Benedict’s letter on sexual abuse, addressed to the Church in Ireland, has disappointed almost everyone.
Confession that is a requirement of repentance involves confessing the whole truth and a desire to make reparation.
Benedict makes some dubious assertions, half-truths at best. He claims that a misunderstanding of Vatican II led to a neglect of the penal aspects of the code of canon law. This may have happened, but what explains the toleration of abuse before Vatican II? From the American cases I have read the usual response of a bishop before Vatican II was to pawn an abusive priest off on an unsuspecting bishop, who was then stuck with him
The sexual liberation of the 1960s seems to have led to an increase of abuse cases; but this may be an illusion of reporting. Victims in older cases may have died and the files of abusive priests were generally destroyed on the death of the abuser. And terrible abuse occurred before the 1960s, and later abuser were trained in pre-1960s seminaries.
Benedict acknowledges the failures of the bishops – but proposes no consequences for them. Cardinal Law remains a cardinal and serves on important dicasteries – all of these at the pleasure of the pope.
And Benedict totally ignores any Vatican responsibility in the toleration of abuse.
At the very least, it was clear that the bureaucratic requirements of sending as case to the Vatican were daunting to many bishops. The Vatican returned cases so that every i would be dotted and every t crossed. Bishops got the clear impression that the Vatican did not want to see these cases. Was the impression mistaken?
Cases were also surrounded by pontifical secrecy. That is, anyone who revealed any aspect of the trial would be excommunicated. The Vatican now claims this was not intended to prevent church authorities from reporting abuse to state agencies. But it certainly had that effect. Again, American (and other) bishops and chancery officials got the impression that the Vatican did not want them to make abuse cases public. Was this impression inadvertent and mistaken? I do not think so. The Vatican’s desire to maintain a bella figura is well know, and I have not seen one scrap of evidence that bishops were ever asked if they had fulfilled their legal duty (in some states) to report abuse. In fact, Msgr. Scicluna’s recent remarks make it clear that the Vatican does not want bishops to report abusive priests to state authorities unless the bishops are legally required to do so.
The Code of Canon Law also has no consideration for victims. This was a lack, and I have seen no attempts to correct it.
In the most generous interpretation, the Vatican inadvertently contributed to the toleration of sexual abuse. Benedict should have acknowledged at least that, but he did not do so. Either he is maintaining a willful blindness about the Vatican’s own responsibility in tolerating abuse, or he fears that acknowledging responsibility would open up the Vatican to lawsuits.
There has been no full confession; therefore there is no true repentance.
Leon, your post reflects several troubling tendencies within the Church:
1. Bureaucratic isolation and self-protection (which I’ve touched on before)
2. The devaluing of victims in favor of ecclesiastic perogatives. The fact that the Code of Canon Law makes no consideration for vicitims is disgusting, let alone astounding. What would St. Peter say, let alone Christ? That devaluing is reflected, I believe, in the Church’s current theological revisionism concerning capital punishment.
3. A preoccupation with the “things of this world” (bella figura, as you put it, as well as money and prestige). This is what happens when *any* church accrues too much power to itself.
To those of you who cite Petrine succession and “the gates of Hell shall not prevail,” read Christ’s messages to the churches at Sardis and Laodicea in the Book of Revelation. Those churches were established by Christ, yet He criticized them for very similar problems — and in rather confrontational language. When will you awaken from your misconceptions?
Leon, keep up the good work. Nobody else in the Catholic blogosphere is doing it. Your reward will be great in Heaven.
Joseph, are you a sedevacantist?
Yeah. It seems that the pope hasn’t quite understood the concept of confession.
Joseph is right, no one else provides this sort of forum. Thanks Dr. Podles.
I find the lack of provision for victims’ welfare in the code incredible. As well, I’m really starting to think something I wrote half in jest awhile back is indeed true: being a bishop means never having to say you’re sorry. Or at least, no more than saying you’re sorry. Oh for the days corrupt clerics were deposed. I suppose we’re too “civilized” for that sort of thing now.
What we need is action!!
Kick out those bishops and cardinals like Brady, Law, Mahony out of their jobs.
I was angry when i read that “Cardinal Seán Brady ask an eight-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy to swear on oath that they would not divulge that Fr Brendan Smyth had sexually abused them.”
Marilyn, I’m not a sedevacantist. I think that SSPX is the Catholic version of the Flat Earth Society. But too many Catholics abuse the doctrines of Petrine succession and the idea that “the gates of Hell shall not prevail” upon the ecclesiastical institution to ignore what is patentely obvious: moral and ethical irresponsibility, if not outright bankruptcy, on the part of the Vatican and the hierarchy as a whole — and God’s reputation being dragged in the sewer as a result.
Dear Leon, When I came forward June 25 of 2002 and spoke of my sexual abuse at Calvert Hall, I had no idea of how long it would take to see justice prevail for victims of sexual abuse in Maryland. For the last seven years. another victim of sexual abuse at Calvert Hall, Bob Russell and I, have petitioned the state legislators to strengthen laws to protect children from this nightmare,and to have our day in court. If you have have enough dough to send the pope on vacation, why not help us with our next run at the Maryland legislature? After all , The Archdiocese of Baltimore is our only opposition every year. Our pockets aren’t as deep as theirs. We both spent a ton of our own money on this project with no success, and we sure could use some help. If nothing changes, nothing changes. Thanks for all you do. Kurt