking down on sexual abusers in its ranks.

In 2000 it created a panel to look into abuse complaints that quickly clashed with the church leadership. The panel has accused the church of tardiness in compensating victims.

Hundreds of people have come forward in recent months, including in Pope Benedict's native Germany, accusing priests of raping and abusing them while bishops and other church higher-ups turned a blind eye.

This week, the Vatican has said it would do everything in its power to bring justice to abusive priests and implement "effective measures" to protect children.

This is now the Vatican announced the Bishop’s resignation: “The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the Diocese of Brugge (Belgium), presented by His Excellency Bishop Joseph Roger Vangheluwe, in accordance with canon 401 2 of the Code of Canon Law.”

Can. 401 §2 A diocesan Bishop who, because of illness or some other grave reason, has become unsuited for the fulfilment of his office, is earnestly requested to offer his resignation from office.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Post #20

Excerpt from the BBC: German bishop Walter Mixa offers to resign

The bishop of Augsburg in southern Germany has offered to resign following accusations that he hit children, Church officials say.

Bishop Walter Mixa told the Pope in a resignation letter that his diocese needed a "new start".

The bishop at first denied hitting children before saying he may have slapped them, and apologising.

A stream of abuse allegations in Europe and beyond has rocked the Roman Catholic Church in recent months.

On Thursday Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of the bishop of Kildare in Ireland - Bishop James Moriarty - who said he wanted to play a part in creating a "new beginning" following scandals there.

Earlier this week the Pope also accepted the resignation of US Bishop John Favalora of Miami, who has been accused of covering up abuse cases.

On Wednesday the Pope promised to "take action" over abuse against children by priests, in his most direct remarks to date on the recent allegations."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8636625.stm

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Post #19

Excerpt from National Catholic Reporter: Revising history Vatican style

by Fr. Tom Doyle, OP

"Cardinal Oscar Maradiaga of Honduras, who accused the U.S. attorneys who deposed Cardinal Bernard Law of using “Stalinist” tactics, said that clerics who have committed grave errors should be brought to justice by church tribunals. Revisionist history point one: raping children is an error, not a crime and the church tribunals, traditionally noted for slow non-functionality when it comes to due process, are the path to certain justice. Fr. Gianfranco Ghirlanda, an influential canon lawyer from the Gregorian University in Rome, published an article in 2002 replete with Vatican conventional wisdom. He said that civil authorities should be involved only after all church-based remedies have proven useless. He went on to assert that bishops are neither morally or judicially responsible for the acts of their clergy. He continued with the outrageous statement that a priest’s past acts of abuse should not be revealed to his congregation because he would be “totally discredited in front of his parochial community.”
.
Cardinal Julian Herrenz, retired head of the Pontifical Commission for Legislative Texts, expressed some equally surprising opinions in an article published by John Allen in 2002. Presuming expertise in the field of behavioral science, he stated that pedophilia is a form of homosexuality. Stepping back into his role as a world-class legal expert, he rejected the idea that church authorities be requested, much less required to report abuse cases to civil law enforcement. His justification appears to have been the safeguarding of the “rapport of trust and secrecy” between bishop and priest.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, now the Vatican secretary of state, was secretary at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2002 when he was quoted by John Allen as saying “In my opinion, the demand that a bishop be obligated to contact the police in order to denounce a priest who has admitted the offense of pedophilia is unfounded.” He went on to say that “...civil society must also respect the professional secrecy of priests, as it respects the professional secrecy of other categories.” There is nowhere in Catholic tradition, dogma or law where one can find any justification that supports this opinion.

In practice the policy has been to avoid contact with civil authorities and to cover up the crimes and the criminals. The newly created canonical tradition of referral to civil authorities is the result of one thing: the public outrage, the exposure from the media and the pressure for accountability in the civil courts. The appearance of the “Guide to Understanding” is a failed attempt at damage control through revision of history. It won’t work. The Vatican will never be able to “fix” the problem of clergy sexual abuse because the abuse is not the essential problem that needs fixing. It is the entire clerical culture that needs to be revamped from the inside out."

Background: A Dominican priest with a doctorate in canon law and five separate master's degrees, Rev. Thomas Patrick Doyle, O.P. sacrificed a rising career at the Vatican Embassy to become an outspoken advocate for church abuse victims. Since 1984, when he became involved with the issue of sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy while serving at the Embassy, he has become an expert in the canonical and pastoral dimensions of this problem—working directly with victims, their families, accused priests, bishops, and other high-ranking Church officials.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Post #18

Excerpt from: Turn this dreadful moment into a graced moment

(Following is an excerpt from the homily for the Third Sunday of Easter preached by Fr. Michael Ryan at St. James Cathedral in Seattle April 18.)

