Pope Benedict's Irish crisis summit
"It's not our business as individual bishops to discuss publicly a resignation. That's something that will happen or will not happen as a result of the overall discussion that will take place." came to addressing one of the still-unresolved issues at the Vatican summit. Bishop Duffy is acting as spokesman for the Conference of Irish bishops while they meet Pope Benedict in what is widely described as an "unprecedented" encounter.
Popes meet bishops all the time, but no-one can remember a time when a pope summoned all the bishops of one national conference . When Pope John Paul II summoned all the US cardinals for a crisis meeting in 2002, also dealing with the mishandling of clerical sex abuse, resignations followed. If any resignation follows the summit with Irish bishops, the first to go is likely to be the bishop of Galway, Martin Drennan. Of the five bishops still-serving named in the Murphy Report, Bishop Drennan is the only one who has so far refused to resign. He maintains that he did nothing wrong; that the only reference to him in the Murphy Report is a note acknowledging that he acted appropriately. This much is true. But campaigners say he must bear some responsibility for what he did not do. Bishops share collective responsibility for the actions, and inaction, of the church, they say. And they are not alone in calling for Bishop Drennan's resignation; the distinguished moral theologian Fr Vincent Twomey has echoed their calls.
A fifth resignation, even if it comes, will not be enough to deal with the culture of contempt that now confronts Ireland's Catholic bishops. Many devout Catholics are now saying, "Things have got to change." But there's the rub: what has to change? Drafts of the Pope's pastoral letter to Ireland's Catholics -- and a pastoral letter addressed to a single country is also unprecedented in the recent history of the Holy See -- but early reports suggest that the letter will not mention structural or organizational change. Instead, we understand, the letter will be an expression of humility in the face of an overwhelming crisis, with statements of repentance, requests for forgiveness, a commitment to make sure that nothing like this can ever happen again, and words of encouragement to the Catholic faithful.
Even the language of repentance could prove problematic for the Vatican. Campaigners say they want to hear the Pope apologize to victims and their families. Others say this is not about words: it's about the need for a full-scale reformation of the Irish church. They want the Vatican to oversee a massive reduction in the number of dioceses, in an effort to lift the quality of episcopal leadership. They want new structures to give the laity more of a say in the running of their church. They want more openness in decision-taking, more transparency in explaining the decisions that have been taken, and more accountability from those taking the decisions. In short, they want bishops to look, sound and behave like they are servants of the church, rather than Lords of the episcopal manor.
If reports of the draft pastoral letter are accurate, they are likely to be disappointed.
Comment number 1.
At 16th Feb 2010, LucyQ wrote:Repentance huh! I wonder did any of those religious that committed crimes against children give up perpetrating cruelty for Lent?
Tanya Gold's Cif today offers a bit of humour on religion:
"Witchcraft is the most benign of all the silly religions"
I agree with Gold that Jedi Knightism or Witchcraft are benign and yet the biggest elephant in the room with regards to silly religions that really are dangerous and not true is RCism. Waving a magic wand while chanting over a cookie does not turn it into a god people. How is it that seemingly intelligent people can profess irrational beliefs? IMO it is an expression of emotional immaturity. Too many are quite unwilling to accept that life is what it is and no amount of superstitious mumbo- jumbo will result in life after death. No cleric has any more insight into the after life than my cat Kitty.
A suggested read:
"Chris Hallquist debunks the Ressurection"
"a compelling case that the resurrection story is a legend that grew up among the early followers of Jesus, not the rationalisation of facts about an empty tomb - indeed, we have no reason to believe that any such "empty tomb" ever existed. The historical records are far too murky for that."
I am just back home from a trip to India and continue to feel astonishment on hearing the churchie folks going on about the trauma of Easter. What a load that is. Take a look at families living under tarps on the sidewalks of Mumbai or pass by a teenage leprosy victim begging and face reality. I'll take Haiti for $200 Alex please.
The Irish expose' seems like small potatoes compared to the ongoing abuse perpetrated by religious bearers around the world. A nun in Kerala (India), Sister Jesme, has published a little autobiography about abuses ongoing there.
While riding on a local Kerala backwater ferry a nun boarded and bee lined to sit next to me. (My husband was sitting behind me and chuckled.) Our conversation was limited due to language barriers however the usual topics of family etc. were happily made. After a while she asked if I am a Catholic. I said oh no, Atheist, no gods. She moved away and became silent. After a while she moved back and remarked 'you are rich people, we are poor people'. Bingo I thought to myself. She gets it and the sad thing is that the RC Church is preying on the poor there and everywhere.
