It’s time we took the problem of clericalism seriously. My Good Steward article for December expands on thoughts I posted here several weeks ago. 

The Good Steward

December 2018

It’s time to address the problem of clericalism

Clericalism arises from an elitist and exclusivist vision of vocation that interprets the ministry received as a power to be exercised rather as a free and generous service to be given (Pope Francis).

The revelations of the past summer concerning the ways that many bishops failed to deal with the problem of clergy sexual abuse of children—and the accusations of abusive behavior against high ranking church officials themselves—have once again raised the problem of “clericalism.” It’s time to take this problem seriously.

Pope Francis tells us that clericalism is the mistaken view that the clergy have some form of exalted status in the Church that grants them special power or privileges. In reality, the pope says, bishops, priests and deacons are ordained for a special form of service, not an elitist sense of privilege.

Clergy fall into the trap of clericalism when they start to think of themselves as “set apart” from the rest of the Christian community in ways that have nothing to do with ordained ministry. Lay people display clericalist attitudes when they place bishops, priests and deacons on pedestals—expecting more of them than they can realistically be expected to give.  

We expect our bishops, priests and deacons to be “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and higher than the heavens” like Jesus (Hebrews 7: 23-28). And they are not. They are sinners like us who have answered the call to follow Jesus in a particular way—as men subject to weakness who humbly represent the one and only “high priest” who has been made perfect forever. 

Only by the grace of God can they hope to live their vocation with integrity. Only by accepting and handing-over their weaknesses can they succeed in being Christ for others. 

We call it “clericalism” when bishops, priests and deacons exalt themselves as a privileged class. But it is also clericalism when we expect them to be super-human, “high priests” whom we place on pedestals only to be scandalized by their human sinfulness. 

Both forms of clericalism should be recognized as poisonous; both must be rooted out and destroyed if we wish to renew our Church.

Indianapolis Archbishop Emeritus Daniel M. Buechlein, O.S.B., now deceased, used to admonish people at ordinations and first Masses “not to be scandalized by the man in the priest.” He was reminding us that every priest (bishop or deacon) is a human being with faults and failings that are part of our sinful human condition. The grace of ordination assists the priest (bishop or deacon) on the path to holiness, but it does not guarantee anything like perfection. Like the rest of us, ordained clergy must lead a life of ongoing conversion. They must receive the sacraments with open hearts; they must meditate on God’s Word and pray without ceasing; and, perhaps most difficult of all, they must strive to practice what they preach so as to never appear to be “holier than thou.”

Archbishop Daniel also used to say that bishops, priests, deacons and all who exercise leadership in the Church must be held to the highest standards of morality and accountability. The moment we excuse the sins of the clergy as though they were somehow exempt from close scrutiny, we commit the grave sin of clericalism. At the same time, when we expect our bishops, priests, deacons and lay leaders in the Church to be perfect, we also commit a grave sin and we set ourselves up to be bitterly disappointed and angry.

Bitter experience has taught us that sexual abuse of children by adults is more than a moral failure. It is the result of deep-seated problems that can never be ignored (“swept under the carpet”) or successfully treated therapeutically. Had more bishops (and their counsellors and attorneys) recognized this reality, many innocent children might have been spared the horrors of clergy sexual abuse. 

Let’s hope that same bitter experience has also taught us to regard bishops, priests, deacons and others in authority in our Church as the wounded healers and servant leaders they are called to be. Let’s not put anyone on a pedestal or give anyone a free pass when it comes to moral transparency and accountability.

We are all sinners in need of forgiveness. May the God of justice and mercy give us all the serenity, courage and wisdom to accept our human weaknesses even as we work together to change and grow as faithful disciples of the one and only High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Daniel Conway

An open letter to the American Bishops:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. (Phil 4:4)

As you prepare for your annual meeting in Baltimore next week, please don’t forget the joy of the Gospel. It’s true that you have serious matters to discuss—including your own failures to protect children and steward responsibly the local Churches entrusted to your care. But as Pope Francis has forcefully reminded us, your primary responsibility as bishops is to proclaim the Gospel, the good news that brings us joy, not to scold people (including yourselves) for their sins and human weaknesses.

What the world needs now is authentic joy. We need to smile, to wonder at God’s creation, to laugh at ourselves, and to know that we are loved and appreciated and valued. You are called to give witness to this Gospel joy, not to wallow in sadness or self-doubt.

Rejoice in the Lord always, St. Paul tells. The Lord is near.

We have seen enough gloom and doom. We have cried too many bitter tears. We have lost hope too often. Show us the way to rejoicing—not in any superficial sense, but in truth and love. Show us how to encounter joy in the person of Jesus Christ.

Yes, with the help of God’s grace, you must address the current crisis caused by your weakness and sin as leaders and teachers and pastors. Yes, you must be held accountable. Yes, you must transform the customs and structures that have too often allowed clericalism and cronyism to be the modus operandi of Church governance. But please don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you can “fix” the Church’s problems by new laws (policies, charters or programs). Healing is needed—and so is hope—but these can only come with a renewed sense of gratitude and a profound experience of Gospel joy.

During the coming weeks, especially, you will be in my prayers and those of all faithful Catholics. We wish you Godspeed. We hope you can find in your ministries the peace of Christ and the joy of the Gospel. You need both to serve God’s people faithfully.

With sincere gratitude,

Daniel Conway

We expect too much from our bishops and priests and, so, are easily (and often) disappointed. 

Listen to these words from the second reading for today’s Mass:

It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests, but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law, appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7: 23-28)

We expect our bishops and priests to be “holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and higher than the heavens” like Jesus. And they are not. They are sinners like us who have answered the call to follow Jesus in a particular way—as men subject to weakness who humbly represent 
the one and only “high priest” who has been made perfect forever. 

Only by the grace of God can they hope to live their vocation with integrity. Only by accepting and handing-over their weaknesses can they succeed in being Christ for others. 

We call it “clericalism” when bishops and priests exalt themselves as a privileged class. But it is also clericalism when we expect them to be super-human, “high priests” whom we place on pedestals only to be scandalized by their human sinfulness. 

Both forms of clericalism should be recognized as poisonous; both must be rooted out and destroyed if we wish to renew our Church.

Bishops, priests and all who exercise leadership in the Church must be held to the highest standards of morality and accountability. But the minute we expect them (us) to be perfect, we set ourselves up to be bitterly disappointed and angry. 

May the God of justice and mercy give us all the serenity,  courage and wisdom to accept our human weaknesses even as we work together to change and grow as faithful disciples of the one and only High Priest, Jesus Christ. 