"Honesty compels us to admit that the church has too often put its own perceived interests ahead of the clear and uncompromising command of Jesus to feed, care for, and nourish his flock. At times it has allowed selfish institutional issues and concerns to eclipse the most basic rights of the flock, especially of some of the weakest, most vulnerable members of the flock. This must never happen again.
And, yes, some of the media attacks have been unfair and unbalanced and, yes, the issues we are dealing with are by no means exclusively the church's issues (they are societal issues), and, yes, the moral quicksand of our secular culture deserves some of the blame, but no amount of spreading or sharing the blame can take away the blame that rests squarely with the church.

After he put his questions to Peter, Jesus told him what the future would hold: "When you were younger," he said, "you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." It was Jesus' way of telling Peter about the cost of caring for the flock, the cost of discipleship. And then he repeated for Peter the first words he ever spoke to him, words that would now mean a good deal more to Peter than they did the first time: "Follow me."

My friends in Christ, I believe that these are words Jesus speaks to the church now -- - all of us in the church, but especially those of us in leadership. I hear them as a call to conversion -- deep conversion, a call to exercise power in a whole new way, a call to lead in the humble, strong, yet gentle way of Jesus and to let go of the need to dominate and to control. With Peter, the church needs to let Jesus take us places we'd probably rather not go."  (Listen to Fr. Ryan's homily by clicking here)

Source: http://www.stjames-cathedral.org/Main.htm

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Post #17

Toronto archbishop impresses

There has been a lot of criticism of the church hierarchy in Rome for its handling of the sexual abuse crisis. As the stories posted here show, the Vatican seems to be at a loss as to how to respond. On the one hand, there is a Vatican spokesman, Jesuit priest Federico Lombardi, the general director of Vatican radio, who says only what he is told to say by the church Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone; on the other hand, there are a number of Cardinals who have been going on at some length, Bertone among them, without really trying to achieve any consistency in the presentation and in the process, making some pretty outlandish statements.

The end result is confusion and severely mixed messages being received by the catholic faithful. It doesn’t help when the Vatican appears to be adopting a siege mentality and is defensive about everything related to the sexual abuse scandal. The facts are simple: a huge number of children have been sexually abused by Catholic priests and perhaps bishops. Those children have been scarred for life. More is required than pietistic calls for penance and prayer.

A notable exception is Toronto Archbishop Tom Collins. Collins has dealt with the issue head-on in various ways and is using the power of the so-called “social media” very effectively to present his message. The latest effort is a recorded video now available on YouTube. The video captures a scripted message Collins sent to the Toronto churches this weekend.

I must admit a bias. Collins is one of the few church leaders for whom I have respect and I have told him that. He is a gifted preacher and often is compared to the late, great Fulton J. Sheen for very good reason.  I had a chance to watch Collins in Edmonton before he was transferred to Toronto and his spirituality, clarity and directness recommend him to a large number of people. He is a holy, prayerful man, rooted in (and very knowledgeable about) Scripture who cares deeply about the catholic church. It is expected he soon will become a Cardinal. My hope is he may become the next leader of the catholic church.

Here’s the video.  Listen carefully to what the man says (and ignore that annoying music!).  If you would like to read the text of his message, click here.




Post #16

Excerpt from: Pope Benedict meets Church 'sex abuse victims' in Malta

by BBC World News

Pope Benedict XVI has met alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests in Malta, saying the Church will do all in its power to punish abusers.

The Pope also "expressed his shame and sorrow over what victims and their families have suffered", a Vatican statement said.

The meeting took place at the end of the pontiff's visit to Malta.

Three priests are accused of sexually abusing orphan children on Malta in the 1980s and 1990s.

'Renewed hope'

"The Holy Father met a small group of persons who were sexually abused by members of the clergy," the statement said.

"He prayed with them and assured them that the Church is doing, and will continue to do, all in its power to investigate allegations, to bring to justice those responsible for abuse and to implement effective measures designed to safeguard young people in the future.

"In the spirit of his recent Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, he prayed that all the victims of abuse would experience healing and reconciliation, enabling them to move forward with renewed hope," the statement added.

The Archbishop of Malta, Paul Cremona, earlier told worshippers at a Mass attended by the Pope that the Catholic Church must recognise what he called the failures and sins of its members.

