Benedict XVI has earned headlines and goodwill on this, his first visit as pope to the United States, by speaking out repeatedly about his anguish over the clergy sexual abuse scandal and yesterday meeting with a small group of abuse victims. The pope on Wednesday also told the American bishops at a meeting that some of them had "badly mishandled" some abuse cases--the first public suggestion from the pope or the Vatican the the bishops, who most Catholics continue to blame for the scope of the crisis, bore a measure of responsibility.
But Benedict's successor as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's main defender of church orthodoxy, today said the pontiff's words do not implicate the bishops in wrongdoing and that no bishops will face sanctions.
At a lunch meeting with journalists sponsored by Time magazine, Cardinal William Levada, the former San Francisco archbishop who Joseph Ratzinger named to replace himself at the CDF when Ratzinger was elected pope, bristled at a suggestion that some bishops had "aided and abetted" priest-abusers by not acting to remove them.
"I don't believe that," Levada said. "I know bishops who have said to me, if I had known then what I know now, I would have acted differently." But he said the bishops who moved abusers around to other parishes or did not remove them from ministry were acting on bad advice from experts and psychiatrists.
"So it [the scandal] has been a learning experience for bishops," the cardinal said.
"I personally do not accept that there has been a broad base of bishops guilty of aiding and abetting pedophiles...If I thought there were, I would certainly want to talk to them about that."
On other matters...
...Cardinal Levada said that he had no input on the pope's addresses or preparation for this visit, even though Levada is the highest-ranking American ever to work in Rome. "I have my own little work to do all the time," Levada said drolly.
Asked about the question of giving communion to pro-choice Catholic politicians, Levada largely demurred. But he did seem to side against a handful of hard-liners in the U.S. hierarchy who have staked out an independent position on the practice, or at least against the current patchwork of positions. "My stand is that I don't think our Catholic population is served by a territorial morality." He said he hoped that when the election season ends there could be a "more serene and effective discussion" about church teaching and what ought to be done in this regard.
Returning to the issue of the scandal, Levada was asked if, in light of the pope's visibility on the abuse crisis, the Vatican foresaw any subsequent action or envisioned a future course for policies or programs. "That's a good question that I really hadn't thought of," Levada said. He said the pope's words and actions were meant to be "exemplary," in the sense of setting a pastoral example for others to follow. He said he hoped victims' stories would now "be given more prominence."
Levada later told a few reporters that the CDF was begininning to work through the backlog of laicization cases that had once built up to more than 700, according to reports. He did not say how many remained to be adjudicated. He also seemed to indicate that the CDF was considering ways to raise the church's canonical statute of limitations on reporting sexual abuse. He noted that it often took many years before victims felt they could come forward and report such abuse.
I also asked the cardinal if he could clarify remarks that the pope made on the plane that distinguished between pedophilia and homosexuality--a linkage many have tried to make. "I would not speak in this moment about homosexuality but pedophilia, which is another thing. We will absolutely exclude pedophiles from the sacred ministry," Benedict said.
Yet his statements raised questions about what the pope meant (there was no opportunity for follow-up) and whether his words signaled a re-thinking of the Vatican statement in 2006 that seemed to bar gay men from the seminary.
Levada said he would not interpret the remarks as any modification of the seminary policy. But he said he wasn't sure what else the pope's words indicated. "I don't know what to make of that myself," Levada said. He said he believes Benedict wanted to focus on "the grave problem of pedophilia"--defined as the abuse of a pre-pubescent child by an adult--rather than what Levada calls "ephebephilia," or "homosexual acting out with adolescent boys."
Levada called ephebephilia a clinical term, but it is not listed in the DSM and mention of it raises many red flags among experts and within the gay community. Victims advocates also dislike the term, preferring to denote all sexual activity by an adult on a minor as child abuse, which is the criminal and civil law definition.
In short, there still seems to be little clarity. Many believe the pope was trying to make a distinction in order to shield homosexuals from efforts to identify gays with pedophiles. That seems like an obvious--and laudable--goal. But the standing of gay men vis-a-vis holy orders is still a bit uncertain, and seems likely to remain the ecclesiastical version of "don't ask, don't tell."
On a lighter note, Levada told a good story about Benedict's White House welcome on Wednesday. As the 15 or so churchmen in the papal entourage lined up to meet President Bush, Benedict brightened when Cardinal Levada, an American, stepped up. Benedict said, "Oh, Mr. President, this is my successor." Benedict meant his successor at the CDF. But Levada saw Bush raise his eyebrows as if wondering whether Benedict had put the fix in for the Yank. "Oh my God, he's not thinking I'm the heir apparent!" Levada said.
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What about crimes, RelicMM, especially crimes against children? Are you suggesting we turn our backs on criminal activity and leave it for God to judge? What about clear violations of Church policies, USCCB Charters, diocesan Codes of Conduct for employees and volunteers? Shall we ignore those, too?
The Dominican Sisters taught me that "Church" is made up of people, servants of God. Are you truly suggesting that individuals within the Church should not be held to account for their own actions and inactions? If so, please re-read the Catholic Catechism.
The hierarchy has proven itself incapable of self-policing and enforcing it's own policies. If Catholics in the pews (God's servants)do not stand up and "make sure priests act like priests and bishops act like bishops" (Fulton Sheen) then, yes, God will judge those who engaged in sinful deeds against children, those who were complicit in such deeds, and those who did nothing to stop it.
If the salvation of souls is our goal, as Catholic Christians, it is our duty to rebuke those who permit harm to children and bring scandal to the Body of Christ. Mahoney, George, and Doran deserve such rebuke.