Saints witness to Jesus, the source of joy

Today Jesus invites us to return to the source of joy, which is the encounter with him, the courageous choice to risk everything to follow him, the satisfaction of leaving something behind in order to embrace his way. (Pope Francis, Canonization of Seven Saints, October 14, 2018)

Since he became pope in 2015, Francis has called our attention to “the source of joy,” which is the personal encounter with Jesus Christ. The pope has written about, preached about and, through dramatic gestures, practiced the joy of the Gospel.

The saints canonized by Pope Francis last month were witnesses to joy. That doesn’t mean they were without sorrow or fear. It means that the human emotions that they experienced as we all do were handed over to Jesus with complete confidence in the Lord’s ability to transform them by the power of his passion, death and resurrection.

Just as Jesus was mocked, scourged and crucified, the saints all share in his suffering in their own ways. Some, like St. Oscar Romero, were brutally martyred. Others, like St. Paul VI, suffered internally from external criticism and internal anxiety and doubt. None was a perfect human being. All sinned, and all turned to the Lord, overcome with sorrow and guilt, seeking his forgiveness.
All saints are sinners, and all sinners are called to repent, seek the Lord’s mercy, and resume their journey to holiness. As Pope Francis reminds us frequently, it is Divine Mercy that transforms sinners into saints and redeems all the “poor souls” we pray for especially during the month of November.

Reflecting on the Gospel reading for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, the passage in St. Mark’s Gospel where Jesus is asked what must be done to gain eternal life, the Holy Father observed that the Lord invites the rich young man (and all of us) to pass from the observance of laws to the giving of self, from doing for oneself to being with God. This is radical conversion. It requires giving up much more than worldly goods. It requires us to give ourselves wholeheartedly to love of God and love of neighbor.

The young man in the Gospel story couldn’t do it. But Nunzio Sulprizio, the young man who was declared a saint last month, did exactly what Jesus asked. He surrendered everything to Jesus, the source of joy.

Many articles have been written about the personal connection that existed between the two most well-known saints, Pope Paul Vl and Oscar Romero. They were very different personalities, and their paths to holiness were quite different.

“Even in the midst of tiredness and misunderstanding, Paul VI bore witness in a passionate way to the beauty and the joy of following Christ totally,” Pope Francis said. Oscar Romero gave up “the security of the world, even his own safety, in order to give his life according to the Gospel, close to the poor and to his people, with a heart drawn to Jesus and his brothers and sisters,” the pope said.

As Pope Francis observed—about all seven of the new saints, “Without a leap forward in love, our life and our Church become sick from complacency and self-indulgence. All these saints, in different contexts, put today’s [Gospel] into practice in their lives, without being lukewarm, without calculation, with the passion to risk everything and leave it all behind. May the Lord help us to imitate their example.”

Many times, Pope Francis has reminded us that saint are not super-heroes. They are ordinary women and men who have responded with extraordinary courage and love to the demands that Jesus makes of all his disciples: Go, sell what you have and give it to the poor; then come, follow me (Mk 10:21).  “May the Lord help us to imitate their example.”

What must we do to gain eternal life? The answer is simple but not easy. We must be grateful, accountable and generous stewards who willingly return all God’s gifts with increase. We must be holy people who leave everything behind in order to follow him who is the source of our joy.
October 2018 was a challenging month for Pope Francis and for bishops throughout the world. Scandals, internal divisions and a crisis of confidence among lay people dominated the headlines. Thank God, the Holy Spirit always gets the last word. Thank God, there is reason for profound hope and great joy in the witness of all the saints!



   

When I was five years old, my grandmother, Anna May Bernet Callaghan, picked me up at my family home to take me to her house to spend the night. She had parked her car on our side of the street (the wrong side) and when we got to her car she found a parking ticket.

We got in the car and drove directly to the police station. Grandma went up to the Sargent at the desk and waved the ticket at him. “I’m a grandmother,” she said. “I’m not going to have my grandchildren cross a busy street to get into my car.”

With that, she gave the parking ticket to the Sargent, grabbed my hand, and we marched out of the police station.

I never knew what happened with Grandma’s parking ticket after this encounter but I’m quite sure that she continued to park on our side of the street.

I am a confirmed moderate in all things. I believe that the truth usually can be found in the middle between opposing sides, and I generally think that extremists on the right and the left are equally looney.

This is not a good time for moderates. We are constantly being challenged to take up one extreme position or another. We must either loathe Donald Trump or idolize him. We have to either be convinced that the current pope is the Anti-Christ or hail him as infallible in everything he says or does. We must either condemn Brett Kavanaugh as guilty unless and until proven innocent or conclude that he is the finest justice ever appointed to the Supreme Court.

It’s all madness.

I am especially disheartened by the attacks on Pope Francis and on other Church leaders I know personally. I do not agree with everything the pope and bishops say or do. I have witnessed first-hand serious mistakes in judgment made by both Church and civil leaders. That simply reminds me that everyone of us is human. No one belongs on a pedestal to be worshipped from afar.

But the vile, viscious, ugly attacks against our political and religious leaders are not only unjustified; they are signs of a deep soul sickness. Our Church and our nation are in desperate need of healing. The longer we continue on the current roads, the closer we will come to schism in the Church and a civil cold war in our nation.

The Lord prayed that we would be one—as he and the Father are one in the Holy Spirit. There is no more urgent need. Unity in diversity (e pluribus unum) must be our battle cry. As long as we are divided, we are weak. Until we set aside our differences, forgive one another’s sins, and begin to work together for the common good, we are lost.

Moderation in all things—but especially in politics and religion. It’s the only way to survive the madness.

Pope Francis makes it very clear that he has no tolerance for hypocrites or self-righteous people “who love to cry ‘scandal,’ to point out the failings of others and make themselves appear pure.”

In fact, the Holy Father aligns the cries of hypocrites with the devil who is working overtime to create chaos and confusion in families, in society and in the Church. “If we look at the world scene in our time,” the pope says, “more and more voices are sowing division and confrontation—often by exploiting insecurity or situations of conflict—and proclaiming that the only way possible to guarantee security and the continued existence of a culture is to try to eliminate, cancel or expel others.”

The Church is full of sinners. Sometimes they sin grievously. But if they repent and seek God’s forgiveness, they can experience Divine Mercy. The problem with hypocrites is that they are unrepentant. They denounce the faults of others but are in denial about their own sins.

During a homily at his residence on September 20, the pope said, “The devil doesn’t have anything to do with repentant sinners because they look to God and say, ‘Lord, I’m a sinner. Help me,’ and the devil is impotent. But with the hypocrites he is strong,” Pope Francis said. “He is strong, and he uses them to destroy, to destroy people, destroy society, destroy the church.”