The Pope is making a pilgrimage to the Mediterranean island in the footsteps of St Paul.

Malta is an Apostolic See; the Acts of the Apostles tells of how St. Paul, on his way from Crete to Rome to face trial, was shipwrecked on the island of "Melite", which many Bible scholars identify with Malta, an episode dated around AD 60.[11] The Acts of the Apostles says St. Paul spent three months on the island, curing the sick including the father of Publius, the "chief man of the island". Various traditions are associated with this account. The shipwreck is said to have occurred in the place today known as St Paul's Bay. Saint Publius is said to have been made Malta's first bishop and a grotto in Rabat, now known as "St Paul's Grotto" (and in the vicinity of which evidence of Christian burials and rituals from 3rd century AD has been found), is amongst the earliest known places of Christian worship on the island.  (Wikipedia)

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Post #15

Excerpt from the http://www.peggynoonan.com/: How to Save the Catholic Church

by Peggy Noonan, April 17, 2010

Many—not all, but many—of the men who staff the highest levels of the Vatican have been part of the very scandal they are now charged with repairing. They are defensive and they are angry, and they will not turn the church around on their own.

In a way, the Vatican lives outside time and space. The verities it speaks of and stands for are timeless and transcendent. For those who work there, bishops and cardinals, it can become its own reality. And when those inside fight for what they think is the life of the institution, they feel fully justified in fighting any way they please. They can do this because, as they rationalize it, they are not fighting only for themselves—it's not selfish, their fight—but to protect the greatest institution in the history of the world.

But in the past few decades, they not only fought persons—"If you were loyal you'd be silent"—they fought information.

What they don't fully understand right now—what they can't fully wrap their heads around—is that the information won.

The information came in through the cracks, it came in waves, in newspaper front pages, in books, in news beamed to every satellite dish in Europe and America. The information could not be controlled or stopped. The information was that something very sick was going on in the heart of the church.

Once, leaders of the Vatican felt that silence would protect the church. But now anyone who cares about it must come to understand that only speaking, revealing, admitting and changing will save the church.

The old Vatican needs new blood.

Post #14

Excerpt from National Catholic Reporter: "Sociologist compares today's crisis to Nazi smear campaign"

By John L Allen, Jr.

Created Apr 17, 2010

Perhaps the most remarkable defense of Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church vis-à-vis the sexual abuse crisis to appear in recent weeks ironically never mentions the current pope, and it comes not from a senior Vatican official but a lay Italian sociologist of religion. In a nutshell, the suggestion – never made explicit, but clear nonetheless – is that today’s drumbeat of criticism of the church over “pedophile priests” amounts to a replay of a Nazi smear campaign.
Massimo Introvigne, who directs the international Center for Studies on New Religions, published an essay in the April 16 edition of L’Avvenire, the official newspaper of the Italian bishops, about a Nazi campaign in 1937 led by Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels to discredit the Catholic Church following Pope Pius XI’s anti-Nazi encyclical Mit brennender Sorge. Introvigne argues that Goebbels created what sociologists would later call a “moral panic,” based on real facts, but facts which are distorted and amplified.

In the end, Introvigne says, the plan backfired – Goebbels’ attempt to smear the church generated more outrage than actual cases of sexual abuse in 1930s-era German Catholicism, which were reported in the German media and tried in German courts.

Source: http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/sociologist-compares-todays-crisis-nazi-smear-campaign

Friday, April 16, 2010

Post #13

Excerpt from America:  What can European bishops learn from the U.S. sexual abuse crisis?

by Thomas J. Reese
"From the beginning, the American bishops underestimated the size and gravity of the problem. Prior to 1993, only one-third of the victims had come forward to report the abuse to their dioceses, so not even the church knew how bad the crisis was. Most victims do not want others to know they were abused, especially their parents, spouses, children and friends. Media coverage of abuse by clerics encouraged and empowered victims to come forward as they recognized they were not alone.

Today, Europeans are shocked by the hundreds of cases that are being reported. They should get ready for thousands more. In the United States over 5,000 priests, or 4 percent of the clergy, were responsible for 13,000 alleged instances of abuse over a 50-year period. There is no reason to think Europe is different. Hope for the best, but do the math and be prepared.

The biggest miscalculation the American bishops made was to think that the crisis would pass in a few months. Hunkering down and waiting for the storm to pass is a failed strategy. Unless they want this crisis to go on for years as it has done in the United States, the European bishops need to be transparent and encourage victims to come forward now. Better to get all the bad news out as soon as possible than to give the appearance of attempting a cover-up.

