I just finished reading a most fascinating and personally instructive document published by the Internation Theological Commission (ITC) on March 2nd of this year.
I am embarrassed to admit that this study got by my attention when first released.
It is a document which I believe reveals how Pope Francis has already and in the future will address issues critical to the Church in the modern world.
Entitled, Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church, the document not only explains, but more importantly, advances the concept of synodality, a manner of Church governance which has been particularly important in the discernment process and decisions of this present Pontificate.
Approved by a large majority of the ITC and Pope Francis himself, the document points out “the theological roots of synodality and encourages structural reform that will shape the future of Church governance,” Monsignor Piero Coda, Rector of Sophia University in Rome and a member of the Commission which drafted the document, publicly stated.
The ITC functions under the supervision of the Congregation for Catholic Education which is charged with oversight of curricula at Catholic schools and universities around the world. The ITC is composed of 30 members, and divided into three sub-commissions of 10 people.
The document quotes Saint John Chrysostom, one of the Fathers of the Early Church, who referred to the Church itself as a “synod”, that is that the Church is syn-odos, “a walking together”.
Synodality represents a most ancient manner of Church governance by way discernment, invoking the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, involving Bishops, Priests, Religious and Lay Catholics, each according to the gifts and charisms of their particular vocations.
The ITC document gives impetus to this ancient form of Church governance through structural reforms, including requiring that every Diocese establish a Diocesan Pastoral Council composed of Priests, Religious, and Laity.
But, most critically, the document calls for the establishment of a process for the convocation of the Synod of Bishops, in order to more frequently involve broader Catholic representation in Church governance.
After Vatican Council II, soon-to-be-canonized Pope Paul VI established the Synod of Bishops, re-awakening this ancient model of discernment and decision-making in the life of the Church.
Since then, in spite of its antiquity, the very notion of synodality has been given little attention especially by Blessed Pope Paul VI’s successors, Saint John Paul II and emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, both of whom forcefully stressed the supreme authority of Bishop of Rome in all matters of Church governance.
The document suggests that the Synod of Bishops might assume greater discernment and authority, but does not present practical suggestions for a process that it understands has yet to be invented.
However, what is most striking is the fact that the document encourages that discernment and decisions regarding the life and ministry of local Churches be undertaken by synodal gatherings of local Bishops themselves.
The document also insists that the establishment of Diocesan Pastoral Councils be made mandatory so that local Bishops will be able to hear from the faithful about what their needs are and how they can be most effectively addressed.
Thus, the document not only undertakes a theological reflection of synodality but proposes that it be structured into the very life and ministry of the Church.
“A reform that has no practical impact on institutions and structures and is merely theological is no more than noise,” Monsignor Coda underscored.
Pope Francis has been eager and enthusiastic in his support of synodality in addressing many of the pastoral initiatives he has undertaken during his Pontificate.
The Holy Father understands that the example of the Church of Rome is critical because of the Diocese’s central role as the Seat of the Chair of Peter and Paul. The Diocese of Rome has always been a prototype for all the Churches.
The very institution of the College of Cardinals is born out of the ancient model of synodality.
On this basis, Pope Francis appears to embrace synodality and encourage it as a model by which local Churches are to address their most pressing issues and decide how best to respond.
Such does not constitute a rupture with the past, but a re-awakening to one of the most ancient structures of Church governance.
Moreover, synodality is crucial for ecumenical dialogue, and not by chance it was discussed recently in the Orthodox -Catholic International Theological Commission, and has been mentioned several recent ecumenical documents.
And very importantly in that context, the document explains that synodality and Papal Primacy are interdependent, since pastoral discernment on the local level requires the seal of apostolic affirmation given by the central authority to insure unity within the Body of Christ.
In earlier posts, I have suggested that Pope Francis has employed synodality in addressing such far-ranging pastoral initiatives to address the issue of the reception of Holy Communion by those who have divorced and remarried (Amoris Laetitia), as well as the question of the reception of Holy Communion by non-Catholic spouses raised by the Conference of Bishops in Germany.