While God’s holy Church is made up of sinners, it also has its share of hypocrites who love to cry “scandal” to point out the failings of others and make themselves appear pure, Pope Francis said.

The word “scandal” is taken from the Greek word, scandalon, which originally meant “trap.” Scandal occurs when a person’s words or example cause others to stumble morally, to fall into a trap that is an occasion for unbelief or moral lapse. Scandal is an obstacle to faith in God because it creates doubt about the credibility or authenticity of someone who is supposed to be God’s representative. Those who cry “scandal” to point out the failings of others often intensify the effects of scandalous behavior. They relish the destructive consequences of the moral lapses they claim to denounce.

Who are these hypocrites who love to cry “scandal”? It’s tempting to name some of those well-known critics of Pope Francis who publicly question, accuse or condemn his words and actions. But that kind of speculation would only play into the hands of the devil who seeks to divide the Body of Christ by diminishing and degrading its leaders.

The devil’s “battle horse is hypocrisy because he is a liar. He shows off as a powerful, handsome prince, but inside he’s an assassin,” the pope said.

Reflecting on the Mass readings for September 20, Pope Francis said, “St. Paul, in the first reading, and the woman who anoints Jesus’ feet in the Gospel reading both realize they are sinners, but they are moved by love for Jesus.” But Jesus, in spite of their sins, “forgives, receives, is merciful—words we often forget when we speak ill of others,” the pope said. “Think about this: We must be merciful like Jesus and not condemn others.”

The Pharisees are shocked, “scandalized,” that Jesus would allow his feet to be anointed by a woman the Gospel describes as “sinful.” In fact, they are the ones causing scandal by setting a trap for Jesus.

The Pharisees were self-righteous hypocrites who were always watching Jesus “to see if they could find him in error” or could “set a trap for him,” the pope said. “They had an attitude that hypocrites often use: They were scandalized.”

Theirs is “the hypocrisy of the ‘righteous,’ the ‘pure,’ those who believe they are saved through their own merits,” the pope said. But “Jesus calls the hypocrites ‘whitewashed tombs.’ They look like beautiful cemeteries, but inside they are putrid and rotten.”

These are harsh words from a pope who constantly extols God’s mercy and forgiveness. Like Jesus, however, Pope Francis cannot abide the hypocrisy of those who condemn others without mercy. He lashes out at those who cry “scandal” as a means of setting traps, causing chaos and destruction.

In the words of Pope Francis, “Let us ask Jesus always to protect our Church, which is a holy mother but full of sinning children like us. And may he protect each one of us with his mercy and forgiveness.”

The sun refuses to shine on our nation and our Church. 

Were you there when the sun refused to shine?  Were you there when the sun refused to shine? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

A dark cloud hangs over the Catholic Church and the United States of America. Our leaders have betrayed us and the atmosphere has been poisoned by anger, hatred and the most vile and vicious name-calling and character assasination. God forgive us. We are in a bad way. 

In such an atmosphere, the sun refuses to shine, and our only recourse is to tremble with shame, tremble with sadness and tremble with fear for the future our our nation and our Church. 

Angels serve as God’s messengers, protectors

The feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, who were God’s messengers as recorded in sacred scripture, reminds us that we are never alone. We have advocates (guardian angels) who stand with us and bring healing, reconciliation and the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ. (Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin)

Saturday, September 29, we celebrate the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, three angels named in Sacred Scripture and associated with important moments in the history of our salvation. At this time in the Church’s life, when there is so much confusion, anger, anxiety and doubt, it’s good to step back a little and reflect on some of the more mysterious—and comforting—elements of our Catholic belief and practice. Church teaching on angels certainly fits in this category.

Reruns of the popular television program, Life is Worth Living, which featured Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, the first and some would say greatest Catholic television evangelist, often addressed the topic of angels. Bishop Sheen did this with humor. (He said it was an angel who erased his blackboard when it was off camera.) But he was also deadly serious in the way he discussed the existence of angels and their influence on our daily lives. 

Noting that the word “angel” comes from the Greek word for messenger, Bishop Sheen explained the angels are God’s emissaries and that they exercise two fundamental responsibilities in their interaction with us human beings: First, as messengers they help to illuminate our understanding of God’s will for us. Certainly that was the role played by the angel Gabriel in his appearances to Mary and Joseph. Following Gabriel’s disclosures, Mary understood (and accepted) her unique role in God’s plan for our redemption and Joseph assumed his rightful place as the guardian and protector of Mary and her divine son.

The second role that angels play in human affairs is that of protection and healing. St. Michael the Archangel and St. Raphael stand for the advocacy and the healing power of God’s grace. They testify to the fact that, when necessary, angels can be warlike in their defense of God’s truth and justice, but they are often equally kind and merciful in their dealings with those who are suffering any kind of hardship or abuse.

Everyone of us has a guardian angel. We don’t hear nearly enough about them these days. Even in the 1950s, when Life is Worth Living, was at the peak of its popularity on American television, Bishop Sheen had a hard time convincing his audiences that the doctrine of angels was more than just a pious, sentimental teaching. Why? Bishop Sheen’s explanation was the influence of materialism and secularism. After all, if you only believe what you can see and touch or place under a microscope, there’s not much room for beings who have a mind and will but no body.

And yet, Christians have always believed that what is invisible is in some ways more real than what is visible. When God took on human flesh, he forever united the spiritual world with the material world. He showed us the true miracle of human life is that we are much more than we appear to be. We are each made in the image and likeness of God which means that we are spirit and flesh incarnate.

Bishop Sheen speculated that the reason some angels turned away from God is because they could not abide the scandal of the Incarnation. It was too much for them to accept that God’s only son would so humiliate himself as to take on human flesh—not just the holographic appearance of humanity but the actual, messy, bloody reality. Certainly, it’s quite possible that the reason Lucifer and his companions fell from grace was because they were too proud to pay homage to one who was beneath them in the order of being, a man like us human beings in all things but sin. 

Pope Francis has repeatedly called our attention to the role played by the Evil One, a fallen angel, in the scandals that are shaking the foundations of our Church today. The sins of some priests and bishops and their further degradation by “hypocrites” who use the media (especially social media) to destroy reputations and enflame the legitimate hurt and anger of others.

Saints Michael, Raphael and Gabriel, and all holy angels, pray for us. We need your inspiration, healing and protection now more than ever! May your ministry as angels of mercy and guardian angels guide us, protect us and keep us from all evil. Now and forever. Amen.