American bishops also made the mistake of blaming the media, faulting the permissive culture and trying to downplay clerical abuse by pointing out that there are 90,000 to 150,000 reported cases of sexual abuse of minors each year in the United States. While there is truth in all this, it is counterproductive for the bishops to make these arguments, which come across as excuses. Rather, the bishops should condemn the abuse, apologize and put in place policies to make sure that children are safe. Nor is one apology enough. Like an unfaithful spouse, they must apologize, apologize, apologize.

Finally, the American bishops excused themselves by saying they made mistakes but were not culpable because of their ignorance. Sorry; this won’t wash. American Catholics wanted some bishops to stand up and say: “I made a mistake; I moved this priest to another parish. I did not think he would abuse again. I got bad advice, but I take full responsibility. I am sorry and I resign.”

If 30 bishops in the United States had done this, the crisis would not have gone on as long as it did. People would have said, “Good, that is what leaders are supposed to do. They get it. With a new bishop we can have healing and move on.”

Bishops have to be willing to sacrifice for the sake of the whole church. It is a scandal that Cardinal Law was the only U.S. bishop to resign because of this crisis. It is encouraging that four Irish bishops have submitted their resignations. Unless the church wants this crisis to go on for years in Europe as it did in the United States, some bishops will have to resign.

Will the European bishops learn from the U.S. experience? I hope so."

Thomas J. Reese, S.J., former editor in chief of America, is senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center, Georgetown University, and author of Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Post #12

Zenit News Service: Pope: World Needs Voice of Teacher-Priests

Pope Reflects on Educational Mission That Comes With Ordination

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 14, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Though priests are called to preach a message that is not their own, they are also called to identify with that message, allowing themselves to be profoundly transformed in it.

This was the reflection made today by Benedict XVI at the general audience in St. Peter's Square. As the Year for Priests draws to a close (closing celebrations are scheduled for June 9-11), the Pope said he would dedicate a series of reflections to priestly ministry.


Today he took up the first of the three offices (teaching, sanctifying and governing) the priest receives, reflecting on the importance of the priest in the midst of an "educational emergency."

"We live amid great confusion about the fundamental choices of our life," the Holy Father observed, saying there are "so many contrasting philosophies, which arise and disappear, creating confusion about the fundamental decisions."

But as promised in the Gospel, the Lord has compassion on his "sheep without a shepherd," the Pontiff said. "The Lord, moved by compassion, interpreted the word of God, he himself is the Word of God, and thus he gave guidance. This is the function 'in persona Christi' of the priest: to render present, in the confusion and disorientation of our times, the light of the Word of God, the light that is Christ himself in this our world."

This means, Benedict XVI explained, that the priest "does not teach his own ideas, a philosophy that he himself has invented, has found and that pleases him; [...] but, in the confusion of all the philosophies, the priest teaches in the name of Christ present, he proposes the truth that is Christ himself, his word, his way of living and of going forward."

Not a spokesman

The Pope clarified, however, that this does not mean the priest is "neutral" in relation to this word, "almost like a spokesman who reads a text which, perhaps, he does not appropriate."

Instead, like Jesus with the Father, the "priest who proclaims the word of Christ, the faith of the Church and not his own ideas, must also say: I do not live from myself and for myself, but I live with Christ and from Christ and because of this all that Christ has said to us becomes my word, even if it is not mine. [...]

"The teaching that the priest is called to give, the truth of the faith, must be internalized and lived in an intense personal spiritual journey, so that the priest really enters into a profound, interior communion with Christ himself. The priest believes, accepts and tries to live, first of all as his own, all that the Lord has taught and the Church has transmitted, in that journey of identification with the very ministry of which St John Mary Vianney is an exemplary witness."

This will mean that the priest is often called to be a countercultural voice, the Holy Father acknowledged. But he has a "prophetic force" in "showing the unique novelty capable of bringing about an authentic and profound renewal of man, namely that Christ is the Living One, and the nearby God, the God who operates in the life and for the life of the world and gives us truth, the way to live."

The priest is always a teacher, the Pontiff said, but should give his lesson "not with the presumption of one who imposes his own truth, rather with the humble and happy certainty of one who has found the Truth, who has been gripped and transformed, and because of this, can do nothing less than proclaim it."

