I've written extensively about this crisis, in an explanation of how it affected my life, in comments on the most recent developments, and other articles.
I've been taken to task (sometimes with great anger and/or distress) by some Catholics who believe I was (and still am) a traitor to my faith and to the Catholic Church for not "staying the course" and working to solve the problem from within. My answer has always been to point them to the two questions I had to ask myself at the time. Since I could not answer either of them in the affirmative, it was obvious that I could not remain a priest, while still being faithful to either my conscience or the teaching of Christ. This has not convinced many of my critics, who have their own views on the matter.
The experience of another blogger, who's just encountered - yet again - the resistance (and dishonesty) of the "establishment" in the Church in dealing with this crisis, has convinced me yet again that I had no choice but to act as I did.
As predicted when the Holy Father said he said he 'would not say one word' about Archbishop Vigano's testimony, he has been using the passive-aggressive spiritual manipulation protocol of using his homilies to caricature sexual predators and their episcopal enablers as Jesus Victim who remains 'silent' and depicting lay Catholics seeking the protection of the flock as demons.
Unimaginable diabolical infestation and activity.
Yesterday, the USCCB announced the 2018 sexual abuse dog and pony show. I haven't delved into the details, but it appears Pope Francis has nixed the request to assign an Apostolic Visitor, as well as the lay-led review board that reports to the Nuncio, and he's asked the bishops not to have their annual meeting in November that would tackle internal sexual debauchery and coverups and to instead, asked them to 'retreat' behind closed doors.
When it comes to internal corruption in the Church, I do not consider myself a naive person. I knew things were bad. But, yesterday, I started to come to terms with the latest reality check: It is way, way, worse than any of us could imagine.
All their bs about being committed to honest dialogue and legitimate actions on sexual and spiritual predators, the above is what actually happens when you make a sincere attempt to trust their commitment for real reform. After decades of similar experiences, most people wouldn't even bother to offer them the opportunity to demonstrate their sincerity and honesty. Who keeps going into a room where the occupants kick you in the head and when you ask them to stop, accuse you of victimizing them?
As a person with the courage to go where angels dare not tread, and keep giving them another chance, here's my assessment:
There are priests and bishops who realize what needs to be said and done to build trust, but as soon as they attempt it, they are silenced and oppressed by the infiltrated power structures that protect spiritual and sexual priest predators. And it appears this power is more lethal than it has ever been in the history of the Catholic Church.
There's much more at the link. Please go read the whole thing for yourselves.
I honestly no longer know what to say to my remaining Catholic friends. If they choose to stay active in the Church, I pray that God will bless their faith, and help them to be a blessing by their presence, which may (I hope and pray) minimize the catastrophic damage that Catholic prelates and authorities are currently doing to the Church.
On the other hand . . . those who choose to walk away . . . how can I possibly try to convince them not to do so, when, as the author above points out, they're fed up and worn out with being kicked in the head by those who are supposed to be their pastors and shepherds? Even worse, what about the faithful pastors and shepherds who are, every day, being kicked in the head by those who are supposed to be their leaders, mentors and father figures?
The Devil is loose in the sanctuary, and the Catholic powers that be are doing nothing whatsoever to drive him out. Indeed, some of them appear determined to welcome him with open arms, and cast out all who object to his presence.
May Almighty God have mercy on us all.
Peter
11 comments:
Peter, the answer is one that I have struggled with for years, finally to decide that I was catholic, and the 'church' has pulled away from what they used to be. My mom doesn't like it when I tell her I'm more catholic than the pope, because, sadly, I am right.
You didn't leave the church. The church left itself, and you, and millions like you and me. I know many Roman Catholics who have fled to the Orthodox Catholic churches. Sadly.
The Roman Catholic Church, Mother Church, the great uniter and leader of the dark, middle and later renaissance periods, is sick, dying or already dead. Only if the blood of the Church fights the spread of evil within it, and reforms, will She be a shadow of what she used to be.
She has shrugged off previous scandals and secular attacks. I am not sure if She can survive this last attack.
You, you ARE Catholic. You are in your heart and soul.
She is but a shell of who she was.
We'll see if She survives much longer.
Never doubt yourself. You are doing what needs to be done. Mother Church needs outsiders who used to be insiders to point at all the warts and pustules.
I believe in "extra Ecclesiam nulla salus", outside the Church there is no salvation. Problem is, there are too many people in RCC positions of power and responsibility that are in the Church only "de iure", but not "de facto".
Something like that old episode of "Yes, Prime Minister" where Sir Humphrey warned the PM about making a God-believing pastor a bishop, telling the PM that believing could be actually a hindrance. I did not think I would live to see that actually happening in my Church in a so blatant manner as nowadays.
There is also an interesting concept, the "odium plebis", hate of the people. It means that in a parish, for instance, if the priest manage to anger enough parishioners, then the bishop should move him to another place. We could be living some case of odium plebis against some management tiers of the RCC.
Please forgive my Latin.
Also, this would not be the first time the Catholic Hierarchy has tried to betray the worshippers. It happened in Spain in 1808, when most of the Spanish bishops accepted the French rule, and it happened in Mexico during the Cristero War, when the Mexican Episcopate refused to officially support the rebellion.
The current format of Papal Conclaves is also the product of action by the people. Twice, in 1216, and in 1241, the faithful, tired of long interregni, locked under key the College of Cardinals until the election of a new Pope.
