The Stupid Vatican

Like Glenn Reynolds (he who shows us little bloggers the way!) I am appalled by the callous insensitivity the Vatican has shown by allowing Cardinal Law to be the principal celebrant at one of the memorial masses for the Pope. I heard this on the news this morning, and nearly fell off the elliptical machine - talk about dumb!

In case you are wondering, I am a life long Catholic. I attend Mass regularly and my wife and I do our best to involve ourselves in the life of our Parish and our Church (we are both lectors and extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, for example). Nothing has tried my faith more than the scandals about sexual abuse by the clergy. My issue with this is not so much with the abusing priests - their behavior was, of course abhorrent, and totally beyond the pale. But what really bugs me about all of this is the way the abusive priests were enabled (I can think of no other word for it) by the appalling behavior of the bishops, like Law, who moved abusing priests from Parish to Parish so they could continue their horrible behavior. How dare they?

I used to think that Dante was a bit over the top putting so many Bishops in the Inferno - my lack of charity on this issue is such that I no longer feel this way.

But, imagine how those who have been abused must have felt when they heard that Law had been given a plum posting in the Vatican. And imagine how they must now feel to see him as lead celebrant in a mass in memory of John Paul II. To be sure, we all need forgiveness, and it may well be that Law has sought forgiveness for the acts he committed, abetting (in essence, if not in legal fact) the sexual abuse of children. But surely, the needs of the victims of abuse should outweigh the need (if such exists) to "rehabilitate" a bishop who rather than caring for the weakest in his flock, allowed them to be ravaged by wolves whom he protected.

The Catholic Church should hang its head in shame - as a member of that church, I do, and I pray for those who suffered because of people like Law. May God forgive me my lack of charity toward them. I do not live in the Boston Diocese, but our own Diocese (based in Davenport) has not been immune to the sexual abuse scandal. Horrendous documents detailing the abuse and the knowledge of it can be found at the Bishops Accountability website. If you are Catholic, then you should read these documents, but be prepared to weep as you do so, from both anger at the prelates who allowed this to happen, and grief for the children who suffered this horrendous abuse.

OK - I'll quit ranting now - I hope you don't mind me venting on this issue - thanks!