The Bishop of Rome voiced an exhortation: "Dear brother priests, the Christian people ask to hear from our teachings the genuine ecclesial doctrine, by which to be able to renew the encounter with Christ who gives joy, peace, salvation. [...] 'Priestly ordination means: being immersed [...] in the Truth,' that Truth which is not simply a concept or a whole of ideas to transmit and assimilate, but which is the Person of Christ, with which, by which and in which to live."

Post #11

CNA: Strong majority of priests are good men, affirms Mexican official

Mexico, Apr 15, 2010 / 12:05 pm (CNA).- A high-ranking federal official in Mexico asserted this week that “the vast majority of priests are good men who work for a better country.”

After a closed-door meeting with the Mexican bishops, Francisco Gomez Mont said, “Most priests are good people who should not be tainted by the aberrations of a few.”

He added that the bishops are taking positive steps in resolving cases of abuse in Mexico, and rejected claims that the hierarchy of the Catholic Church tried to keep the government from punishing priests who have been found guilty of crimes.

“Pedophilia is a crime that deserves a response from the State,” Gomez continued. “I don’t know anybody who has asked me not to try someone who has been charged with harming children.”

During the meeting with the bishops, Gomez discussed matters related to security, political reform, religious freedom and respect for human rights.

Post #10

Excerpt from: Why the Vatican media strategy is failing

BBC News

The Vatican's handling of child abuse allegations has been called into question, following a senior cardinal's suggestion of a link between homosexuality and paedophilia.

Gerard O'Connell of the British Catholic newspaper The Universe says the Church's attempts to defend itself often just cause more damage.

Where is the Vatican's media strategy going wrong?

Pope Benedict XVI has been caught in the eye of the cyclone for several weeks, battered by accusations from lawyers and victims in Germany, the USA and elsewhere that he and senior Vatican officials have badly mismanaged or sought to cover up serious cases of abuse, and protected abuser priests.

These accusations - if not fully answered or firmly rebutted in timely fashion - are particularly damaging to the Catholic Church's credibility and image, as well as to the moral authority of the Pope and of the Holy See on the world stage.

But the Vatican has struggled to defend him from the daily drip-drip of damaging revelations, and many questioned its communications strategy.

'Shooting the messenger'

When I asked John L Allen, the American Catholic commentator on the Vatican, why its media strategy was failing, he responded:

"As soon as I see that they have a strategy, I will answer you! The fact is, they don't have one, and that is where they are going wrong."

Indeed, the absence of a coherent media strategy is evident, as a variety of Vatican personalities take it upon themselves to respond publicly to the accusations.

They often do it in a defensive or denial mode, shooting the messenger, or denouncing a conspiracy against the Pope and the Catholic Church because of its moral stances on life, the family and bioethics.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8621197.stm

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Post #9

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Mt 5:7)



From the diary of a young Polish nun, Saint Faustina Kowalska,a special devotion began spreading throughout the world in the 1930s. The message is a reminder that God is merciful and forgiving and that we, too, must show mercy and forgiveness. But in the Divine Mercy devotion, the message takes on a powerful new focus, calling people to a deeper understanding that God’s love is unlimited and available to everyone.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Post #8

A new coadjutor Archbishop has been appointed for Los Angeles, California to take over next year from Archbishop & Cardinal Roger Mahoney. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is the biggest in North America and therefore has a large number of auxiliary Bishops who take on various roles within the Archdiocese to assist the head man. They all got together the other day for a group picture when the new coadjutor arrived in town. The first thought was that this is the leadership team for the largest Roman Catholic diocese in North America … isn’t there someone missing?

Friday, April 9, 2010

Post #7

Excerpt from Time magazine: How Damaged Is the Papacy?


"Secrecy is a luxury no longer available to Benedict. The recent revelations of sex-abuse scandals in Europe have smashed the perception that predatory priests are an American anomaly. Hundreds of accusations, from Ireland and now mainland Europe, have thrust the Vatican into the grip of its greatest crisis since the 2002 revelations of abuse in the U.S. The church's standing is falling to new lows among believers in its European heartland. Sensing the growing public alarm, some within the clergy are pushing for profound institutional and ecclesiastical changes, including an end to the priesthood's fundamental tenet of celibacy.

For the Pope, all this has become deeply personal: many of the latest scandals are rooted in his native Germany, and they have dragged in his own brother, who headed a famous Bavarian choir at a school where young boys were allegedly abused. Benedict himself stands accused of poorly handling the case of a pedophile priest when he was Archbishop of Munich and Freising in the early 1980s. While there's virtually no chance of the Pope himself being brought down — the last time a Pontiff bowed out in disgrace was in 1046 (Gregory VI, for financial impropriety) — it is entirely possible the scandals will permanently sully his papacy. "This is going to be a major part of his legacy," says an American priest in Rome who asked not to be named.