Do you all know that the RC church is the wealthiest corporation in Kerala and that is is buying up land from poor farmers and turning the properties to profit by selling them to luxury hotel developers? The current CEO, the pope, is directing the financial grab bagging too.
I could go on about what the Catholic Church and the Vatican should be held accountable for. My point in raising the Kerala info is to ask what is the excuse for modern Irish people who continue to finance and patronize Roman Catholicism or any other silly religion when you all have the luxury of being European?
Oust the lot of them and set yourselves free.
The voices screaming into the abyss that any other group of individuals that systemically perpetrated such crimes would be bankrupted paying fines and the criminals doing time. What makes some afraid of priests?
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Comment number 2.
At 16th Feb 2010, mccamleyc wrote:Silly girl.
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Comment number 3.
At 16th Feb 2010, romejellybeen wrote:The Irish Bishops have to listen to a sermon on humility from Ratzinger?
Did none of them bring with them the letter Ratzinger sent them in 2001 ordering them under pain of excommunication to keep quiet about the abuse and only report it to the CDF (him!!)?
The Bishops should surely say, "But we were only following orders." Ratzinger would understand that type of language as he's heard it before from many of his countrymen.
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Comment number 4.
At 16th Feb 2010, nobledeebee wrote:Why do the moderaters allow McCamleyc to post abusive messages to a previous poster. He has not even tried to construct an answer.
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Comment number 5.
At 16th Feb 2010, mccamleyc wrote:Godwin's law again.
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Comment number 6.
At 16th Feb 2010, mccamleyc wrote:God forbid we might have free speech.
In an overly long and tedious post Lucy said my religion was "silly".
In a short and snappy response I said so was she.
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Comment number 7.
At 16th Feb 2010, Heliopolitan wrote:The pain felt by many decent honest people who are nonetheless religious believers is real. It would definitely help if they gave very serious consideration to the underpinnings of their "faith". Letting it all go, lock, stock and barrel, is NOT a bad thing; non-belief in gods and non-patronage of organisations guilty of Corporate/Institutional Child Abuse are not bad things.
Just become atheists, folks. It's not hard, it is enormously intellectually fulfilling, and it allows you to find out for yourself what is really going on without having to slavishly follow the dictates of some other punter (whether they are atheist or theist themselves).
Look, Father Dougal Maguire has had it right all along. You KNOW this. You KNOW the resurrection is a myth; you KNOW that god isn't *really* real. It's not as if you're meant to believe all that, is it, Ted?
There are a lot more atheists around than you think - come and join us (that includes you, Chris ;-)
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Comment number 8.
At 16th Feb 2010, MarcusAureliusII wrote:Who said there are only four bishops on a chessboard? How appropriate. More advanced chess players are familiar with a rare position called "zugzwang." Your king is not in immediate check but only it can move and any possible move it makes is fatal. That seems to be where the Pope is right now.
How can the Catholics of Ireland or anywhere look to the Church with anything other than contempt let alone spiritual guidance after this? How many other countries has this happened in and when will the next shoe drop?
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Comment number 9.
At 16th Feb 2010, Gladys Ganiel wrote:In William's original post, I am intrigued by the idea that the Pope's pastoral letter is going to be disappointing. If this is the case, it could be even worse for the Catholic Church by raising people's hopes. It is also interesting to note in today's media reports the reactions of victims and survivors to the talks - most are disappointed or angry.
There is also an idea out there - see Patsy McGarry in the Irish Times -- that the Vatican is shifting blame from itself onto the Irish Catholic Church exclusively.
I think the full-scale reorganisation of the Irish Catholic Church that William talks about would be aided if the Vatican itself admitted more responsibility.
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Comment number 10.
At 16th Feb 2010, David Kerr wrote:What have the Irish bishops got on Ratzinger? That is the key question that will shape all that follows.
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Comment number 11.
At 17th Feb 2010, MarcusAureliusII wrote:To find out what the Vatican knew and when they knew it, besides testimony the courts should subpoena all documents. If the Vatican won't cooperate, prehaps the venue should be the ICC where it could be forced to cooperate. I think the conspiracy angle should be pursued in the criminal prosecution. The ICC should begin a wider investigation to determine if the conspiracy and abuse extends to other countries. The Vatican is not only acting with impunity, it is being deference that should not be shown to an organization suspected of widespread criminal activity.
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