DOCSLIB.ORG

Original Report In

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Original Report In A Report on the Crisis in the Catholic Church in the United States. The National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People Established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The Honorable Anne Burke Robert S. Bennett Interim Board Chair Research Committee Chair Dr. Michael Bland William Burleigh Nicholas P. Cafardi Jane Chiles Dr. Alice Bourke Hayes Pamela Hayes The Honorable Petra Jimenez Maes Dr. Paul McHugh The Honorable Leon Panetta Ray Siegfried II February 27, 2004 National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People 3211 FOURTH STREET NE • WASHINGTON DC 20017-1194 February 27,2004 BY HAND Justice Anne M. Burke Robert S. Bennett, Esq. Most Reverend Wilton Gregory Michael Bland, Psy.o., D.Min. Bishop of Belleville, Mr. William R. Burleigh President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Nicholas Cafardi, Esq. 3211 Fourth Street, N.E. Mrs. Jane Chiles Washington, D.C. 20017 Alice Bcurke Hayes, Ph.D. Pamela D. Hayes, Esq. Dear Bishop Gregory: Justice Petra Jimenez Maes Paul R. McHugh, M.D. In accordance with our mandate under the Charter for the Protection Honorable Leon Panetta of Children and Young People, the members of the National Review Board for the Mr. Ray Siegfried Protection of Children and Young People present the enclosed Report on the Causes and Context of the Current Crisis in the Catholic Church. We are grateful for having been given an opportunity to be of service to the Church. Sincerely, ~~ .. ~dV1~Hon. Anne M. Burke obert S. Bennett Interim Chair ~ tQ"u.J)i' !?J'c~~ Dr. Michael land ~~~< ,t'o Nicholas P. Cafardi [ZilA-<--- IJ }h.<~,; Dr. Alice Bourke Hay'es ~l t?LM v yVI.~ r--- . Paul R. McHugh Enclosure A Report on the Crisis in the Catholic Church in the United States. The National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People Established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The Honorable Anne Burke Robert S. Bennett Interim Board Chair Research Committee Chair Dr. Michael Bland William Burleigh Nicholas P. Cafardi Jane Chiles Dr. Alice Bourke Hayes Pamela Hayes The Honorable Petra Jimenez Maes Dr. Paul McHugh The Honorable Leon Panetta Ray Siegfried II February 27, 2004 Copyright © 2004, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder. Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION ... .. 1 II. SUMMARy .................................................. 4 III. BACKGROUND ............................................. 12 A. The National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People .......................................... 12 1. The Membership of the Review Board and Its Mission ... 13 2. The Purpose and Scope of This Report ................ 15 3. The Methodology Employed by the Review Board ....... 17 B. Overview of the Problem of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests .. 19 C. The John Jay College Study ............................... 21 1. Summary of Survey Data ........................... 22 2. Data Relating to Accused Priests . 24 3. Data Relating to Victims ........................... 25 4. Data Relating to Types of Reported Abuse ............. 27 5. Data Relating to Responses to Allegations of Abuse ..... 28 6. Data Relating to Time Period of the Reported Abuse ..... 29 D. Prior Efforts to Address the Problem of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests ............................................. 30 E. Manifestation of the Problem in the Boston Archdiocese ........ 38 F. The Response ofthe Vatican to the Problem .................. 42 G. The Charter and the Essential Norms ....................... 47 I. The Articles ofthe Charter. 48 2. The Essential Norms .............................. 52 H. Post-Charter Developments ............................... 60 IV. FINDINGS .................................................. 64 A. The Presence in the Priesthood of Persons Who Have Sexually Abused Minors . 64 1. Issues Relating to the Selection of Candidates for the Priesthood ...................................... 66 2. Issues Relating to the Formation of Candidates for the Priesthood ...................................... 72 3. Special Issues Relating to Sexual Orientation ........... 80 4. Special Issues Relating to Celibacy ................... 83 5. Special Issues Relating to Spiritual Life ............... 90 B. The Response of U.S. Church Officials to Sexual Abuse of Minors By Priests ............................................. 91 1. Understanding the Nature and Scope of the Abuse and the Harm it Caused .................................. 93 2. Responding to Victims ............................. 96 3. Presumptions in Favor of Accused Priests. .. 100 a. The Presumed Right to Ministry .............. 101 b. The Process of Laicization Under the Code of Canon Law ............................... 101 11 c. Clericalism . .. 104 d. Forgiveness Without Condemnation ........... 106 4. Secrecy and the Avoidance of Scandal 107 5. Dependence on the Therapeutic Model 112 6. Reliance on Attorneys ............................ 129 7. Considerations Relating to Religious Orders . .. 123 8. Episcopal Accountability . .. 125 a. The Selection and Assigmnent of Bishops ...... 127 b. Diocesan and Presbyteral Councils ............ 129 c. The Roles of the Metropolitan and the Conference . .. 133 d. Fraternal Correction . .. 13 7 V. RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................... 139 A. Further Study and Analysis .............................. 