The Pope has also signaled an openness regarding the possibility of reviving the ancient practice of Ordaining married men of proven virtue to the Priesthood in those places (particularly in the Amazon at present) which lack a sufficient number of Priests to provide for the spiritual and sacramental care of the faithful.
Of course, when considering synodality, one must accept that a dialectical tension between localized governance and approbation by a central authority will always remain.
One must likewise be willing to accept that some practices permitted by one part of the Church and discouraged or prohibited by another may be a source of discomfort and dissatisfaction to some.
Yet, synodality welled served the Church in its infancy and may very well serve the Church as it addresses its life and ministry in the Twenty-first Century.
Personally, I am overwhelming enthusiastic that the Church has rediscovered this most ancient and revered tradition of Church governance.
Now the question is whether or not the Bishops themselves are competent enough and willing enough to actually take upon themselves the authority that rightfully belongs to them to minister to those entrusted to their care.
We shall see in God’s good time and according to the dispensation of His Divine Providence.
What a treasure trove of history and faith can be found in this most remarkable work of the ITC!
Sunday, July 8, 2018
RETIRED BISHOP CROWLEY: A SERIOUS CONSIDERATION OF WOMEN PRIESTS IS WARRANTED
A retired Bishop has come out in support of the Ordination of women Priests and says he has felt this way since his own Ordination 53 years ago.
In a letter to international Catholic weekly, The Tablet, Bishop John Crowley said that "as far back as 1965, I had sensed on a purely instinctive, subjective level, that whether someone was married or single, male or female, should not be determinative in admitting someone to the priesthood."
However he said it was made clear to him at the time that he should not express his personal views publicly but, now that he is retired with no public teaching role in the church, he feels able to do so.
Bishop Crowley, formerly Bishop of Middlesbrough but now retired and living in London, also said the time is ripe for further Church examination on “the key theological premises regarding the exclusion of women from the Priesthood”.
He wrote: “Though there might yet be a shift in the Church’s insistence on compulsory celibacy for her Priests, on the question of women’s Ordination the full weight of the Church’s long teaching and tradition sits firmly tight on opening up that possibility”.
He said “a growing number of theologians” and “a number of Bishops … would want this burning issue to be at least looked at again in a calm, open and public discussion within the Church” in a debate which “is already manifestly happening around the world among many lay people and some Priests.”
Bishop Crowley questions why the Vatican is so determined to quash calls for women Priests even if it means sowing the seeds of the Church's extinction?
Recently, the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland (ACP) issued the following stark warning: 'If priests disappear, then Masses will disappear and if Masses disappear, the Church will disappear."
Members of the ACP know the reality of the Priest shortage first-hand. The ACP, which represents over 1,000 Irish Priests, most of whom are over 65, has been highlighting for years that priests in Ireland are having to work longer hours, do more work, and retire later due to the decline in their numbers. With so few Priests under 40, the future looks bleak, but not only in Ireland but around the world.
Bishop Crowley rightly notes that this issue has not been aired and debated in the manner it needs to be because of the stricture imposed by Saint Pope John Paul II in his 1994 Apostolic Letter, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, which forbids Catholics even discussing the issue of women Priests.
In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI elevated the 'crime' of Ordaining women to ministry as one of the most serious, putting it on a par with paedophilia. Those who defy this edict are liable to be excommunicated, those who question it, if they are Priests or Religious, are liable to be censured by the Vatican and removed from ministry, while lay people working for church organizations are liable to lose their jobs.
That had been a sufficiently strong deterrent to ensure very few Catholics give the issue of women's Ordination any thought.
Lately, Bishop Crowley observes, there are signs of a hardening of attitudes even on the issue of women Deacons.
While completing my studies in Pastoral Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome, one of my Professors made this wise observation and predicition. He stated: “Vatican II was all about Bishops. Vatican III will be all about the Priesthood. Vatican IV will finally be about the Laity”.
That Professor’s wisdom is being validated with every passing day.