Silence can speak louder than words

Express how you feel and then be quiet. Because the truth is humble, the truth is silent, the truth isn't noisy. It's not easy, what Jesus did; but the dignity of the Christian is anchored in the power of God. With people lacking good will, with people who only seek scandal, who seek only division, who seek only destruction, even within the family: silence, prayer. (Pope Francis, homily, September 3, 2018)

Pope Francis surprised many people when he refused to discuss allegations that he knowingly ignored—even covered up—abusive behavior by resigned cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick. When journalists asked him to comment on the allegations made by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former nuncio to the United States, the Holy Father said, “I will not say a single word on this.” He then invited journalists to use their investigative skills to determine for themselves whether or not the allegations are truthful.

We are so accustomed to public figures giving strong and often detailed statements in responses to allegations of every kind, that it’s jarring to have someone refuse to say a single word in his own defense. Why has Pope Francis chosen this approach? What does he hope to communicate with his silence?

It’s clear from remarks during a homily by the pope at his Santa Marta residence on September 3, that Pope Francis believes that the former nuncio’s allegations are intended to cause grave harm to the Church. “With people lacking good will,” the pope said, “with people who only seek scandal, who seek only division, who seek only destruction, even within the family: silence, prayer” are the only appropriate responses.

Is Archbishop Viganò someone who only seeks scandal or division? Without more information it’s impossible to know for sure. And, yet, Pope Francis prefers to treat what are grave charges against the pope and many other Church officials both in the U. S. and in the Vatican as the worst kind of scandal-mongering and, therefore, unworthy of comment.

To gain an insight into the pope’s thinking here, it’s helpful to read his public statement for the 2018 World Day of Communications. In it, the Holy Father said:

To discern the truth, we need to discern everything that encourages communion and promotes goodness from whatever instead tends to isolate, divide, and oppose. Truth, therefore, is not really grasped when it is imposed from without as something impersonal, but only when it flows from free relationships between persons, from listening to one another. Nor can we ever stop seeking the truth, because falsehood can always creep in, even when we state things that are true. An impeccable argument can indeed rest on undeniable facts, but if it is used to hurt another and to discredit that person in the eyes of others, however correct it may appear, it is not truthful. We can recognize the truth of statements from their fruits: whether they provoke quarrels, foment division, encourage resignation; or, on the other hand, they promote informed and mature reflection leading to constructive dialogue and fruitful results.

In other words, Pope Francis believes that intentions or motivation play an important role in determining the truth or falsehood of an accusation made against someone.

What Pope Francis is telling journalists (and all of us) in his 2018 World Day of Communications message is that both the intentions and the effects of our messaging can help us discern whether or not we are transmitting or receiving the truth. “Falsehood can always creep in,” the Holy Father says, “even when we state things that are true.” So, if our communication is factually accurate but intended to discredit another or cause harm to individuals or communities, we may well be guilty of spreading fake news. This is doubly true when the information being shared is not accurate or when it is a distortion of the truth.

Time will tell whether Pope Francis has made the right decision here—responding to serious charges of cover-up with silence and prayer. In the same homily, the pope prayed:

May the Lord give us the grace to discern when we should speak and when we should stay silent. This applies to every part of life: to work, at home, in society…. Thus we will be closer imitators of Jesus.”

May the Lord also give Pope Francis the grace to confront the scandals that are doing so much damage to our Church and lead us all to a renewed sense of what it truly means to be the one, holy and apostolic Church.

A time to say thank you to bishops who serve the Church with humility and genuine pastoral care. 

For nearly 40 years, I have had the privilege of working with and for Roman Catholic bishops. I have witnessed first hand both their humanity and their holiness. I know them to be sinners like all of us, but I also know most if not all of them to be good, honest, hard working “every day saints.”

Our bishops are taking a beating these days. Some have sinned grievously. Others have neglected their pastoral duty to protect the innocent and ensure a just punishment for clergy and other Church personnel who have committed serious crimes. And all bishops suffer by association with a hierarchy that is deeply flawed.

I don’t deny any of this. Still my heart goes out to the bishops I have worked with during the past four decades. I don’t believe they deserve to be treated the way some are treating them—especially on social media. Look at any bishop’s social media account (or at the pope’s for that matter) and you’ll find the most vile, vicious, hateful, subhuman comments directed at a fundamentally good man. It’s beyond tragic. It’s the work of the devil who delights in the degradation of priests and bishops.

I’m not defending any of the sins, errors in judgment or mismanagement of bishops I know (or the majority who I don’t know). That is not my responsibility. I will leave judging others—including our bishops—to the God who on the last day will require all of us to render an account. I have my owns sins to account for. That leaves no room for judging others.

But I do have an overwhelming desire to say thank you to these men for the good things I have either witnessed first hand or personally experienced. And I plan to express my profound gratitude here and now.

Here in no particular order are the cardinals, archbishops and bishops that I want to thank—most sincerely from my heart:

Cardinal Francis E. George, OMI (deceased)
Cardinal Joseph Bernadin (deceased)
Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein, OSB (deceased)
Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly, OP (deceased)
Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy (deceased)
Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara (deceased)
Bishop Charles Maloney (deceased)
Bishop Anthony O’Connell (deceased)
Bishop Frank Shea (deceased)

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R
Cardinal Blasé Cupich
Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Cardinal Raymond L. Burke
Cardinal Justin Rigali
Archbishop Charles C. Thompson
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz
Archbishop J. Peter Sartain
Archbishop George Lucas
Archbishop Joseph Naumann
Archbishop James. P. Keleher
Archbishop Gregory Aymond
Archbishop Robert Carlson
Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk
Archbishop Dennis Schnurr
Archbishop Thomas Wenski
Archbishop Paul Etienne
Bishop Gerald Gettelfinger
Bishop Sylvester Ryan
Bishop Michael Sheridan
Bishop David Ricken
Bishop William Medley
Bishop William L. Higi
Bishop Paul J. Bradley
Bishop Joseph Binzer
Bishop Christopher Coyne
Bishop Martin D. Holley
Bishop Richard Stika
Bishop J. Mark Spalding
Bishop Edward Kmiec
Bishop Donald Trautman
Bishop Robert Hermann
Bishop Mark Rivotuso
Bishop Robert Morneau
Bishop Donald Hanchon

These are all good men in spite of their faults, weaknesses and sins. They deserve our thanks and they need our prayers.

We should be grateful believers—now more than ever

In the early 2000s, when the sex abuse scandal first shocked the Church in the United States, Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk (now retired), initiated a program he called “Grateful Believers.” He dedicated his weekly column in the archdiocesan newspaper to reminiscences about people and things for which he was grateful, and he invited all clergy and lay people in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to call to mind similar experiences of gratitude.