139 B. Enhanced Screening, Formation, and Oversight .............. 140 C. Increased Sensitivity and Effectiveness in Responding to Allegations of Abuse ................................... 142 D. Greater Accountability of Bishops and Other Church Leaders ... 143 E. Improved Interaction with Civil Authorities ................. 144 F. Meaningful Participation by the Christian Faithful in the Church............................................... 144 CODA 145 111 A Report on the Crisis in the Catholic Church in the United States. I. INTRODUCTION. The National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People (the "Review Board" or "Board"), composed oflay Catholics and chartered by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (the "Conference" or "USCCB"), issues this Report as part of its mandate to evaluate the "causes and context" of the crisis that has beset the Catholic Church in the United States as a result of the sexual abuse of minors by some members of the Catholic clergy and the inadequate re- sponse of bishops and other Church leaders to that abuse. The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People (the "Charter"), which the Conference adopted in June 2002, created the Review Board and directed it to "commission a comprehensive study ofthe causes and context of the current crisis." In response, the Board, acting through its Research Committee, has interviewed more than eighty-five individuals in sixty separate interviews, including: cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and other Church leaders in the United States and the Vatican; priests, former priests, seminarians, and theologians; victims of clergy abuse; psychiatrists, psychologists, and other medical professionals; civil 1 lawyers, canon lawyers, and law enforcement officials; and other knowledgeable lay people. Fnrther, the Board has consnlted numerous articles and studies written or conducted by experts in pertinent fields, as well as various public records relating to reported cases of abuse. In addition, the Board commissioned a study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York to develop empirical data 011 the nature and scope of the problem that precipitated the crisis. The purpose of the Report is to share the Review Board's findings and recommendations based upon its evaluation of the current crisis. Those findings seek to describe the problem and to address two fundamental questions posed by it. First, why did individuals with a disposition to prey sexually upon minors gain admission to the priesthood? Second, how did they manage to remain in the priesthood even after allegations and evidence of such abuse became known to their bishops and other Church leaders? Concerning the first ofthese questions, the Report provides the Review Board's findings with respect to the process of selecting and then forming candidates for the priesthood, with special attention to issues relating to sexual orientation, celibacy, and spiritual life. Concerning the second of these questions, the Report provides the Board's findings with respect to a number of shortcomings on the part of some bishops and Church officials, including: (i) a failure to grasp the gravity of the problem of sexual abuse of minors by priests; (ii) deficiencies in the response 2 to victims; (iii) unwarranted presumptions in favor of accused priests; (iv) reliance on secrecy and an undue emphasis on the avoidance of scandal; (v) excessive reliance on the therapeutic model in dealing with priest offenders; (vi) undue reliance upon legal advice that placed a premium on adversarial defense tactics at the expense of concern for victims of abuse; and (vii) a failure to hold themselves and other bishops accountable for mistakes, including a failure to make use oflay consultative bodies and other governance strnctures. This Report also offers
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Papal Politics, Paul VI, and Vatican II: the Reassertion of Papal Absolutism Written by Aaron Milavec
    Papal Politics, Paul VI, and Vatican II: The Reassertion of Papal Absolutism Written by Aaron Milavec This PDF is auto-generated for reference only. As such, it may contain some conversion errors and/or missing information. For all formal use please refer to the official version on the website, as linked below. Papal Politics, Paul VI, and Vatican II: The Reassertion of Papal Absolutism https://www.e-ir.info/2013/07/28/papal-politics-paul-vi-and-vatican-ii-the-reassertion-of-papal-absolutism/ AARON MILAVEC, JUL 28 2013 During the course of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), free and open discussions gradually took hold among the assembled bishops once the curial grip on the Council was challenged. Within this aggiornamento[1] that was endorsed by John XXIII, the bishops discovered how creative collaboration with each other and with the Holy Spirit served fruitfully to create sixteen documents overwhelmingly approved by the assembled bishops. Given the diversity of viewpoints and the diversity of cultures among the two thousand participants, this consensus building was an extraordinary mark of the charismatic gifts of the movers and shakers at the Council. As Paul VI took over the direction of the Council after the untimely death of John XXIII, he at first endorsed the processes of collegiality that had operated during the initial two years. With the passage of time, however, Paul VI began to use his papal office on multiple levels by way of limiting the competency of the bishops and by way of pushing forward points of view that he and the curia favored.
