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| See for yourself: http://www.cardinalseansblog.org/ |
What really stuck me about the Cardinal's blog were the photos. No matter the month or year, there were always plenty of smiling, well-dressed admirers eager to pose with the head of the Boston Archdiocese. It made me wonder if Cardinal O'Malley placed a priority on meeting with people who might not be so admiring. From lapsed Catholics to victims of the priest sex abuse scandal, there are plenty of folks the Cardinal should be talking to more often.
Some blog entries highlighted pretty obscure organizations, committees and gatherings that most worshipers have probably never heard of before. Seeing members of the Catholic Lawyers' Guild, Regnum Christi or Scalabrinians with the Cardinal gives one the impression that the Catholic Church is healthy and vibrant which it is not. In fact, much of what we see on the blog is a result of having a captive audience. Cardinal O'Malley attends events that usually attract people who seem easily impressed with titles and view him as something of a celebrity.
At times, the Cardinal himself focuses on “celebrity” by cozying up to the rich and powerful regardless of their views on the Church. A post describing a gala to benefit an inner-city scholarship fund showed our state's socially liberal governor in attendance. Candinal O'Malley wrote: “We were also pleasantly surprised by a visit from Governor Charlie Baker. He spoke very highly of the contributions that Catholic schools make to the Commonwealth and commended the work of the Catholic Schools Foundation.” I wonder if Governor Baker appreciates the moral values these schools try to impart to their students? Also on this post was a photo of the Cardinal schmoozing with billionaire owner of the New England Patriots, Bob Kraft.
Another blog entry featured a discussion on the treatment of immigrants. (When the hierarchy uses the word “immigrants” they usually mean illegal immigrants.) Among the participants Cardinal O'Malley invited to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross was Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. The city leader may call himself Catholic, but he's been a strong advocate of the left and was even a guest speaker at a local Planned Parenthood rally last fall.
In 2009, the Cardinal blogged about his decision to give Senator Ted Kennedy a Catholic funeral. The far-left politician had vigorously pushed a liberal agenda that made the world increasingly hostile to those of us who embraced Catholic values. Yet when diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, Senator Kennedy came crawling back to the Church. He never publicly apologized for his very visible support of abortion and other liberal causes over the years, though. The senator got a grand Catholic funeral fit for a modern-day saint. It's sad when the hierarchy looks the other way in situations like these because there are many devout but humble Catholics who never get recognized for their faithfulness.
While reading Cardinal O'Malley's blog, you get the impression he's a very busy guy. In addition to the numerous Masses, galas, dedications and conferences he attends, there are also posts about his occasional trips to Rome and other exotic locales. Some speculate he's being groomed to be Pope. It makes me think all these commitments are a distraction from the real work that still needs to be done within the Archdiocese. My former pastor was fond of saying, “A good shepherd takes on the smell of the sheep.” This means a good spiritual leader is so close to his flock, he is aware of their concerns, conflicts, and desires. If the Cardinal is too busy attending fancy galas where he's surrounded by flatterers and the well-connected, does he really know us at all?
