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.