    [Show full text]
  • Clergy Sexual Abuse: Annotated Bibliography of Conceptual and Practical Resources
    Clergy Sexual Abuse: Annotated Bibliography of Conceptual and Practical Resources. Preface The phenomenon of sexual abuse as committed by persons in fiduciary relationships is widespread among helping professions and is international in scope. This bibliography is oriented to several specific contexts in which that phenomenon occurs. The first context is the religious community, specifically Christian churches, and particularly in the U.S. This is the context of occurrence that I best know and understand. The second context for the phenomenon is the professional role of clergy, a religious vocation and culture of which I am a part. While the preponderance of sources cited in this bibliography reflect those two settings, the intent is to be as comprehensive as possible about sexual boundary violations within the religious community. Many of the books included in this bibliography were obtained through interlibrary loan services that are available at both U.S. public and academic libraries. Many of the articles that are listed were obtained through academic libraries. Daily newspaper media sources are generally excluded from this bibliography for practical reasons due to the large quantity, lack of access, and concerns about accuracy and completeness. In most instances, author descriptions and affiliations refer to status at time of publication. In the absence of a subject or name index for this bibliography, the Internet user may trace key words in this PDF format through the standard find or search feature that is available as a pull-down menu option on the user’s computer. The availability of this document on the Internet is provided by AdvocateWeb, a nonprofit corporation that serves an international community and performs an exceptional service for those who care about this topic.
    [Show full text]
  • Transitional Justice and the Legacy of Child Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church
    CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE AND THE LEGACY OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH Elizabeth B. Ludwin King* I. INTRODUCTION In 1998, John Geoghan, a Massachusetts priest, was defrocked— stripped of any rights to perform as an ordained priest—for molesting children.1 Four years later, the Archbishop of Boston, Bernard Law, arguably one of the most influential people in the state, resigned from his position upon revelations that he knew of Geoghan’s actions and yet chose to send him to other parishes where he would still be in an environment with minors.2 In other parishes around and outside the United States, similar scenarios were, and had been, occurring for years: priests using their positions in order to engage in sexual acts with minors.3 When survivors began to speak up, they and their families were often offered “hush money” in order to prevent a scandal.4 Although the sexual abuse crisis came to the forefront in 2002 due to the investigative journalist team at the Boston Globe, reports of the sexual abuse of children by members of the clergy had been * Adjunct Professor, University of Denver Sturm School of Law. Many thanks to Kate Devlin for her research assistance. 1 See CNN, Priest in Sex Abuse Scandal Killed in Prison, CNN.COM (Aug. 23, 2003), http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/08/23/geoghan/. 2 See Rev. Raymond C. O’Brien, Clergy, Sex and the American Way, 31 PEPP. L. REV. 363, 373, 374 (2004). Law died on December 20, 2017 in Rome.
    [Show full text]
  • Abuse, Celibacy, Catholic, Church, Priest
    International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 2012, 2(4): 88-93 DOI: 10.5923/j.ijpbs.20120204.03 The Psychology Behind Celibacy Kas o mo Danie l Maseno University in Kenya, Department of Religion Theology and Philosophy Abstract Celibacy began in the early church as an ascetic discipline, rooted partly in a neo-Platonic contempt for the physical world that had nothing to do with the Gospel. The renunciation of sexual expression by men fit nicely with a patriarchal denigration of women. Non virginal women, typified by Eve as the temptress of Adam, were seen as a source of sin. In Scripture: Jesus said to the Pharisees, “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery.” His disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.” (Matthew 19:3-12).Jesus Advocates for optional celibacy. For nearly 2000 years the Catholic Church has proclaimed Church laws and doctrines intended to more clearly explain the teachings of Christ. But remarkably, while history reveals that Jesus selected only married men to serve as His apostles, the Church today forbids priestly marriage.
