Catholic journalism should promote dialog, discussion and respectful disagreement 

February is Catholic Press Association month. It’s a good time to express our appreciation for the faith-filled professionals who carry out the vitally important work of Catholic social communications. It’s also an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the fundamental values of journalism, especially Catholic journalism.

When I first started writing for the weekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, The Criterion, in the early 1990s, there was lots of discussion about the degree of separation that should exist between Catholic media and Church hierarchy. Many argued that a free and independent press was needed in order to hold Church leaders accountable and keep the Catholic community informed about issues that might otherwise be “swept under the carpet.” 

The revelations of the past two decades concerning clergy sexual abuse, and allegations of cover up by popes and bishops, has heightened our awareness of the need for transparency and accountability. At the same time, the media’s uncritical acceptance of investigative reports by government agencies who claim to expose cover ups by Church leaders has cast some doubt on the ability of journalists to convey truthfully what is actually going on in complex cases of abuse where the truth is not easy to discover, interpret correctly, or disclose to the public.

In his 2019 World Day of Communications message, published January 24, Pope Francis warns against the dangers of using social media to divide rather than unite people. “We define ourselves starting with what divides us rather than with what unites us,” the pope says, “giving rise to suspicion and the venting of every kind of prejudice (ethnic, sexual, religious and other).” 

This admonition applies to all forms of social communications. Talk radio, for example, can be bitterly divisive. So can network and cable TV programs. Even worse, as Pope Francis points out frequently, is gossip, the “word of mouth” network that appears to rejoice in the sins of others (real or imagined) and that, whether true or not, are embellished out of all proportion in the repeated telling.

Social media too often raises destructive backyard gossip to a global enterprise. We need only consider the distorted story of the young men from Covington Catholic High School which went viral in a matter of moments and set in motion attacks, counterattacks and even death threats from people on virtually all ends of the political spectrum. Where was the truth in the telling of that very sad story?

When The Criterion was inaugurated on October 7, 1960, an editorial offered a summary of the newspaper’s journalistic philosophy: “We will be attempting the difficult task of applying to concrete, specific situations the religious and moral ideals of the Catholic Faith. It is not a task in which one can enjoy the easy certitude of reiterating high principles and unarguable platitudes. One must get specific, and to be specific one must know more than principles; one must be acquainted with the relevant facts of each situation or issue. No one is going to be totally right all the time in an effort of this scope.” 

Knowing the facts would seem to be more important now than ever in an age when “news”—whether  real or false, understated or exaggerated, unifying or divisive—travels through cyberspace at a rate of speed unimaginable in 1960.  

The Criterion’s first editorial made a commitment to its readers that is worth repeating: “We do not propose to be non-controversial. Controversy means at least that someone is awake. It does not have to mean that someone is boiling mad.”

Pope Francis would agree. The goal of authentic journalism is “communion,” the coming together of individuals and groups by means of open dialog, free discussion, and, when necessary, respectful disagreement over the relevant facts of each situation or issue. Character assassination, vitriolic insults and ideological diatribes are not journalism. They are certainly not Catholic journalism.

As predicted in The Criterion’s first editorial, even the best Catholic journalists don’t get it right all the time.  But with all due humility, I think we succeed a lot more often than we fail.

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.