Kate: How do you suggest the Church go about policing and enforcing its disciplines and doctrines? Do you know for certain that everything you have heard is true. I agree that criminals should be held accountable, but unfortunately perhaps scandal is a sin not a crime. I am somewhat inclined not to totally discount the rumors of a conspiracy in the highest levels of the hierarchy to bring down the Catholic Church. What would work better than to create a scandal on this magnitude that forces innocent parishioners to pay millions for the actions of those that violated the doctrines of the Catholic Church and bankrupt entire dioceses. Bear in mind that I am not saying this is true, but what would happen if it were? I do know the Catholic Church promised to be without error is being wrongly stained by actions that conspire against doctrine. I don't know what the answer is, but I have confidence that Benedict XVI is the Pope we truly need to address these problems. Blaming him for not being everywhere at the same time is a scandal as well. I am not discounting your obviously heartfelt questions. nor am I putting down those that were truly abused. I believe that only God can sort it all out. I do know the guilty will be judged justly, and that was the point of my blog.
RelicMM, I'm not talking about enforcing dogma here and I don't get my information from the rumor mill. I've read the USCCB Child Protection Charter and it's related documents. I've read the Code of Coduct of my diocese (Rockford) and know from first-hand experiences of repeated violations with absolutely no accountability. I've attended court hearings with Church attorneys playing legal hardball with victims of clergy child abuse in both civil and criminal courts. This is after their Charter promised openness, transparency, and compassion for the victims. The billions of dollars in judgments - paid for by parishioners - are part of the hierachy's game of secrecy. They refuse to go to trial where they might have to release self-incriminating documents and tell the truth so they simply use their lawyers to wear down the victims to the point where they just want it to end. Bishops and cardinals nationwide are using Sunday collections to a re-victimize those who have already been assaulted and it is still happening today. Cardinal George claims victims are just after the money but it's the hierarchy's unwillingness to go to trial that drives the settlements up, not the victims.
I haven't heard anyone blame the pope for not being everywhere at the same time. Benedict XVI admitted last week that he, like St. Peter, is imperfect and makes mistakes. Though the divine element of the Church is perfect, the human element is far from it. Jesus chose imperfect married men to lead the Church and there has been error in the Church ever since.
Amazingly, the Church seems to have no effective system of checks and balances and assumes everyone will always do the right thing. All humans occassionally succumb to temptations - even clergy. But the current structure of the Church is unable to weed out sin and corruption within it's own walls and instead is fertile ground for it to propogate which has indeed, sadly, happened. The Church needs to be reformed to address this defect. Otherwise, history will keep repeating itself.
The good news is, God isn't going to wait to sort it out. He has already called upon His servants to step up and speak out for the good of the Church and for the good of His people, especially the wounded. Many who have answered His call have been punished by the hierarchy for doing so. I've met a principal in Chicago who was fired by Cardinal George for reporting one of her student's claims of abuse by the pastor. I've met a teacher who continues to be harassed and lied about by a pastor who threatened to sue her after she reported abuse of a student by a priest. My own pastor pulled the plug on my involvement in parish ministries, gave a 20-minute homily at weekend Masses against my husband, and has posted on the internet a voicemail message I left him as well as private letters I wrote. We are called "clergy killers" and "dissidents" for advocating for healing and demanding the hierarchy follow our civil laws and its own written policies.
I hope this pope does a better job than the last in rooting these evils out of the Church. But I will not place any confidence in him as long as certain individuals are still in positions of power. The people in the pews must rise up and demand the hierarchy clean up its act. For a closer look at one parish and its experience with the clergy abuse scandal, check out wearecatholics.com. For a look into 'the devil's playground' which has nauseated many people who just took a quick look, go to my pastor's website, ctlnyc.com. Remember, faith is dead with only prayer. We must act.
Kate: I won't dispute most of what you have said. Unfortunately Mary is the only perfect human so God had to rely on imperfect humans, but their sins are not the sins of the Church. If the Church had been followed, the scandal would have been avoided so I see no need to change its infallible structure. What needs to be changed, is for every Catholic to start obeying the Magisterium without reservation which seems to have been the main theme of the visit of BXVI. But all he can do is ask, there is no way he can prevent the individual sins of humanity. I was so in hope that Cardinal George would be able to straighten up the mess he inherited from his predecessor who was considered by some as the paramount influence in condoning homosexuals for the priesthood. I too am disappointed in him and in other Cardinals who have and are are still creating scandal as well. My heart goes out to Benedict XVI in his efforts to assuage the scandal and chaos in the wake of VCII that was not of his making.
Ridding homosexuals from seminaries is a diversion tactic used by the hierarchy to change the subject and divert the light of truth away from their own deeds. One of the main tenets of our faith and the teaching of the Magisterium is that of repentence, reparations, and reconciliation - for all, from the pope on down (as they would say). It is ridiculous for "the Church" to focus on homosexuals in seminaries when a huge number of clergy are so filled with pride that they sorely fail in the 3R department. The pope doesn't need to "prevent the sins of humanity". He does need to humble some very proud and arrogant cardinals, bishops, and monsignors - with demotion, early retirement, or laicization. That would be in accordance to the teachings of the Magisterium. By the way, I wonder what you would think is worse, a celibate priest with homosexual leanings or hetersexual priests who sleep with female married parishioners who come to them for counseling regarding her troubled marriage and thereby breaking up the marriage completely. I only ask because there is evidence two priests in my parish have done just that in the past 5 years. Personally, I would have rather had homosexual-type priests who were true to their vows and not living like hypocrites. God b with u.
p.s. I wouldn't be too down on homosexuals. Many were doing just fine until their priests raped and sodomized them while they were adolescent and prepubescent - a time of finding oneself and discovering one's own sexual identity. So, if there is anyone to blame for their "perversions", wouldn't that be their rapists and the bishops who transferred them around?