    [Show full text]
  • The Time Is 12:24
    18 THE VIDEOGRAPHER: The time is 12:24. 12:24:26 19 This is Cassette 2 in the deposition of 12:24:59 20 Cardinal Law. We're on the record. 12:24:59 21 Q Cardinal Law, just so the record is clear, 12:25:02 22 before you left as vicar general of Jackson, 12:25:06 23 Mississippi, you had had this conversation with 12:25:11 24 Father Broussard; is that correct? 12:25:14 105 1 A That's correct. 12:25:14 2 Q And you took no action to notify the 12:25:15 3 individuals at St. Peter's Parish that you can 12:25:19 4 recall at this time; is that correct? 12:25:21 5 A That's correct. 12:25:25 6 Q And did you also know a Father Thomas Boyce? 12:25:25 7 A I did. 12:25:28 8 Q And was Father Thomas Boyce also an individual 12:25:29 9 who came to your attention as a priest who had 12:25:33 10 molested children in Jackson, Mississippi, when 12:25:36 11 you were serving as vicar general? 12:25:39 12 A I don't have an active recall of that, but if 12:25:43 13 you bring the case before me, I might -- it 12:25:46 14 might come to light. 12:25:49 15 Q I don't have any case to bring in front of you. 12:25:52 16 I'm just asking whether you have -- your memory 12:25:54 17 might be refreshed between now and the time we 12:25:58 18 come back, which is fine.
    [Show full text]
  • Nebraska Bishops: Inquiry About Sex Abuse Will Provide Truth, Accountability
    Nebraska bishops: Inquiry about sex abuse will provide truth, accountability The Nebraska attorney general has asked the state’s three Roman Catholic dioceses for information on sexual abuse and other misconduct, and all three dioceses have said they will cooperate with the request. “We welcome accountability in our community,” Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha said Sept. 5. “The truth is good for everyone. I see this as a real moment of grace.” Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson is seeking documents from the last 40 years for any information on claims of sexual exploitation, including incidents of child pornography or “sexual communication with another person” by anyone with authority in the Church. Peterson’s letter reports that after his Aug. 16 formal request asking victims of sex abuse to come forward, his office received “a number of reports which have warranted further investigation,” the Omaha World-Herald reports. “We have worked collaboratively with our law enforcement officials,” said Lucas. “We also welcome any suggested improvements that would be helpful in making our safe environment program more effective.” “We remain committed in the Archdiocese of Omaha to the protection of young people and vulnerable adults, to the prevention of abuse, to healing for past victims of abuse and to cooperate with civil authorities in these matters,” the archbishop continued. The inquiry in Nebraska follows new or revisited allegations of sexual abuse of minors or other misconduct committed by priests in the Diocese of Lincoln as far back as the 1980s. Several priests have resigned as pastors, while alleged misconduct of a former vocations director for the diocese, who died in 2008, also became a matter of public attention.
    [Show full text]
  • Pdf (Accessed January 21, 2011)
    Notes Introduction 1. Moon, a Presbyterian from North Korea, founded the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity in Korea on May 1, 1954. 2. Benedict XVI, post- synodal apostolic exhortation Saramen- tum Caritatis (February 22, 2007), http://www.vatican.va/holy _father/benedict_xvi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi _exh_20070222_sacramentum-caritatis_en.html (accessed January 26, 2011). 3. Patrician Friesen, Rose Hudson, and Elsie McGrath were subjects of a formal decree of excommunication by Archbishop Burke, now a Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signa- tura (the Roman Catholic Church’s Supreme Court). Burke left St. Louis nearly immediately following his actions. See St. Louis Review, “Declaration of Excommunication of Patricia Friesen, Rose Hud- son, and Elsie McGrath,” March 12, 2008, http://stlouisreview .com/article/2008-03-12/declaration-0 (accessed February 8, 2011). Part I 1. S. L. Hansen, “Vatican Affirms Excommunication of Call to Action Members in Lincoln,” Catholic News Service (December 8, 2006), http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0606995.htm (accessed November 2, 2010). 2. Weakland had previously served in Rome as fifth Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation (1967– 1977) and is now retired. See Rembert G. Weakland, A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church: Memoirs of a Catholic Archbishop (Grand Rapids, MI: W. B. Eerdmans, 2009). 3. Facts are from Bruskewitz’s curriculum vitae at http://www .dioceseoflincoln.org/Archives/about_curriculum-vitae.aspx (accessed February 10, 2011). 138 Notes to pages 4– 6 4. The office is now called Vicar General. 5. His principal consecrator was the late Daniel E. Sheehan, then Arch- bishop of Omaha; his co- consecrators were the late Leo J.
