EDITORIAL Imagine all bishops going to prison
The popes appeal to the
worlds bishops to visit a prison during Jubilee year 2000 deserves
universal applause.
At a time when liberal societies have largely vanished, when
hard-nosed, right-wing solutions are applied to most of societys ills,
prisons are a prime growth industry. Barbed wire topped fortresses, usually
just out of sight so as not to disturb us, testify to our communal failure at
living together. Even in this country, where critics say prisoners are coddled,
those who have done time bring back stories of brutality and inhumanity. Yet
our jails are a soft touch compared with some of the worlds hellholes
where dehumanized sections of humanity rot away.
No doubt, most of those in jail did wrong. Many did terrible
things. They deserve to be punished. But the rate at which both prisons and
crimes multiply indicates the system isnt working. Its not a matter
of reform here or there; we need a consciousness adjustment so radical that we
will rethink crime and punishment from the ground up.
While much of the world seems morally adrift, the Catholic church,
with a billion members, is one of very few entities with enough energy and
moral authority left to tackle such vast issues. This includes capital
punishment, the tip of the iceberg, but it gets down to the most fundamental
ground of good and evil.
Society has learned by now that people cant be punished into
submission or coerced into goodness. People, the good ones and bad, must become
engaged at some deeper level, not only physical but psychological and
spiritual. Any viable solution should include the possibility of redemption, an
elusive concept that challenges humanitys best instincts.
Imagine what might happen if every bishop on earth accepted John
Pauls challenge. Imagine them arriving every which way, barefoot or in
limousines, at jails that even God seemed to have abandoned. Imagine the
nuisance they would create for prison administrations, the sensation they would
be for the media, the contempt they would meet from many prisoners, the solace
and hope they might bring to others. Imagine all the bishops making this a
worldwide topic of conversation and action.
Imagination is the key. This is the kind of imaginative gesture
John Paul has made all too seldom. Too preoccupied with keeping the lid on
doctrine and discipline, he failed to use his vast popularity to act rather
than react, to enable rather than control. Yet its never too late.
Then imagine what a difference the bishops could make together, a
brand new collegiality. It would be a calamity if this inspired idea were
allowed to fade.
National Catholic Reporter, May 7,
1999
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