In extremely serious situations, a lonely priest could do little, but a qualified majority of the faithful people could change things.
The current RCC needs to be declared a organized crime network and shut down. Other wise it's just a bunch of vampires taking advantage of the innocent.
I wonder if the situation us any better in the Orthodox churches?
OK, as apparently the only Orthodox on here, I guess it is up to me to reply.
Yes we have our scandals too, although they are not institutional. They cannot extend beyond a particular patriarchate, and rarely do they extend beyond a single priest or bishop. This is mostly due to a different ecclesiology (how the church is governed). But also because most of our bishops come from either being widowed or true monastics, and most of our priests are married. Most but not all men attending seminary have already decided on a married or celibate life. And laity have much more say in how things are run.
In our Archdiocese for example, when it is time to elect a bishop the laity (through their parish councils) and the parish priests have votes, the candidates are selected from a list of eligible men. The top three vote-getters are then submitted to the patriarchal synod who will chose one of them.
However, if you want a better idea of how we are currently dealing with it I will point you to a necessary website, even though it shames me.
http://pokrov.org
It would be rather silly to fantasize that Orthodox bishops and patriarchs are too much better than the average human being. Between the stories about everything from bad pastoral work and abuse toward priests and their families to the lack of chastity, to involvement in financial and political intrigues—and these are just the issues on the surface, out in the open, without digging too deep—all appears to point to the idea that our own hierarchy is mostly made up of averagely-flawed humans. -- Fr Sergei Sveshnikov
With all of that, I will leave you with some better word, quoted above.
His article is about the current political back and forths, but he touches on the current crisis in the Catholic church.
https://frsergei.wordpress.com/2018/09/18/metoo/
Chris Nelson - "The current RCC needs to be declared a organized crime network and shut down."
And who, exactly, would do that, Chris? The US Government?
I would remind you that the Catholic church is a *worldwide* church with over a *billion* members - the largest on the planet. Try it, and I believe you will have opened a door that you would be hard pressed to get closed again.
The church has weathered worse storms than this one in its 2000 year history. It will certainly weather this one as well. Matthew 16:18.
I'll disclose that I left the Church at the age of 14. Not as a victim of pederasty, but in deciding that personal faith was more important than a Church beset with problems it did not wish to correct. Pederasty has been a part of the culture and climate of the Church for far longer than my six plus decades, fifty of those as a "recovering" Catholic.
The situation is worsened by the fact that by allowing pedophiles (mostly pederasts) to remain in the parishes and the seminaries, this vile "infection" has been allowed not to simply spread, but to become normalized within the priesthood. Furthermore, as Western civilization is in the throes of being stripped of the Judeo-Christian moral code by the fools, fellow travelers, and "elite" who are working so hard to remake our culture into a hedonistic, amoral (and immoral) den of filth.
When the very pontiff is a degenerate himself who enjoys washing and kissing muslim feet (a fetish, perhaps?) rather than work to protect and support Christians being burned alive and killed by the tens of thousands, when the Curia tells the faithful, "move along, there is nothing to be seen here", following their lead is not a choice a moral person of faith can make.
None who remove themselves are leaving the Church. That Church no longer exists. If a physical church has been taken over by deviants playing at being "Satanists", with orgies, animal sacrifice, and other abominations taking place on its altar, those who attended it when sanctified and holy would be crazy to stay and try to continue to worship there.
The fact that the very men who are charged with protecting and supporting the faithful find it more desirable to support and protect priests, bishops, and cardinals who have stooped to one of the vilest sins possible - victimizing and traumatizing children, OFTEN NOT MERELY ONCE, BUT OVER THE COURSE OF YEARS - makes it the duty of those of faith and good moral character to remove themselves.
Those who claim the faithful should stay and "fight" are being ridiculous. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church are no more subject to moral laws than Hillary Clinton and Obama are subject to the laws of man. None of them will suffer any significant consequences no matter how large a mob of faithful fill St. Peter's Square.
It will be the duty of parents to aid and teach their children, family to aid and teach family, friend to teach and support friend. Perhaps groups of faithful can join together to return to the teachings of Christ, to continue to keep the Judeo-Christian moral code alive and followed as far around the world as possible, against the worst efforts of the Left, the elite, the globalists.
Roy- And who, exactly, would do that, Chris? The US Government?
Yes. Local, state and federal govenment need to enforce the laws and protect the citizen. Organizations, religous or not, that have such a large scale documented cover up of these perverse actions should be charged under RICO and have their assets stripped with their non-profit status. And such evil priests should be in prison, in general population.
Coming from a quite thoroughly Protestant country, I notice that some of our old folks consider most of this old news... which may have been the result of anti-Catholic propaganda (state-sponsored for some centuries even!) but anyway.
I have lots of relatives who even consider the mainstream local Lutheran church to be too institutionalized and thus too close to potentially allowing something similar to happen... they're mostly in the Evangelical Free Church.
UPDATE: http://wmbriggs.com/post/25487/
Cardinal Cupich has sicced a notorious Catholic "mental health" facility on Father Kalchik, because his parishoners found and burned a gay flag, and he said that the bible is clear on homosexuality being a sin.
Any priest who deviates from the "gay love is love and god loves everybody, so bend over" mantra will be chucked into the asylum and tortured until they are "cured".
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