Archbishop Pilarczyk’s insight was that if we focus only on the negative, on the sins and scandals, we risk losing sight of the fundamental beauty and goodness of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Yes, some Church’s leaders have sinned. Yes, we are right to be embarrassed, angry and hurt. But is that all there is? No.

Think back to the experiences for which you are grateful:  For the gift of Jesus Christ freely given in the Eucharist and all the sacraments; for the Word of God generously shared in the scriptures; for the ministry of good priests, deacons and bishops; for the holy women and men in religious orders, and  countless lay people, who have given their lives to proclaim the Gospel, to teach our children and to serve the poor and vulnerable among us. We should be grateful to them—now more than ever—because they did not give up on the wounded Church they served so faithfully.

Are you mad at the pope and the bishops for their failures to protect our children and punish those who committed horrible crimes? Fair enough. There is plenty to be mad about. But is that all there is? No.

There are more than a few reasons to be grateful for the ministry of recent popes, for the leadership of bishops past and present, and for the good priests who have served parishes throughout the United States so faithfully. Name a few of the people you are grateful for. Recall their kindness to you in times of trouble, or their ministry to the sick and elderly members of your family. Thank God for all that they shared with you in homilies or faith sharing sessions. Remember the people who cared unselfishly for the needs of God’s people, and say thank you.

Gratitude is the best cure for anger and depression. It lifts our spirits and calls attention to the blessings we have received—undeservedly and with no strings attached. When we say thank you to God or to another human being, we acknowledge that we are not autonomous, self-sufficient beings but members of God’s family called to love and serve one another.

Grateful believers are not naïve. They do not sweep bad news under the carpet or maintain that no evil has been done by sinful men and women in positions of authority in the Church. Grateful believers are thankful that painful truths are now being told; that Church leaders are cooperating with civil authorities and being accountable for, and transparent about, abuses dating back several generations. Grateful believers are sad and angry, but they refuse to let these emotions paralyze them or cause them to give up on the Church.

Grateful believers know that the work of Christ must continue—now more than ever. The Gospel must be preached; the faith must be handed on to future generations; and the poor and vulnerable must be served. Whatever evil may have been committed by individual Church leaders, there is still no greater force for good in the United States than the Catholic Church. No institution or community does a better job of resettling refugees, of helping children and families break the cycle of poverty, of caring for the healthcare needs of the indigent poor, of inspiring young people to live lives of generous service, and much more.

Now more than ever, we should give thanks for the sacraments, for the intercession of Mary and all the saints, and for the good work being done every day by lay people, religious, deacons, priests and bishops. Now more than ever, we should be proud of our Church which in spite of its weakness and sin carries on the work of Jesus Christ here and now.

Is it too much to ask that each of us say “thank you” at least once a day for the gifts we have received in and through the Catholic Church? Surely gratitude is better than bitter resentment when it comes to a healthy spiritual life.

Thank you, Pope Francis, cardinals, archbishops and bishops, and all you holy priests and deacons, religious women and men, and lay people who serve the Church in our country. We are grateful believers who—in spite of everything—appreciate your ministry now more than ever.

Daniel Conway
   

God encounters us in a human way. To be truly human is to embrace the transformation of what is merely biological into something that is also deeply spiritual. 

The sacrament in its universal form in the history of religion is therefore at first simply the expression of the experience that God encounters man in a human way: in the signs of common humanity and in the change of the merely biological into the human, which when accomplished in the context of religion undergoes a transformation into a third dimension—the authentication of the divine in the human.(from "Joseph Ratzinger Collected Works: Theology of the Liturgy" by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger)

Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) is a masterful teacher. He takes the most profound concepts of philosophy and theology and makes them understandable. He doesn’t “water things down.” He clarifies and simplifies by emphasizing basic truths and by illustrating them in simple language. 

God reaches out to us, speaking our language, touching our minds and hearts with divine truths that show us who we are as children of God, Brothers and sisters to each other. 

As the psalmist prays, “If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.” Listen to the voice of the Lord and learn who you are and what it means to be fully human. 

Are you mad at the pope and the bishops for their failures to protect our children and punish those who committed horrible crimes? Fair enough. There is plenty to be mad about. But is that all there is? No.

The Good Steward
September 2018



We should be grateful believers—now more than ever

In the early 2000s, when the sex abuse scandal first shocked the Church in the United States, Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk (now retired), initiated a program he called “Grateful Believers.” He dedicated his weekly column in the archdiocesan newspaper to reminiscences about people and things for which he was grateful, and he invited all clergy and lay people in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to call to mind similar experiences of gratitude.

Archbishop Pilarczyk’s insight was that if we focus only on the negative, on the sins and scandals, we risk losing sight of the fundamental beauty and goodness of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Yes, some Church’s leaders have sinned. Yes, we are right to be embarrassed, angry and hurt. But is that all there is? No.

Think back to the experiences for which you are grateful:  For the gift of Jesus Christ freely given in the Eucharist and all the sacraments; for the Word of God generously shared in the scriptures; for the ministry of good priests, deacons and bishops; for the holy women and men in religious orders, and  countless lay people, who have given their lives to proclaim the Gospel, to teach our children and to serve the poor and vulnerable among us. We should be grateful to them—now more than ever—because they did not give up on the wounded Church they served so faithfully.

Are you mad at the pope and the bishops for their failures to protect our children and punish those who committed horrible crimes? Fair enough. There is plenty to be mad about. But is that all there is? No.

There are more than a few reasons to be grateful for the ministry of recent popes, for the leadership of bishops past and present, and for the good priests who have served parishes throughout the United States so faithfully. Name a few of the people you are grateful for. Recall their kindness to you in times of trouble, or their ministry to the sick and elderly members of your family. Thank God for all that they shared with you in homilies or faith sharing sessions. Remember the people who cared unselfishly for the needs of God’s people, and say thank you.

Gratitude is the best cure for anger and depression. It lifts our spirits and calls attention to the blessings we have received—undeservedly and with no strings attached. When we say thank you to God or to another human being, we acknowledge that we are not autonomous, self-sufficient beings but members of God’s family called to love and serve one another.

Grateful believers are not naïve. They do not sweep bad news under the carpet or maintain that no evil has been done by sinful men and women in positions of authority in the Church. Grateful believers are thankful that painful truths are now being told; that Church leaders are cooperating with civil authorities and being accountable for, and transparent about, abuses dating back several generations. Grateful believers are sad and angry, but they refuse to let these emotions paralyze them or cause them to give up on the Church.

