Church in
Crisis Parishioners make their voices heard
By ARTHUR JONES and PATRICK
ONEILL
As U.S. Catholic bishops prepared for their June meeting in
Dallas, lay Catholics on both coasts met to discuss the continuing scandal of
clergy sex abuse and hierarchical cover-ups.
In North Carolina, a local chapter of the Catholic group Call to
Action held a discussion about reforms needed in light of the scandal, while
parishioners in California produced a statement that was given to their
regional bishop, hoping it will be useful for the Dallas
meeting.
Noting that the victims of abuse and their families have had
to sue the church in order to have their say, the statement by members of
Our Lady of Grace Church in Encino, Calif., asked, How did we get to the
point where Christian leaders feel it is their right and duty to treat others
in such an unchristian way, and to show such an appalling lack of care? The
church too closely resembles a dysfunctional family, where the victims are
blamed and honest discussion and expression is avoided at all cost.
The Encino statement grew out of five parish meetings of several
hundred parishioners. What resonated at those meetings was the extent of
the outrage, said pastor Fr. Austin Doran, who called the meetings.
First of all the horror of the priests betraying their trust and the
depth of that tragedy and the consequences of that on the victims, he
said. To keep the discussion focused, he said, a person who had been abused by
a priest or by someone else was present at each meeting.
The greater measure of outrage, he said, was reserved for
the response of the hierarchy in handling it. Especially the whole area of
cover-up. The outrage at the arrogance -- and continuing arrogance -- of a
hierarchy that does not seem to be embracing their responsibility and opening
up to the people.
The statement demanded that any accusations of abuse of minors by
a priest be reported to the police, and that proven allegations result in
permanent removal from ministry. Terms of civil settlements should be fully
disclosed, it said.
The unconscionable conduct of the hierarchy over the years
in handling these matters has multiplied the number of abuse victims and
demoralized good priests, religious and people of faith, the parishioners
said.
Even now, the behavior of some of the hierarchy shows them
to be out of touch and lacking in compassion. Church leaders have not yet
clearly admitted their fault: They continue their misguided efforts to protect
the reputation of the church, but are only making matters worse by protecting
the guilty at the expense of the innocent.
The parishioners added, Recent statements suggest that the
Vatican is seriously out of touch with American Catholics.
They called for renewed spiritual leadership, operating out
in the open and accountable to the people of God. We look forward with hope to
the day when a healing process for our church can truly begin, which will
require truth, honesty and participation of the laity in
decision-making.
The statement was provided to Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Gerald
Wilkerson before the U.S. bishops June meeting.
Meanwhile, in North Carolina, about 150 people gathered in a
suburban Raleigh parish June 9 in hopes that the current crisis will push the
envelope on other points of contention.
Its not just the pedophile issue, said Mary
Andrews, who attended the discussion titled Laity and Clergy Together:
Reclaiming Our Church. Maybe that will open a door to, Come
on, lets take a look, and lets get healthier together.
The event was held at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, a new
parish in Apex, N.C., and was sponsored by Call To Action of North Carolina,
the state affiliate of the national Catholic peace and justice group, which
supports womens ordination among other controversial positions.
Andrews, a member of the Newman Catholic Student Center, a parish
connected to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said she and many
other Catholic women want full discipleship in the church. I
still surely dont feel like I have a voice, Andrews said.
Its a good old boys club. Thats not healthy for
anybody.
Among the three priests at the forum -- host pastor Fr. Donald
Staib, Franciscan Fr. David McBriar of Durhams Immaculate Conception
Church, and Fr. J. Paul Byron, who, at age 81, still serves as sacramental
minister at a rural church -- there was also support for major reforms and more
inclusiveness.
I feel that the heart of the problem is not going to be
addressed until we address the openness of the ministry to other than celibate
priests, Byron said. My solution is a simple one, that we make the
first item of our agenda the urging of bishops to ordain married
deacons.
Byron said he is heartily in favor of the ordination of
women, but said it is more likely to happen if incremental steps are
taken. I wasnt even saying ordination open to all married men --
start with the availables. Theyre already deacons.
Get one thing
clarified and active then maybe we can move to the next.
McBriar said that the churchs clericalism substitutes
power for service, he said. It relies on the belief that priests
are a special class of people whose decisions and authority should not be
opposed because they are based upon a divinely conferred office.
He said that clericalism pays token obedience to
teachings of the Second Vatican Council that emphasize the role of the people
of God by inviting laymen and laywomen into the liturgical life of the
church as eucharistic ministers, or, in a few dioceses, by giving them some
part in the governance of the diocese by appointing them chancellor. One might
well question to what extent they are really part of the governance of the
diocese.
Clericalism also fosters abuse of power, McBriar said, and to
combat that, the church should look to ordaining prophets. Where do we
find them? Arent prophets rare in any age? No. They can be found in every
walk of life. Search them out. They often may be over 50 years old, seasoned by
experience and the gospel. Some may be grandparents. The church should not fear
ordaining such people. They have served the community of faith for years, and
have a rich experience of ministry.
Andrews, who calls herself a product of democracy,
said her church is not a democratic church. Im looking for hope.
Im looking for inspiration. Im looking for energy. I want to
believe that we all can reclaim the church.
Others were less hopeful as the meeting ended. Ann Powers, another
member of the Newman Center community, said, I feel more depressed than I
did before, because I think for the first time I realize how formidable is the
task before the church now.
Arthur Jones is NCR editor at large. His e-mail address
is ajones96@aol.com. Patrick ONeill is a freelance writer
living in Raleigh, N.C.
National Catholic Reporter, June 21,
2002
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