Now's Their Chance

 Abuse victims and their relatives             Matt Rourke / AP

Around this time last year, I met with Bishop Mark O'Connell to discuss some of the things that were wrong with the Catholic Church.  Not shying away from any controversies I brought up the mishandling of the priest sex scandal which hit the Boston Archdiocese pretty hard.  There was a sense that I was dredging up something long-past and Bishop O'Connell assured me the Church was in a much better position to prevent such abuse from happening again.  However, recent events show what I discussed with the bishop is more relevant than ever.

In early August, Cardinal Sean O'Malley announced he would be investigating allegations of sexual abuse that two former seminarians from St. John's Seminary had posted to social media.  In a statement, the Cardinal said, “The allegations made this week are a source of serious concern to me as Archbishop of Boston. The ministry of the Catholic priesthood requires a foundation of trust with the people of the Church and the wider community in which our priests serve. I am determined that all our seminaries meet that standard of trust and provide the formation necessary for priests to live a demanding vocation of service in our contemporary society.”

I give Cardinal O'Malley credit for setting the proper tone in this situation.  Although the allegations have yet to be proved or disproved, he canceled a planned trip to Ireland where he was to moderate a panel discussion for the World Meeting of Families.  The rector of St. John's Seminary, Msgr. James Moroney was placed on sabbatical leave and a board of inquiry was formed to investigate the matter. One member of this board just happens to be Bishop Mark O'Connell.  (I hope he remembers all the things we had discussed last year regarding honesty and openness.)

These allegations first surfaced in opinion pieces written by former seminarian John Monaco on the websites OnePeterFive.com and ChurchMilitant.com.  On August 7th, another former seminarian said on the Boston Archdiocese's Facebook page that there was a culture of alcohol abuse and inappropriate sexual behavior at St. John's seminary and his concerns had been dismissed by the vocations director and vice rector.  “The Church has not learned Her lesson and maybe if the stories are once again made public then things will finally change,” he remarked.

It never rains but it pours.  Also in August, Cardinal O'Malley found himself apologizing for missing a letter sent to him in 2015 that detailed accusations of sexual misconduct by then Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.  Fr. Boniface Ramsey tried to warn Church officials several times even writing to Sean O'Malley since he was president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.  Cardinal O'Malley stated his secretary received the letter but did not pass it along since the accusations fell outside the jurisdiction of his office.

Rumors and accusations against Cardinal McCarrick go back many decades and despite warnings from fellow priests about his misconduct, Church officials covered the matter up.  In June of this year, allegations against Cardinal McCarrick were finally revealed to the public and he was forced to resign.  On August 25th, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano released a lengthy letter which described how the Vatican ignored several warnings on Cardinal McCarrick's sexual misconduct.  The Archbishop was even so bold as to call for the resignation of Pope Francis.  When asked about the letter, the normally outspoken Pope said, “I will not say a single word about this.”  He then called on journalists to look into the credibility of Archbishop Vigano's claims which have yet to be substantiated.

In mid-August a Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing the abuse of over 1,000 young people by more than 300 predator priests was released to the public.  The state's attorney general held a press conference with several victims present and video taped testimony from three victims (now adults) on how the abuse ruined their lives.  This prompted a revived discussion among Catholics on whether or not to donate to the weekly collection.  (Boston Catholic Insider recommends supporting your local parish by paying directly for your church's expenditures like the heating or electric bills.)  Needless to say, it was not a good month to be a Catholic.

We keep hearing from the hierarchy that this culture of abuse will no longer be tolerated.  Well, now's their chance to prove it.  It's time for bishops, cardinals and the pope alike to take meaningful action and not just talk about stopping this great evil that infests our Church.  Share all internal documents pertaining to the scandal with law enforcement.  Force corrupt clergy to resign and see that they are severely punished (criminally if possible).  Tear down the Church's wall of obfuscation.  Speak truthfully and plainly.  Embrace transparency and honesty because every time the hierarchy doesn't, our Catholic faith suffers.

Many people hoped the Church had learned its lesson from the scandal in Boston so when news of more abuse and cover ups break, we are heartbroken and feel deceived.  Now's your chance to show us that this time is different.  This time, you will do the right thing.

Looking Sharp In Slob Nation

Many Catholic blogs discuss what to wear during Mass and since the heat of summer tends to bring out more relaxed fashions, I figured it would be a good time to address this topic.

When I was an idealistic teenager, church dress codes seemed hypocritical to me.  It didn't matter what people wore just as long as they were attending Mass.  John the Baptist wasn't too concerned with outward appearances so why should we care?  I remember thinking even if a woman showed up to church in her bathing suit, at least she was there to worship God.  The burden of sin would be on the parishioners who were checking her out.  In some beach communities, girls in bikinis do pop into the local grocery store or take out restaurant without a second thought.  Islam tends to place the burden of sin on women by demanding they cover up but this effort to eliminate temptation altogether often robs the fairer sex of their humanity.

After college, I found myself wanting to dress a bit nicer.  Perhaps getting older increased my desire to look more like an adult.  A friend who worked in an upscale clothing store gave me some fashion advice and taught me how to tie a necktie.  Soon, I was visiting various department stores to find my own sense of style.  A few years later, this same friend introduced me to a wonderful thrift store called Savers and shopping there greatly expanded my rather limited wardrobe for very little money.

Around the same time, a young priest at St. Mary's in Beverly named Fr. David Barnes was installed as our new pastor.  One of the first things he did was to ask parishioners to dress nicely for Mass because it set the proper tone.  Going to church was important, he told us and what we wore reflected that.  I figured this would be an excuse to try out my different suit and tie combinations.  While some of my fellow parishioners took Fr. Barnes' advice to heart, most made no effort to dress up for Mass.  After a while, I started to feel out of place among a sea of slovenly worshipers.

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, society started to backslide into a nation of slobs.  I first noticed this at a local fancy restaurant that used to attract well-dressed clientele.  Over the years more and more diners began showing up in jeans, t-shirts and baseball caps.  Such casual wear was once nonexistent at funerals but now it's not so unheard of.

Today, flip flops, yoga pants, dad jeans, graphic t-shirts, short pants, and sandals are common fashion choices for Mass because society has forgotten what it means to dress appropriately.  (At one time, the public used to dress up just to travel on airplanes.)  The most common excuse for dressing down is comfort.  Well, even if it's hot out, some fashion choices can keep you cool and looking good as well.  Ditch the wife-beater and wear a nice cabana shirt instead.  I'm not calling for a return to the 1950s but people can make more of an effort to dress appropriately for the situations they are in.  Jeans and t-shirts are fine for the ball game or doing yard work but not so much during Mass or a funeral.  You don't need to wear a suit and tie all the time.  How about putting a belt on a fancier pair of jeans and wearing a crisp collared shirt?

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2wqwe1

I don't usually agree with talk show host Bill Maher but he had a wonderful segment on the country's current slob culture and how dressing nice can actually make you feel good about yourself.  While visiting the Madonna Shrine in East Boston, I noticed a sign that advised parishioners to dress correctly.  The teen-aged “me” would have bristled at this term because who were they to say what correct was?  The adult “me” actually appreciates this sign because I feel our slob society has gone too far.