Grateful believers know that the work of Christ must continue—now more than ever. The Gospel must be preached; the faith must be handed on to future generations; and the poor and vulnerable must be served. Whatever evil may have been committed by individual Church leaders, there is still no greater force for good in the United States than the Catholic Church. No institution or community does a better job of resettling refugees, of helping children and families break the cycle of poverty, of caring for the healthcare needs of the indigent poor, of inspiring young people to live lives of generous service, and much more.

Now more than ever, we should give thanks for the sacraments, for the intercession of Mary and all the saints, and for the good work being done every day by lay people, religious, deacons, priests and bishops. Now more than ever, we should be proud of our Church which in spite of its weakness and sin carries on the work of Jesus Christ here and now.

Is it too much to ask that each of us say “thank you” at least once a day for the gifts we have received in and through the Catholic Church? Surely gratitude is better than bitter resentment when it comes to a healthy spiritual life.

Thank you, Pope Francis, cardinals, archbishops and bishops, and all you holy priests and deacons, religious women and men, and lay people who serve the Church in our country. We are grateful believers who—in spite of everything—appreciate your ministry now more than ever.

Daniel Conway
   

 

Our poor are great people. They give us more than we give them. They can teach us so many beautiful things they don’t need our sympathy or our pity. They need our love and compassion. We don’t have to love them out of our abundance. We must love them until it hurts...To be true, love has to hurt. St. Teresa of Calcutta

Archbishop calls for renewed transparency, accountability

Statement by Indianapolis Archbishop Charles Thompson

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

When I was called to be a bishop just more than seven years ago, I wanted to believe that the Church had effectively dealt with the crisis of clergy sexual abuse, especially in terms of accountability and transparency. I was not so naïve as to think that all victims had come forward, or that all acts of abuse had been reported. In retrospect, I wonder if I was hoping against hope.

Coming on the heels of the scandal surrounding then-Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick that evidently involved at least three different large dioceses, and apparently known by more than a few people, the nearly 900 pages of the grand jury report on clergy sexual abuse in six dioceses of Pennsylvania has seemingly ripped the scab off a horrible wound that was just beginning to possibly heal. While the report revealed only two cases that are within the current statute of limitations in Pennsylvania, the sheer volume of numbers—clergy, victims and cases—of graphic acts of horrendous abuse are appalling, devastating and sickening. It’s as if a dark, heavy pall has been thrust upon us yet again.

One child, in fact, one act, is too many. It is deeply painful and shameful that so many lives have been so wounded, broken and scarred for life. We can spare no expense of time, talent and treasure to assure the protection and well-being of each and every child, young person and vulnerable adult both within and outside the Church.

Being from such a large family, I am aware of a couple of family members who have been sexually abused, one as a child and the other as a very young adult. Given the size of my extended family—which has included 50 aunts and uncles, 90 first cousins and more than 200 second cousins—there are likely more who have suffered such atrocities.

As I mentioned in a previous statement, coinciding with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston‑Houston, USCCB president, and numerous other bishops, there is much work to be done in the coming weeks to set things right, by the grace of God, once and for all. Such work cannot be left to just the bishops. Lay persons, especially those with particular skills, must be intricately involved in the process. There is so much to do in so little time to get it done, but it must be done right. There can be no further cover‑up. All, especially bishops, must be held accountable.

I do believe in transformation, that new life can come from ashes, and salvation is made possible through the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet, there is no way to the empty tomb except by way of the cross. We cannot go over, under or around it. We must be willing to suffer and sacrifice to actually become the persons and people of God that we are called to be. We are called to holiness, not to mediocrity or mere survival.

To each and every victim of abuse—child, minor and adult—especially those at the hands of Catholic clergy, I offer my deepest apology and heartfelt pledge to do all that is humanly possible to be a part of the solution. As one means of effort toward that end, I will be seeking the guidance of the Archdiocesan Review Board to assist me in preparing a list, for publication, of all clergy, living and deceased, with a substantiated claim of sexual abuse against a child or minor.

These are very tough times, and we have some very rough waters to navigate. Only prayer, truth and justice will see us through to the other side of all that is pressing upon us. We need to know of anyone who has been hurt and how you have been violated. We must do everything necessary to make sure neither abuse nor cover-up ever happens again.

Your Brother in Christ,

Archbishop Charles C. Thompson

Snake-tactics or sensationalism in reporting is not responsible journalism. 

In recent weeks, coverage of the sex-abuse scandal, and its cover up by bishops, has caused horror and outrage. Factual reporting of this reprehensible behavior is bad enough, but several media outlets (including in the Catholic press) have crossed over the line from information to sensationalism. What’s the difference? News stories provide readers with the information they need to understand complex situations and to make mature, responsible decisions or judgments. Sensationalism, on the other hand, seeks to provoke readers and to elicit from them emotional reactions including anger, disgust or rage.

In his 2018 World Day of Communications message earlier this year, Pope Francis urged journalists, and all who communicate online or in the traditional media, to speak the truth rather than spread gossip or enflame emotions. He challenged those who communicate “news” to adopt methodologies that employ a profound and careful process of discernment in order to unmask what could be called the “snake-tactics” (a reference to the serpent’s temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden) used by those who disguise themselves in order to strike at any time and place.

To discern the truth, journalists need to identify everything that encourages communion and promotes goodness from whatever instead tends to isolate, divide, and oppose. Truth, therefore, is not really grasped when it is imposed from without as something impersonal, but only when it flows from free relationships between persons, from listening to one another. Nor can we ever stop seeking the truth, because falsehood can always creep in, even when we state things that are factually or historically true.

An impeccable argument can indeed rest on undeniable facts, but if it is used to hurt another and to discredit that person in the eyes of others, however correct it may appear, it is not truthful. We can recognize the truth of statements from their fruits: whether they provoke quarrels, foment division, encourage resignation; or, on the other hand, they promote informed and mature reflection leading to constructive dialogue and fruitful results.

What Pope Francis told journalists (and all of us) in his 2018 World Day of Communications message is that both the intentions and the effects of our messaging can help us discern whether or not we are transmitting or receiving the truth. “Falsehood can always creep in,” the Holy Father says, “even when we state things that are true.” So, if our communication is factually accurate but intended to discredit another or cause harm to individuals or communities, we may well be guilty of spreading fake news. This is doubly true when the information being shared is not accurate or a distortion of the truth.

