More than a hint of hypocrisy
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The recent interview of Bishop Leonard Blair by Terry Gross, host of NPR’s “Fresh Air,” provided an interesting and revealing contrast to that of Sr. Pat Farrell, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, who was interviewed the week before. A certain inevitability hangs over this bishops vs. nuns clash, occurring as it is at the end of a long, historic arc that, since the mid-’60s reform council called Vatican II, has placed these two groups on course to a collision.
Listening to the two interviews was like listening to the ecclesial version of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus. Their language, what they view as important, what their lives are spent doing are so incredibly different that one has to wonder if any conversation, never mind dialogue, could be possible without an interpreter.
Many of the differences in this contretemps lie in the realm of the subjective — regarding the role of religious life and the role of magisterium post-Vatican II, the meaning of obedience, and so on. But one segment of the interview, a portion that can be assessed against a long and established record, is worth revisiting. It is the part where the host asks the bishop about the sex abuse scandal and why, in light of the nuns’ investigation, bishops should not be investigated as well.
Gross, reading from a column by Kathy Galleher that appeared in NCR, said, “The church has not yet been willing or able to examine its own role as an institution in concealing and enabling decades of abuse. The bishops have not taken collective responsibility for their actions and inactions, and for the enormous pain they’ve caused. As much as the abuse itself, it is this failure by the hierarchy to acknowledge and accept their responsibility that has angered and disillusioned so many current and now-former Catholics.” [more]
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25 Comments
Frackles, thak you for sharing your comments and your journey with us.
Tony — so, I’m turning over a new leaf now in telling you that it’s nice to have you along on the journey as well — even though you and I disagree often on theological issues, nevertheless I do believe you to be a sensitive, kind, well-intentioned man, welcoming man — as illustrated by your post to Freckles. I just wanted you to know that — maybe it’s because it is such a beautiful day here, a foretaste of Heaven, that is prompting my comment. Maybe it also is that I went to Reconciliation yesterday evening — no, I didn’t confess anything about my posting on this blog! — and, even though Reconciliation is such a hard sacrament, nevertheless I consistently experience it as a true sacrament of healing, just as the Church classifies it. Wishing you a good day as well.
On further reflection, one other possibility for my positive response to your post: perhaps 15 minutes prior, I had drank a glass of cucumber and carrot juice, mixed in a Jack LaLane power juicer — I’m just getting into juicing, but I definitely want to learn more, as I believe the health benefits are very impresseive. Now, I’m bcoming more convinced of juicing’s benefits to one’s mental health as well.
Concerned and others speak for many of us!
…as I have watched and read the comments of “Jim,” I find it amazing and truly sad and dismayed that he finds such seemingly “Absolute JOY” in his continued condemnation of those who have opened themselves to all our Faith calls us to be. We,(myself included)were born Catholic, learned the “rules” from the Baltimore Catechism, and were indoctrinated with the notion that Father,(and ONLY Father) would tell us what the path to Heaven was!! I loved the “Pomp and Circumstance” of that time, BUT truly became aware of the Wonders of OUR Church,(That’s US!)and our Faith when Vatican II happened and continues to happen. The Gift and Power of the Holy Spirit and the Graces of John XXIII called each of us to know who we ALL are as Church and to see, love and follow our Lord! For me, and I believe the majority of those who continue to call ourselves Catholic, this Journey of Love and Life challenges us to listen, learn and love our Lord and continue to follow Him in our love and compassion for all. As an individual, I bring Myself to the Family of Faith – with hope, a desire to know our Lord, and questions and even answers as my Journey of Life continues. My mentors are those who have come before me (Everyday Saints – Past and Present) who truly Live the words of Jesus – “Come Follow Me!” My dismay are those who have diminished Jesus by their words and actions. You might fill in the “Blanks” of those persons, and then pray for their own reconciliation with our Lord.