    [Show full text]
  • September 1, 2019
    Saint Joseph ROMAN CATHOLIC Church 973-383-1985 Schedule of Masses Weekdays Monday-Friday at 12:05pm Weekends Saturday (Sunday Vigil) at 5:00pm Sunday at 8:00am, 9:30am, 11:30am Misa en Español todos los Domingos a las 2:30pm y tambien, el tercer Lunes del Mes a las 7:00pm Sacrament of reconciliation Saturday at 4:00-4:30pm or by appointment ALL Other Sacraments by Appointment Twenty-second Sunday in ordinary time - September 1, 2019 Our Parish Family is Served By Weekly Mass Intentions Father ST Sutton, Pastor Saturday 8/31 5:00pm Marie Fisher 973-383-1985 - [email protected] Steven Fanella Father Alexander Londono, Migrant Ministry Sunday 8:00am Michaella Hanifan st Fr. [email protected] September 1 Intentions of Finnuala Hanifan Father Edward Davey, Pastor Emeritus 9:30am Patricia Fitzpatrick Twenty-Second “Red” Fowler Deacon Thomas Zayac, Deacon Anne Savacool Sunday [email protected] in Ordinary Time 11:30am Nicholas Maresca Karen Glowatski, Office Administrator Margaret Vanarelli 973-383-1985 - [email protected] Monday 9/2 9:00am For the unemployed Doreen Zimmerman, Administrative Assistant 973-383-1985 - [email protected] Tuesday 9/3 12:05pm Marcosa Dazo Robert Figel Christine Shell, Director of Food Pantry Wednesday 9/4 12:05pm 973-383-1985 - [email protected] Thursday 9/5 12:05pm Oscar & Alcira Ortiz Faith Formation - [email protected] Friday 9/6 12:05pm June Komorowski Kelly Robinson, Director of Music Ministry Saturday 9/7 5:00pm Josette Ashway [email protected] Intentions of the Hanifan Family Sharon Eltzholtz, Bulletin Assistant Sunday 8:00am Viola D’Elia th [email protected] September 8 Raymond Glenn Lawrence Robert Lasser, Finance Administrator 9:30am Anne Savacool 973-383-1985 Doctor Henry J.
    [Show full text]
  • Sacerdotalis Caelibatus
    SACERDOTALIS CAELIBATUS ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PAUL VI ON THE CELIBACY OF THE PRIEST JUNE 24, 1967 To the Bishops, Priests and Faithful of the Whole Catholic World. Priestly celibacy has been guarded by the Church for centuries as a brilliant jewel, and retains its value undiminished even in our time when the outlook of men and the state of the world have undergone such profound changes. Amid the modern stirrings of opinion, a tendency has also been manifested, and even a desire expressed, to ask the Church to re-examine this characteristic institution. It is said that in the world of our time the observance of celibacy has come to be difficult or even impossible. 2. This state of affairs is troubling consciences, perplexing some priests and young aspirants to the priesthood; it is a cause for alarm in many of the faithful and constrains Us to fulfill the promise We made to the Council Fathers. We told them that it was Our intention to give new luster and strength to priestly celibacy in the world of today. (1) Since saying this We have, over a considerable period of time earnestly implored the enlightenment and assistance of the Holy Spirit and have examined before God opinions and petitions which have come to Us from all over the world, notably from many pastors of God's Church. Some Serious Questions 3. The great question concerning the sacred celibacy of the clergy in the Church has long been before Our mind in its deep seriousness: must that grave, ennobling obligation remain today for those who have the intention of receiving major
    [Show full text]
  • The Rite of Sodomy
    The Rite of Sodomy volume iii i Books by Randy Engel Sex Education—The Final Plague The McHugh Chronicles— Who Betrayed the Prolife Movement? ii The Rite of Sodomy Homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church volume iii AmChurch and the Homosexual Revolution Randy Engel NEW ENGEL PUBLISHING Export, Pennsylvania iii Copyright © 2012 by Randy Engel All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, New Engel Publishing, Box 356, Export, PA 15632 Library of Congress Control Number 2010916845 Includes complete index ISBN 978-0-9778601-7-3 NEW ENGEL PUBLISHING Box 356 Export, PA 15632 www.newengelpublishing.com iv Dedication To Monsignor Charles T. Moss 1930–2006 Beloved Pastor of St. Roch’s Parish Forever Our Lady’s Champion v vi INTRODUCTION Contents AmChurch and the Homosexual Revolution ............................................. 