Pope Francis is not promoting “a saccharine kind of journalism” that avoids dealing with serious problems. Instead, he advocates for a style of journalism that is “opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans and sensational headlines.” He seeks forms of communication that are “less concentrated on breaking headlines” and more concerned with exploring the underlying causes of problems so that effective solutions can be found. This is not the journalism of escalating shouting matches or verbal abuse, the Pope says. It is not a form of social communication that is designed to provoke strong emotions. It is “a journalism of peace.”

As Chicago Cardinal Blasé Cupich wrote last week:

Sorrow, disgust, outrage — these are righteous feelings, the stirrings of the conscience of a people scandalized by the terrible reality that too many of the men who promised to protect their children, and strengthen their faith, have been responsible for wounding both.

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.

The truth can always be told in a manner that promotes healing and hope. Even the most grisly stories about clergy sex abuse (or blind, misguided church leaders) can be told in ways that are truthful and accurate without the “snake-tactics” used to open old wounds, inflict damage on bishops and priests, or discredit the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

The truth about clergy sex abuse is bad enough. Let’s not make it worse by sensationalism or distortion.

Daniel Conway


Revised: 08/20/18

Nearly 25 years ago, the late Seattle Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy responded to the sexual abuse crisis in the Church. Here is what he said.

The Progress
December 8, 1994

In Joy and Hope

by

Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy

Response to sexual abuse

At last month's meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the issue of sexual abuse by clergy and workers in church settings was a topic that received a great deal of publicity. It is with deep regret that I acknowledge the reality of sexual abuse in our community and our church.

The church throughout the country is addressing this unfortunate reality by developing policies and procedures to respond with justice and compassion. Most of all, it has tried to assure the community at large that everything possible will be done to avoid instances of sexual abuse by clergy and church workers in the future.

I believe it is helpful to people to let them know what policies and procedures are in place here in Western Washington that help us to address sexual abuse and misconduct. Each of these actions is an abuse of power or authority and contradicts the basic mission and ministry of the church.

Principles for policies on sexual abuse!

Sexual abuse or misconduct by church personnel is contrary to basic principles of Christian morality. The integrity of the ministerial relationship between church personnel and the children and adults whom they serve is an imperative. This relationship presumes trust in the conduct of all ministers within the church community.

There are five principles that provide the basis for the church's position on addressing issues of sexual abuse. These principles are the following:

1) To respond promptly to all allegations of abuse where there is reasonable belief that abuse has occurred;

2) If such an allegation is found to be supported by sufficient evidence, to relieve the alleged offender promptly of ministerial duties and to refer the alleged offender for appropriate intervention and assessment;

3) To cooperate fully with civil authorities in reporting the incident and assisting with the investigation;

4) To reach out to the victims and their families and to communicate sincere commitment to their spiritual and emotional well-being;

5) Within the confines of respect for privacy of the individuals involved, to deal as openly as possible with the other members of the community who may be affected.

Compassion and accountability

Behind these principles regarding a response to sexual abuse by church ministers, there are two essential attitudes that must characterize the response of the church - compassion and accountability. When such instances have occurred within our own local church, I believe that our response has been rooted in compassion and accountability.

Accountability on the part of the local church includes the development of a written policy on sexual abuse and misconduct. The Archdiocese of Seattle has such a written policy in place which we believe is pastoral and responsible. Such compassion must be extended to the survivors of sexual abuse in every way possible.

Education and prevention

Policies regarding sexual abuse by church personnel must address not only the process for responding to allegations of such abuse that has taken place, they must also address the issues of education and prevention. All church personnel must be aware of the policies in place and the responsibility they have to be faithful to the trust that is placed in them. Screening and reporting procedures are also in place to assure the integrity of ministers in the church in their service of people.

Sexual abuse by church personnel becomes a challenge for a renewed commitment to the integrity of who we are and the position we hold within the church. Clergy and religious have the special obligation to live out our lifetime celibate commitment in a spirit of fidelity evident in our actions and lifestyle. All church personnel must recognize the obligation we have to serve people in ways that engender trust and accountability.

It is good that our church is responding to the reality of sexual abuse in an open and accountable way. To anyone who has suffered from sexual abuse by a person in church ministry, may I extend my deepest sorrow and regret. May our joint efforts help us ensure that we have done all we possibly can to prevent sexual abuse and misconduct from taking place here in the Church in Western Washington. May God's grace and peace be yours.

1A scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage.

We’ve had lots of scandals lately and, unfortunately, the sheer number seems to lessen their impact. “General public outrage” is a relative term too often colored by hyper intensive media coverage that dulls the impact and confuses people’s sense of what really happened and what it all means. 

Pope Francis has warned about the negative effects of media-fueled outrage. The problem he and other Church and civil leaders have is that any attempt to achieve balanced, calm coverage of scandalous events can easily appear to be downplaying or even covering up the seriousness of an issue. 

Coverage of the clergy sex abuse scandals is an important case in point. Prior to the 2002 explosion of information regarding abusive priests and their mishandling by bishops, it was assumed to be a good thing that such cases were kept quiet—for the good of victims and their families and, yes, to avoid scandal. In retrospect, this assumption led to even greater harm to all concerned, but at the time most bishops and other Church leaders thought they were doing the right thing. 

Today, all past situations and decisions are judged in light of today’s standards. It doesn’t matter how well-intentioned a bishop was—or how closely he followed the advice of psychiatrists or attorneys, if he did observe a policy of zero tolerance or immediately defrock a credibly accused cleric, he is seen to have been complicit in the crimes committed by offenders within his pastoral care. 

To be clear, I too am outraged by all these immoral, illegal and scandalous activities committed by those entrusted with the care of our children and young adults. And it’s clear that this whole situation has been badly mismanaged by those responsible. 

But I am also outraged (deeply saddened) by the way these scandals continue to be portrayed in the media. Much more heat than light is generated by media hyperbole. We need clear thinking and careful deliberation if we’re going to address this awful situation in ways that ensure that the offenders are brought to justice and these crimes are never permitted to happen again. 

“VATICAN II was hard on introverts,” the late Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein used to say. He was referring to the liturgical reforms which externalized a lot of the  silent prayers and rituals of the old Mass. 

 The older I get, the more I agree with Archbishop Daniel. Today’s liturgy is too noisy and too busy. It sometimes seems impossible during Mass to gain the kind of mental, emotional and spiritual composure that are  necessary to engage in a profound act of Divine Worship. There are too many distractions—most are good things in themselves, but packed together in an hour’s liturgy they are simply too much.

Do we really have to sing 5 hymns, a responsorial psalm and multiple acclamations every Sunday without any variety? Do we need all the add-ons that are increasingly a part of the Sunday liturgy (baptisms, anointing of the sick, special blessings, etc.)? Once again, all good things in and of themselves, but often jarring and disruptive when added on top of everything else.