I will always yearn for the Eucharist and Jesus’ gifts to us in our lives and I pray He is alive through our love. Each day is a Gift and our Creator asks only for our “Amen – I Believe” to become fully human and fully alive. Someday may you find the same Jesus and Saints in your Life. Peace this day and Blessings!
Freckles — let me clarify for you what I have said — more often than not, my words are twisted by other posters on this blog. The rejoicing I do when a heretic is corrected is not related to being happy about the misfortune and sinfulness of the heretic — not at all. One of my constant prayers is for the dying, that they may have eternal life. I prayed for Ghaddafi, Saddam Hussein & Osama bin Laden before they died, even though I hated what they were doing — but again, I wish hell on NO ONE, including other posters on this blog who are disobedient to the Church. What I DO rejoice in is the leadership of the Church — that they are assuming their responsibility as the leader and correcting those who are in error, as this helps others to discern the truth. It is what the Church has always done since its founding, and will continue to do forever, until the return of Jesus. The disobedience by many posters here is identical to what Eve did in the Garden. Even if we don’t know her precise sin, we do know that, at least, she was disobedient to God. God speaks to us inerrantly through the Magisterium — so, disagreeing with the Magisterium, as many posters here do, is disagreeing with God. The world has enough troubles, without those troubles being exacerbated by the disobedience of those who call themselves Catholic.
And Freckles, with regard to you getting new life from Vatican II, opening yourself up to other possibilities — well, I went much further than you. I opened myself up to so many possiblities that I was away from the Church — completely — for over two decades. I almost never went to church, not even on Christmas or Easter, as I simply didn’t believe what the Church taught. So, believe me, I am not a rigid person stuck-in-the-mud and fearfully clinging to the Magisterium. I cling to the Church and her teachings because I now recognize it as the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46)
And, Freckles, many posters here are not obedient to this pearl of great price; and, they criticize me for what they label “blind obedience.” The following is copied-and-pasted from http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/saint.aspx?id=1093, about St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits: “His spirituality is expressed in the Jesuit motto, ad majorem Dei gloriam — ‘for the greater glory of God.’ In his concept, obedience was to be the prominent virtue, to assure the effectiveness and mobility of his men. All activity was to be guided by a true love of the Church and unconditional obedience to the Holy Father, for which reason all professed members took a fourth vow to go wherever the pope should send them for the salvation of souls.” Please note, everyone who reads this: St. Ignatius insisted on “unconditional obedience to the Holy Father.” Are you, dear reader, unconditionally obedient to the Holy Father and his Masisterial teachings, including about the ordination of women, contraception, and homosexuality?
Freckles — in re-reading your post, if you meant that you think I find joy in condemning those, to use your words, “who have opened themselves to all our Faith calls us to be” — not true at all, although I must admit I do find some entertainment in correcting those whose thinking is illogical and based on misinformation — which is, in my experience, the majority of posters on this blog. For me, it’s somewhat similar to playing, for example, a game of chess against an arrogant, pompous person (I won’t name names here — I’m trying to be kinder — but one specific poster immediately comes to mind) who tells me how stupid I am, how I can’t play chess at all, how I learned to play chess from a misinformed rulebook, and then they insult me with some slur; e.g., I have been called a “closeted homosexual”, a “psycho”, and a misogynyst to date on this blog. So, here I am facing an arrogant, pompous opponent who is telling me they are going to blow me away with their arguments, and they have nothing in their favor: again, they typically are illogical, confused, and misinformed. So, it’s like the Iraqis taunting the American military, telling us how there will be death to America. So, when the troops get sent in and do what needs to be done, the troops get an extra measure of satisfaction in defeating these arrogant, pompous opponents — and I experience some of that extra measure of satisfaction. So, that is not JOY in my condemnation of others; it is satisfaction in silencing an arrogant, pompous heretic. Look, I’m a man, and men were made to be warriors (regardless of what our lying culture has told us about men over the last 60 or 70 years) — and I am battling opponents of the true Church on this site. Yes, I do enjoy winning, but who doesn’t?