The Pope's defenders say he has tried hard to force the church to confront its demons openly. "As Pope, he has been unusually and laudably aggressive in dealing with abusers," says David Gibson, author of a Benedict biography. Benedict has on several occasions called for "absolute transparency" on sexual abuse. During a visit to Washington, D.C., in 2008, he met in private with some victims of abuse by American priests. But he has been remarkably unforthcoming about the latest scandals."

Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1973213,00.html

Eds note:  Has anyone else noticed that this Pope lately seems to be called more often by his real name Joseph Ratzinger than by his chosen name of Benedict?  Any suggestion as to the implications of that trend?

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Post #6

Bishop Raymond Lahey faces civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault in Newfoundland
Source: CBC

A Catholic bishop already facing child pornography charges is being accused in a civil lawsuit of sexual abuse by a former resident of the infamous Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John's, CBC News has learned.

In a statement of claim filed in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, Todd Boland alleges he was abused by Raymond Lahey, the former bishop of the diocese of Antigonish in Nova Scotia who resigned last September.

Lahey was a priest and a bishop in Newfoundland & Labrador before moving to Nova Scotia. According to the claim, Boland was abused several times over four years in the early 1980s while he was at Mount Cashel. The accusations include simulated anal intercourse and fondling.

Boland's lawyer, Greg Stack, described in an interview with CBC News what Boland alleges happened.  "At the time, Monsignor Lahey would take him for an outing, as members of the clergy sometimes did, and that's when the abuse allegedly occurred," said Stack.

Over the following two decades, Lahey rose through the ranks in the Roman Catholic Church, eventually becoming a bishop.

In September, police in Ottawa found pornographic images of boys on Lahey's laptop.

Another man, who was a Mount Cashel resident in the 1950s, said he's not surprised by the new allegations.

James Bryne said that when one charge is laid, victims start speaking up.

"They have to make a lot of hard and difficult choices about coming forward, and in a lot of cases they may have families, young kids and it may take years," said Byrne.

The civil suit against Raymond Lahey also names the Catholic Archdiocese of St John's.

Neither has filed a response in court, and no criminal charges have been laid.

Since stepping down from his post in Nova Scotia, Lahey has remained in Ottawa, where he will stand trial on the pornography charges.

Eds noteRead the Statement of Claim hereNone of the allegations against Lahey has been proven in court.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Post #5

Bishop resigns unexpectedly from southern Ontario diocese, says he lacks stamina

By The Canadian Press
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. - The Roman Catholic bishop of a southern Ontario diocese has unexpectedly resigned his post.

Bishop James Wingle says in a letter to the Diocese of St. Catharines that the Pope has accepted his resignation, effective Wednesday.

Wingle, 63, writes that he can no longer "maintain the necessary stamina to fulfil properly my duties."

No further explanation is given for his resignation.

In his letter, posted on the diocese's website, Wingle also writes, "if my shortcomings and limitations have caused any disappointment I ask for God's mercy and your understanding."

Wingle was installed as the diocese's bishop in January 2002.

Eds note: In his letter, Wingle said,  "As I take a sabbatical centered on prayer and personal renewal, I count on your prayer, not only for myself but also for the continued growth and development of the Diocese of St. Catharines that I love so much."  'Personal renewal' is coincidentially the same phrase used by Bishop Raymond Lahey when he resigned from the Diocese of Antigonish.

Post #4

Excerpt from "Devil of a Scandal" by New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd:

"As this unholy week of shameful revelations unfurls, the Vatican is rather overplaying its hand. At the moment, the only thing between Catholics and God is a defensive church hierarchy that cannot fully acknowledge and heal the damage it has done around the globe.

How can the faithful enjoy Easter redemption when a Good Friday service at the Vatican was more concerned with shielding the pope than repenting the church’s misdeeds? The Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher of the papal household, told those at St. Peter’s Basilica, including the pope, that he was thinking about the Jews in this season of Passover and Easter because “they know from experience what it means to be victims of collective violence and also because of this they are quick to recognize the recurring symptoms.”

Amazingly enough, it turns out that the Franciscan priest was not referring to the collective violence and recurring symptoms of the global plague of Catholic priests who harmed children, enabled by the malignant neglect of the Vatican.