507 X AmChurch—Posing a Historic Framework .................... 509 1 Bishop Carroll and the Roots of the American Church .... 509 2 The Rise of Traditionalism ................................. 516 3 The Americanist Revolution Quietly Simmers ............ 519 4 Americanism in the Age of Gibbons ........................ 525 5 Pope Leo XIII—The Iron Fist in the Velvet Glove ......... 529 6 Pope Saint Pius X Attacks Modernism ..................... 534 7 Modernism Not Dead— Just Resting ...................... 538 XI The Bishops’ Bureaucracy and the Homosexual Revolution ... 549 1 National Catholic War Council—A Crack in the Dam ...... 549 2 Transition From Warfare to Welfare ........................ 551 3 Vatican II and the Shaping of AmChurch ................ 561 4 The Politics of the New Progressivism .................... 563 5 The Homosexual Colonization of the NCCB/USCC .......
    [Show full text]
  • Papal Envoy Breaks Ranks on Gay Couples
    B NDINGSA Publication of New Ways Ministry Volume 25, No. 1 Summer 2004 Papal envoy breaks ranks on gay couples By Ben Sills in Madrid reported in the Spanish press, will cause and Stephen Bates extreme annoyance within a papal circle The Guardian, London desperate to stop the encroachment of what it May 5, 2004 sees as decadent sexual morality. Although he insisted that same-sex unions The Pope’s ambassador to one of Europe’s could not be regarded as marriages, the leading Catholic countries has hinted that envoy implied that they were at least worthy the church should “acknowledge” gay of compassion. partnerships — a significant crack in the “They are not the same as marriage,” he Vatican’s resolute opposition to “evil and said. “We will leave the term marriage for that deviant” gay relationships. which it has always referred to, and other Monsignor Manuel Monteiro de Castro arrangements should be given other names.” told a conference of Spanish bishops at the The nuncio said gay couples should be weekend: “The new political situation in given access to certain civil rights, including which we are living in Spain sets new those within the social security system. He challenges in the spreading of the gospel added: “The church can also help them in and we must meet those challenges in an their spiritual life.” appropriate manner.” The remarks were in sharp contrast to last Departing from his prepared speech, the year’s Vatican guidelines which called on papal nuncio added that although the law in Catholics to campaign against the legalisation Spain, and many other countries, defines of gay relationships, calling them evil, deviant marriage as the union of a man and a woman, and a grave threat to society.
    [Show full text]
  • Scandal Time by Richard John Neuhaus
    1 Scandal Time by Richard John Neuhaus Copyright (c) 2002 First Things (April 2002). The Public Square The timing, it seems, could not have been worse. In last month’s issue I offered my considered and heartfelt defense of Father Maciel, founder of the Legionaries of Christ, against unfounded charges of sexual abuse. I meant and I mean every word of what I said there. Just after the issue had gone to press, however, scandals involving sexual abuse by priests in Boston exploded, creating a level of public outrage and suspicion that may be unparalleled in recent history. The climate is not conducive to calm or careful thought about priests and sexual molestation. Outrage and suspicion readily lead to excess, but, with respect to developments in Boston, it is not easy to say how much outrage and suspicion is too much. Professor Philip Jenkins of Penn State University has written extensively on sexual abuse by priests, also in these pages (see “The Uses of Clerical Scandal,” February 1996). He is an acute student of the ways in which the media, lawyers, and insurance companies-along with angry Catholics, both liberal and conservative-are practiced at exploiting scandal in the service of their several interests. Scholars point out that the incidence of abusing children or minors is no greater, and may be less, among priests than among Protestant clergy, teachers, social workers, and similar professions. But, it is noted, Catholic clergy are more attractive targets for lawsuits because the entire diocese or archdiocese can be sued. That is a legal liability of the Church’s hierarchical structure.
    [Show full text]