Do you not get tired of beating the old horse? Seems to me that everytime the leaders of the Church say or do something that you all disagree on you bring up the past scandals. Is there not forgiveness left in the Catholic Church? What has happended to Love your neighbour, and forgive as your Heavenly Father has forgiven you? Or does that not apply to our priests and Bishops? Do you think that anyone is beyond the forgiveness of our Lord? I understand that all one needs to do is repent and ask for forgiveness, am I wrong?
Of course you’re right, Catholic Lady — I feel the same frustration with many of these posters here — many seem stuck in their obstinant views — and we are all diminished as a result. Just so you know — I sincerely appreciate you.
Thank you, Jim; I truly love Our Lord, and the Catholic Church and pray for Unity within our Church.
Bishop Blair & Co. are not interested in dialogue. They’re about to attempt a Gleichschaltung, a “bringing-into-line” with the regime now in power. The bishops may win a battle, but have already lost the war.
When the captain disgraces himself the deckhands mutiny – and rightly so. The Bishops who participated in this have disgraced themselves and the CHurch.
How’d you sleep last night, Concerned? Did it help that you were sent to bed early?
makes as much sense as most of what you say.
Quit deflecting, Concerned: are you feeling more rested today?
Very interesting article. NCR should be commended for writing such a balanced piece – and our Bishops should be ashamed for thier in-action with respect to the abuse of children over the last 25 years, with little if any action taken by them voluntarily. But by golly, keep the focus on the terrible nuns – who have repeated worked to lessen the pain of the poor, the people of God that need support. Todays Church does not make me feel very proud to admit I am Catholic.
(1) The National Catholic Reporter is not balanced, almondwoodturner. (2) And, with regard to being Catholic: if you don’t believe what the Church teaches, I have good news for you: you’re NOT Catholic. (3) Here’s the response to the bishops being investigated: they have been investigated for at least the last ten years, when they appointed in 2002 a commission of lay people to study the issue and give them guidance and input. (4) The fact that the Vatican and the nuns are from Venus and Mars makes the exact point that God did not appoint women to be leaders — women do not think like leaders, with their heads and not their hearts. When the deckhands (the sisters) are mutinous, the captain of the ship (the legitimate Vatican hierarchy) has problems on board — but they will not be solved by letting the deckhands take the wheel, as they are completely unprepared to steer the ship properly.
judging who is Catholic again or I mean STILL I see. Jim the presecutor, judge and jury.
Concerned — are you judging me to be judgmental, and then condemning me for my presumed error?
Concerned — your 1:09 P.M. post is, again, smoking-gun evidence that you judge at least me, and if me, then very likely you judge others as well. You can’t say, “judging you for being judgmental doesn’t count as being judgmental;” or, you can’t say, “but you ARE judgmental.” As I established earlier, whether or not I am in fact judgmental is irrelevant to establishing that you are judging me. So, since you always are insisting that I stop being judgmental: why don’t you first take your own advice and stop judging me?
still can’t admit that you are among the Pharisees and not the Disciples. You think you have cardiognosis. Remove the plank from your eye before you remove the splinter from another persons eye.
That’s a new one on me, Concerned — “cardiognosis?” In other words, I am unaware of my cardio, my heart? Please interpret.
the Bishops have been investigated and been found lacking. They have still refused to take ownership of their actions. How is allowing vulnerable children to be the prey of predatory child molestors a demonstration of good leadership? Maybe if they had used their hearts they would have taken action to protect the weak and vulnerable. When the Bishops stop hiding behind the smokescreens they have created maybe healing in this matter can finally begin.
I think people should still be proud to be Catholic. One should be even prouder to be a discerning Catholic – one who has the ability to think critically about situations. Our faith is about God – not the Bishops (much to their displeasure). I refuse to allow the action or inaction of those Bishops who disgraced themselves and the CHurch, and now hide behind the smokescreen they have created so that they do not have to own up to their failed actions and how they have failed the People of God.