He was talking about the collective violence and recurring symptoms of those critics — including victims, Catholics worldwide and commentators — who want the church to face up to its sins.

Father Cantalamessa went on to quote from the letter of an unnamed Jewish friend: “I am following with indignation the violent and concentric attacks against the church, the pope and all the faithful by the whole world. The use of stereotypes, the passing from personal responsibility and guilt to a collective guilt, remind me of the more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism.”

As they say in Latin, “Ne eas ibi.” Don’t go there.

Mindful of the church’s long history of anti-Semitism, Leon Wieseltier, the New Republic literary editor and Jewish scholar, noted: “Why would the Catholic Church wish to defend itself by referring to other enormities in which it was also implicated? Anyway, the Jews endured more than a bad press.” This solidarity with Jews is also notable given that Italy’s La Repubblica reported that “certain Catholic circles” suspected that “a New York Jewish lobby” was responsible for the outcry against the pope.

It’s insulting to liken the tragic death of six million Jews with the appropriate outrage of Catholics at the decades-long cover-up of crimes against children by the very men who were supposed to be their moral guides. Even the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, tried to walk the cat back: “I don’t think it’s an appropriate comparison.”

Father Cantalamessa was expressing the sense of self-victimization permeating the Vatican at a time when more real victims are pouring forth. News reports said that the abuse hot line set up by the Catholic Church in Germany imploded the first day out when more than 4,000 callers charging abuse flooded the lines.

There is the pope’s inability to say anything long, adequate and sincere about the scandal and what role he has played, including acceding to the petition of the Wisconsin priest who abused 200 deaf kids that he should not be defrocked in his infirmity, to spare his priestly “dignity.” And there is his veiled dismissal of criticism as “petty gossip.” All this keeps him the subject of the conversation.

It is in crises that leaders are tested, that we get to see if they succumb to their worst instincts or summon their better angels. All Benedict has to do is the right thing."

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/04/opinion/04dowd.html

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Post #3

Excerpt from: "Sam Miller, Whaps Anti-Catholic Bias in News Media"

"Obviously, this is not just a Catholic problem. And solutions must be broader and deeper than those carried out by Catholic cardinals. The whole church has a responsibility to offer decisive leadership in the area of sexual misconduct whether it is child abuse, sexual exploitation, or sexual harassment.

Recently, churches have shown unprecedented unity on issues of poverty and welfare reform. Now it is necessary to call for a broad based ecumenical council addressing the issue of sexual misconduct in the church not only the Catholic Church, all churches, including synagogues. Its goal would be transparency and openness in developing stringent, forward-looking guidelines, consistent with denominational distinctions, for preventing and addressing sexual misconduct within Christian churches and church-related institutions.

Such a council could include not only denominational representatives but also a majority
presence from external organizations such as child protection agencies, law enforcement, psychiatric services, victims’ agencies, and legal and legislative representatives.

“Crisis” in Chinese is one word. “Crisis” in Chinese means, on the one side, a real crisis problems etc., but the other side means great opportunity.

We have a great opportunity facing us. Crisis is often accompanied by an opportunity for extraordinary growth and leadership. We have that today. Even though you are the lowest, by far the lowest of any organized religion today when it comes to sexual harassment, American churches have a unique opening to develop and adopt a single set of policies, principles, practices, and common language on sexual misconduct in Christian institutions that is binding across denominations.

A system of cross denomination review boards could be established to help compliance and accountability. A centralized resource bank could be formed that provides church wide updates on new legal, financial, psychological and spiritual developments in the field.

Guidelines, both moral and legal, could be established on how clergy, churches, and victims should best use civil and criminal actions in pursuit of justice and financial restitution for injury. A national database could be established with information on all applicants for ordination in any member Christian religion. Every diocese, conference, presbytery, and district could have a designated child protection representative whose job is to ensure that the policies and procedures are understood and implemented and that training is provided.

Any religious institution, or system, that leaves power unexamined or smothers sexuality with silence rather than promoting open conversation that can lead to moral and spiritual maturity becomes implicated in creating an unhealthy and potentially abusive environment. An ecumenical Christian council authentically dedicated to strong moral leadership in the area of clergy sexual misconduct might move the church beyond the extremes of policing our own or abandoning our own.

For Christians, the true scandal is not about priests. It’s about a manipulation of power to abuse the weak. When Jesus said, “Whoever receives the child, receives me”, he was rebuking his followers for putting stumbling blocks in front of the defenseless. Church is supposed to be a place where one can lay one’s defenses down; where one is welcomed, embraced, and blessed. This can only be authentically expressed in a culture that requires absolute respect for each individual’s freedom and self hood. Until all churches bow humbly under the requirement, the indictments by wounded women and children will stand."

