If the American bishops do not know how to respond to a public scandal, the
laity must lead the way.
It’s all over. The scandal of priestly sexual misconduct is, as several observers have noted, the 9/11 of the Catholic Church in America. After this, things will never be the same.
The scandal has struck a mortal blow —not to the Church, but to a particular twisted understanding of Church governance. The failure of that understanding now lies exposed. It will be impossible for the American bishops to resume their old, accustomed administrative practices. The death throes of the episcopal ancien regime may be long and painful, but the result is inevitable. Some old attitudes are bound to die—as die they should.
The attitudes we have in mind were neatly encapsulated in a recent statement by a spokesman for the US bishops’ conference. In responding to complaints of sexual abuse, Msgr. Francis Maniscalco asked, “How do you balance the rights of all the baptized with the special rights a priest receives when he’s ordained?”
What “special rights” are conferred by Holy Orders? Priests have special gifts, special authority, and special duties, certainly. And the Code of Canon Law (273-289) spells out certain “Obligations and Rights of Clerics,” mentioning for example the right to just compensation, medical care, and vacation time. But the notion that priests have special rights, which might conflict with the rights of the faithful, is completely foreign to the Catholic faith.
Scandal and response
In the scandal that is now unfolding before our eyes, however, it is quite
clear that many bishops behaved as if clerics had special rights. Far too
often, Church leaders and chancery aides defended the interests of the clerical
fraternity rather than the Christian community; they were more zealous in
protecting their colleagues than in preaching the Good News.
In every time of crisis, the Holy Spirit raises up some new force to revive the Church. If American clerical leadership has been paralyzed, the ordinary faithful—exercising the “special rights” they received through Baptism—should take the lead.
What can we do?
First, we can recognize that we are engaged in a spiritual battle, not just a
public-relations campaign. The best answer to this crisis—as to any crisis
confronting the Church—is personal holiness. We have become painfully aware of
the vice that has spread through the clergy. The proper response is not to
camouflage that vice, nor merely to suppress it, but as St. Paul suggested, to
“overcome evil with good.” Since this scandal involves sexual misconduct, we
should answer with a concerted effort to develop and promote the virtue of
chastity.
Next—again learning from St. Paul—we should “admonish one another in all wisdom.” To ignore the public failings of our brothers is an offense against charity. Vice, error, and corruption must be exposed.
Five years have passed since CWR published a lengthy investigative report on the treatment facilities to which troubled priests are assigned; our reporters found that in many such centers, the psychological “cure” seemed worse that the disease. How much pain would the faithful have been spared if American bishops had responded to that alert by conducting their own investigations, and finding healthier approaches to the treatment of disturbed priests?
Eighteen months have passed since another important piece appeared in our pages: an essay on homosexuality in the priesthood. That topic has long been taboo, and although our essay caused a flutter of controversy, the hierarchy continued to ignore the problem. Now the issue can no longer be ignored, and we think our essay deserves a second reading—so we have reprinted it in this month’s issue (see page 44).
Operation PlainSpeak
In June, the US bishops will gather to discuss the scandal, and to consider
their response. We strongly believe that faithful Catholics should make their
voices heard before that meeting, asking their bishops to take bold and decisive
action. Toward that end, on page 40 of this issue we offer an Open Letter to
the US Bishops. We hope that many readers will copy this Open Letter, add their
signatures and those of their friends, and send the letter to their diocesan
bishops.
Finally, we should address the issue of reparations. Much has been said, in the secular media accounts, about the financial reparations that have been paid, or will be paid, to the victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests. Those legal settlements will cost American dioceses literally billions of dollars.
But those reparations are being paid out to human victims. What about the reparations due to the almighty God?
It is a solid old Catholic custom to make a pilgrimage to some Marian shrine during the month of May: Mary’s month. And in times of trial, faithful Catholics know the power of the Rosary. This May, we plan to make a pilgrimage, praying the Rosary in reparation for the sins of wayward priests. We invite our readers, and all loyal Catholics, to do the same.
—Philip F. Lawler