WHAT DOES CARDINAL DINARDO HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH?

In a short statement released September 11, Greg Burke, Director of the Holy See’s Press Office, said that Pope Francis would be meeting this Thursday with Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, USCCB President, along with Archbishop Jose Gomez, Conference Vice-president, and Monsignor Brian Bransfield, the General Secretary of the Conference. 

Also in attendance will be Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, and the President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.  Whatever benefit he will bring to the meeting is questionable indeed!

Cardinal DiNardo first called for a meeting with the Holy Father in mid-August when he stated he planned to present to the Holy See a USCCB plan to address the “moral catastrophe” of sexual abuse. 

The plan calls for a Vatican investigation into “questions surrounding Archbishop McCarrick,” new avenues for reporting misconduct, and new procedures to address complaints against Bishops.

A week later, after he had received no response from the Holy Father, Cardinal DiNardo reiterated that he was “eager for a meeting” with the Pope.  “I am confident Pope Francis shares our desire for greater effectiveness and transparency in the matter of disciplining bishops,” DiNardo said at that time.

Now the meeting is on.

What the meeting will accomplish, however, is another matter.

Just today, the Holy See announced that the Pope plans on meeting with the Presidents of Bishops Conferences from around the world to discuss the sexual abuse scandals rocking the Church.

Seems to me that that announcement should signal to Cardinal DiNardo and his retinue that the Pope is not prepared to initiate any plan in advance of that world-wide meeting of Conference Presidents scheduled for February of next year.

Of course, perhaps Cardinal DiNardo’s powers of persuasion are greater than I am giving him credit for.

And I just suspect that the Pope, who has steadfastly refused to comment directly on what may have been his personal involvement in this “moral catastrophe", may be un-persuaded by His Eminence.

It will be very interesting to see if the meeting tomorrow accomplishes Cardinal DiNardo’s purposes.

When or how we will come to know that is perhaps of even more interest.