Source: http://fratres.wordpress.com/2008/06/24/redemption-comes-through-the-jews-jewish-businessman-sam-miller-whaps-anti-catholic-bias-in-news-media-full-text/

Monday, April 5, 2010

Post #2

Excerpted from today's Washington Post ....

"The church is not a democracy. Bishops (and popes) are not answerable to polls; they're supposed to be dismissive of popular trends in search of a higher truth.

But the church's indifference to public opinion is not designed to protect those who condone blatant violations of gospel principles. Yet that is exactly what has arisen in our time. An episcopal culture that placed defense of the structure over the defense of children is broken, pure and simple. The pope may not be guilty of any wrongdoing, but the culture is.

So if the pope isn't going to resign, can the hierarchy survive?

The first part of the answer will depend on justice: Catholics and non-Catholics alike must hear a full confession -- evidence of contrition so pure that it cannot be mistaken. We must see bishops leave their teaching positions because their moral authority is lost. We must believe that civil justice will be served when crimes are committed.

But that isn't enough.

And it's not enough to say that 95 percent of priests and nuns are heroic and dedicated servants of the faith, baptizing our children, caring for the sick and the poor, ministering to our families and burying our dead. They are of course all of that.

It's not enough to say that the church has created an enormous diversity of religious practice and expression, giving birth to contemplative, monastic, scholarly and popular forms of faith that have brought the gospel to life for billions -- even though it has.

It's not even enough to argue that the church traces its roots to Jesus himself -- that it is His church. It does indeed trace its roots to gospel times. But not even that is enough to justify confidence in the bishops.

The capital of trust between the people of the church and their leaders is dangerously close to empty. The bishops cannot take the people for granted any longer. We were raised to love the gospel, to seek the truth, to serve justice, to grow in the bosom of the sacraments. But we will not do it under their leadership unless they change.

What's needed is a conversion of the bishops and the pope himself. That's right: It's time for the pope and the bishops to convert their culture to one that is centered on loving God from the depths of their souls and to leading a church that is as much mother as father, as much pastoral as theological, as much spiritual as doctrinal. It is time for them to listen to the deep and authentic witness of the people of faith, to trust the spirit that blows where it will, to abandon their defensiveness of their positions and trust only the gospel, and not their edifice of control. Conversion is a total experience -- letting go of the old and putting on the new.
 
The conversion we seek for them is the same conversion they invite for us: Put on a contrite heart and fall in love with God, recklessly, totally and passionately. Let the love of God be the only measure of their actions."
--------------------------
See the complete Washington Post article: Can the pope restore the purity of Catholicism? @ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/04/AR2010040402726.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Post #1

Watching the controversy that is gripping the Catholic Church, one can’t help but look at this picture and see at least a huge part of the problem. This is a procession in Toronto with Archbishop Tom Collins at the rear, preceded by his auxiliary Bishops in their pointy white hats with their gold pectoral crosses. The further removed I become from active Catholicism and transit more into a personal, Christ-centered spirituality, this becomes more silly looking all the time. It’s almost as if Mr. Dressup has escaped from the Tickle Trunk.

To me, this is part of the malaise affecting the church. The costume, whether it be the heavily embroidered chasuble worn by the Bishop or the pointy hat or the gold pectoral cross, attitudinally elevates the man wearing it above the faithful. For too many priests, bishops or pope, this puts them in a position where they are the knowledgeable, faith-directed leader while the rest of us are followers. It brings with it a class system that I’m not sure Jesus envisaged for his followers.

It is this attitude that has led the Catholic Church to the place in which it finds itself, the subject of criticism and ridicule from all sides, including even the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury who was recently quoted as saying that the Catholic Church had lost its credibility in Ireland because of the sex abuse scandals, “"And an institution so deeply bound into the life of a society suddenly losing all credibility – that's not just a problem for the church, it is a problem for everybody in Ireland." Critics were quick to jump all over the Archbishop of Canterbury for what he said but I’m sure most of them knew that while he wasn’t politically correct, he was right.

In Rome, the Vatican has turned up the response to the criticism big time to try to deflect media focus and public attention away from the Pope. One aged Cardinal went so far as to call the talk “petty gossip”. I’m sure that resonated well with the children and others who were victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy.

More to come.