And where’s the silence that is so important to hearing and reflecting on God’s Word? Unfortunately it’s often hard to hear yourself think (or pray) over the noise in church before, during and after Mass.

The German theologian Father Karl Rainer, SJ, once contrasted his “wintry” form of spirituality with that of more enthusiastic, evangelical Christians. There is something about Catholic prayer and worship that should be “wintry” resisting too much outward or external expression. Like the force of gravity, authentic religious fervor should hold us back from spinning out of control. It should bind us to earth while at the same time raising our minds and hearts to heaven.

My challenge, I freely admit, is to resist the temptation to be disheartened or grumpy during an especially busy or noisy Mass. Composure and silence are possible even in the most extroverted liturgies if you take the time to cultivate them.

I believe that VATICAN II’s concept of “full, conscious and active participation” is essential to liturgical prayer. I just wish that at least occasionally we could actively participate a little more calmly and with less noise.

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Clare of Assisi

Memorial

• Of noble birth and reputed beauty, Clare heard Francis of Assisi preach a Lenten retreat in 1212. Captivated by this new witness of a life “after the manner of the holy Gospel,” Clare stole away from her home on the night of Palm Sunday to join Francis. For the next forty years she lived in a convent attached to the Church of San Damiano, leading the young women who joined her, the first Poor Clares. When Pope Innocent IV composed a rule for her nuns that permitted them to receive an annual living, Clare responded with her own stricter version, the first women’s rule written by a woman. She died in 1253 with the approved rule in her hand.

She was a woman of great courage and strong conviction. She remains an inspiration for all who seek to live a holy life “after the manner of the holy Gospel”.

Santa Chiara, pray for us. 

Hearing is something we take for granted, especially when we’re young. 

Clearly, the most powerful form of communication is the human voice. Listening to another person—really listening and understanding—requires more than hearing alone. The words being spoken are reinforced by gestures, body language, what the speaker’s eyes and face convey. But communication that does not include an auditory dimension—hearing what someone else is saying—is one dimensional. It does not convey the full sense of the speaker’s intended communication. 

Think of email. It’s quick and easily accessible, but it cannot communicate fully. All forms of social media—including this blog—suffer from this lack of depth or richness. If you and I were talking, or if I were teaching a class, my words on this subject would have much greater impact and resonance. Certainly when you read these words you get my meaning. But you can’t possibly hear me or understand me quite as completely as you would if we were engaged in a conversation. 

Let’s not lose the gift of personal communication as we play with all the gadgets of our technological age. Let’s not give up the kind of face-to-face dialogue that is so important and enriching. Let’s listen and talk to one another as often and as attentively as we can. 

As Scripture says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mt 11:15).

Remembering Archbishop Thomas Cajetan Kelly, O.P. 

Today is the Feast of St. Cajetan, and my thoughts turn immediately to my deceased friend and mentor Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly who took the name Cajetan when he entered the Dominican Order.

Until recently, I might have said that +TCK served as a bishop during the worst possible time—the years leading up to, and culminating in, the clergy sex abuse scandal. But now I’m relieved that he is not here with us to witness the horrors that have been revealed by the unmasking of the former cardinal, Theodore E. McCarrick, and similar abuses committed by cardinals, archbishops and bishops in various regions of the world.

Anyone who was hoping that the clergy sex abuse scandal had run its course is now sadly (and rudely) disabused of that naive hope.

What would +TCK think of all this?

I know he would be deeply distressed and sadder than words can express. I believe he would be angry that the actions of a handful of sexual predators have so tarnished the image of bishops, priests and other Church leaders that trust is extremely difficult to restore. I suspect he would be frustrated by the  corrupt processes that allowed men who never should have been given leadership roles in the Church to rise to such prominence.

And yet, he would not have lost hope. He was a sensitive, caring man who was easily hurt but who never gave up. He believed in the redemptive power of God’s grace and in the Lord’s definitive victory over sin and death. Even when evil appeared to have the upper hand, +TCK was convinced that Christ would be (and is) triumphant.

+TCK would remind us that bishops are sinful men called to be holy and lead others to sanctity—in spite of their imperfections.

+Thomas Cajetan Kelly, O.P. was such a man. In site of his imperfections, his sins, he grew in holiness and inspired others to do the same. By the grace of God, he is now at peace. I am quite sure that from his place in heaven he intercedes for all bishops—that they may be men of courage and of hope who can inspire confidence and trust in God’s faithful people.

Silence and speech belong together. The one presupposes the other. 

Our modern culture is suffused with noise. Non-stop chatter (the stuff of Cable TV), incessant music, advertising and talk, talk, talk surround us. No room for silence. No space for reflection. No opportunities for clear, quiet thinking let alone thoughtful conversation among colleagues or friends.

The truth is that genuine speech requires periods of reflective silence. I cannot really say what is in my heart—or on my mind—if I have no time to gather my thoughts and emotions, to make sense of my innermost hopes and my most penetrating fears.

Silence can be liberating—freeing me from the tyranny of ideas, values and habits imposed on me by the external world. In silence, I can sort things out. I can discover what is true. I can decide what is real.

Following an appropriate period of silence, I can speak wisely, thoughtfully, with loving care. I can turn down the noise and separate myself from the blabbering crowd.

Help me, Lord, to be silent sometimes. To listen to the soft, still whisper of your voice.

How I long for the stillness of your Word and the fullness of your holy silence!

Stillness is the tranquility of the inner life; the quiet at the depths of its hidden stream. It is a collected, total presence, a “being all there,” receptive, alert, ready. There is nothing inert or oppressive about it.  

Attentiveness that is the clue to the stillness in question, the stillness before God. (Romano Guardini)

What a foreign idea—stillness, tranquility, complete openness to “the inner life,” to God!

Our culture thrives on motion, restlessness and noise 24/7. Nonstop activity and anxiety. No standing still. No keeping quiet. No reflective pausing. No inner peace. 

Where can we go to find stillness? Nature offers possibilities—breathtaking vistas, quiet streams, starlit nights—almost anywhere that people are not (at least not in great numbers). Churches used to be tranquil places. Now they are too often frenetic places of busyness—centers of fellowship and enthusiastic entertainment. Sometimes there is stillness in an Adoration Chapel or in the main body of the Church after all the worshippers have gone. 

Stillness can sometimes be found in the quiet of a room with all electronic devices turned off and with no interruptions permitted. Such moments are rare, but possible if we seek them out, cultivate them and cherish them. 

Attentiveness is the clue to stillness before God. 

Please, Lord, help me be quiet, tranquil and at peace—at least sometimes.