Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, and in a manner of speaking my clerical boss - or boss's boss - has written a letter to the people of the archdiocese in response to the sexual abuse scandals. It appeared in our church bulletin this week. I'm not just currying favor in saying that I think it's one of the strongest responses I've read so far. It's here:
https://www.archchicago.org/en/statement/-/article/2018/08/17/letter-from-cardinal-blase-j-cupich-to-the-people-of-the-archdiocese-of-chicago-in-response-to-the-pennsylvania-grand-jury-report
In addition, at two masses I attended this weekend, the celebrant (a different celebrant at each of the two masses) preached about the abuse crisis. There was no applause nor much of a visible reaction in both cases.
"We know this not only because of the admirable work of the many members of the news media who played an essential role in bringing this crisis into the light. Now, we have been made to face these scandals first and foremost by the courage of victim-survivors — the men and women who found the strength, even when doing so meant suffering again unimaginable pain, to come forward and seek justice from an institution that grievously failed them."
ReplyDeleteIn addition I would add the work of the legal system such as the Grand Jury Report.
The obvious conclusion is that is that it has been the work of civil society not church society that has brought about some change in church society.
Clericalism as Francis has said in his letter is at the root of this problem of accountability. I would add that clericalism involves not only attitudes (or clergy and laity) but also structures that maintain it. We need structural change in the church so that laity do not have to uses structures outside the church to bring needed change to the church.
Cupich and the bishops need to face the clericalism problem and put in place structures with real teeth that bishops and pastors cannot ignore, e.g. parish and diocesan councils elected by the people with real authority over budget, programs, etc.
Jack - the passage you highlighted was one of the most notable in Cupich's letter.
DeleteI'm not very enthusiastic about the prospect of parish elections. Sounds to me like a way to let the crazies run the parish, and also sounds like a good way to divide the parish. There are a lot of parishes around here that have a bilingual identity. The prospect of the Spanish-speaking candidate running against the English-speaking candidate isn't very appealing to me.
Jim - I am more like Francis, I am willing to let people make a noise, and I am willing to face conflict, not avoid it.
DeleteWe are in the mess we are today, losing most of our young people, precisely because we have made rocking the boat impossible.
Jack - I would say that people already are plenty noisy. Francis makes me nervous.
DeleteThe people who make me nervous are the ones who showed up at Lumen Fidei's counter-Conference on the family to "correct" the one the pope spoke at. LifeSiteNews said they included "Cardinal Raymond Burke (video address), Fr. Thomas Weinandy, Dr. Robert Royal, Dr. Gerard van den Aardweg, LifeSiteNews' John-Henry Westen, John Smeaton, Edward Pentin, Bishop Athanasius Schneider (video address), and others." And why am I not surprised?
DeleteHere is Cardinal Cupich's response to Vigano's claims that "...the appointments of Blase Cupich to Chicago and Joseph W. Tobin to Newark were orchestrated by McCarrick, Maradiaga and Wuerl, united by a wicked pact of abuses by the first, and at least of coverup of abuses by the other two,”
ReplyDelete"...In a statement on the website of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Cardinal Cupich wrote:
“I consider these remarks astonishing. The only substantial conversation I have ever had about my appointment to Chicago with the former nuncio was on September 11, 2014, when he called to inform me of the appointment. The former nuncio started the conversation by saying: “I call with news of great joy. The Holy Father has appointed you the archbishop of Chicago.” He then congratulated me upon hearing of my acceptance. That is the extent of any conversation I have ever had about this matter with the former nuncio.
“Moreover, the former nuncio personally participated in my installation ceremony in Chicago in November 2014 and personally presided at the imposition of the pallium the following summer, and on both occasions offered only supportive remarks and congratulations.
“As to the issue of my appointment to Chicago as well as the question of episcopal appointments in general, I do not know who recommended me for the Archdiocese of Chicago, but I do know that Pope Francis, like his predecessors, takes seriously the appointment of bishops as one of his major responsibilities.”
Cardinal Cupich concludes by saying "...the rest of Archbishop Viganò’s claims need “thorough vetting” before “any assessment of their credibility can be made”