Even a Pope’s terse and threatening “NO” in response to any consideration of the Ordination of women no longer suffices as the future of the Church is in peril with fewer and fewer men presenting themselves for Ordination to an exclusively male and celibate Priesthood.
Only the solemnity of an Ecumenical Council, the highest teaching authority of the Church, will resolve the question that is continually being asked: why only celibate male Priests?
Would that the Holy Father would be as pre-occupied with the future of the Church as he appears to be with climate change.
A bit more shepherding of the flock and a little less tree-hugging would seem to be in order.
In a letter to international Catholic weekly, The Tablet, Bishop John Crowley said that "as far back as 1965, I had sensed on a purely instinctive, subjective level, that whether someone was married or single, male or female, should not be determinative in admitting someone to the priesthood."
However he said it was made clear to him at the time that he should not express his personal views publicly but, now that he is retired with no public teaching role in the church, he feels able to do so.
Bishop Crowley, formerly Bishop of Middlesbrough but now retired and living in London, also said the time is ripe for further Church examination on “the key theological premises regarding the exclusion of women from the Priesthood”.
He wrote: “Though there might yet be a shift in the Church’s insistence on compulsory celibacy for her Priests, on the question of women’s Ordination the full weight of the Church’s long teaching and tradition sits firmly tight on opening up that possibility”.
He said “a growing number of theologians” and “a number of Bishops … would want this burning issue to be at least looked at again in a calm, open and public discussion within the Church” in a debate which “is already manifestly happening around the world among many lay people and some Priests.”
Bishop Crowley questions why the Vatican is so determined to quash calls for women Priests even if it means sowing the seeds of the Church's extinction?
Recently, the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland (ACP) issued the following stark warning: 'If priests disappear, then Masses will disappear and if Masses disappear, the Church will disappear."
Members of the ACP know the reality of the Priest shortage first-hand. The ACP, which represents over 1,000 Irish Priests, most of whom are over 65, has been highlighting for years that priests in Ireland are having to work longer hours, do more work, and retire later due to the decline in their numbers. With so few Priests under 40, the future looks bleak, but not only in Ireland but around the world.
Bishop Crowley rightly notes that this issue has not been aired and debated in the manner it needs to be because of the stricture imposed by Saint Pope John Paul II in his 1994 Apostolic Letter, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, which forbids Catholics even discussing the issue of women Priests.
In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI elevated the 'crime' of Ordaining women to ministry as one of the most serious, putting it on a par with paedophilia. Those who defy this edict are liable to be excommunicated, those who question it, if they are Priests or Religious, are liable to be censured by the Vatican and removed from ministry, while lay people working for church organizations are liable to lose their jobs.
That had been a sufficiently strong deterrent to ensure very few Catholics give the issue of women's Ordination any thought.
Lately, Bishop Crowley observes, there are signs of a hardening of attitudes even on the issue of women Deacons.
While completing my studies in Pastoral Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) in Rome, one of my Professors made this wise observation and predicition. He stated: “Vatican II was all about Bishops. Vatican III will be all about the Priesthood. Vatican IV will finally be about the Laity”.
That Professor’s wisdom is being validated with every passing day.
Even a Pope’s terse and threatening “NO” in response to any consideration of the Ordination of women no longer suffices as the future of the Church is in peril with fewer and fewer men presenting themselves for Ordination to an exclusively male and celibate Priesthood.
Only the solemnity of an Ecumenical Council, the highest teaching authority of the Church, will resolve the question that is continually being asked: why only celibate male Priests?
Would that the Holy Father would be as pre-occupied with the future of the Church as he appears to be with climate change.
A bit more shepherding of the flock and a little less tree-hugging would seem to be in order.
Saturday, July 7, 2018
HOW LONG, O LORD?
In my own neck of the woods, Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger attracted national attention recently when he suggested “canonical penalties” for Catholics involved in separating children from families at the border.
At the spring meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Bishop Weisenburger suggested punishments under Church law, such as denying Communion, to Catholics who carry out that portion of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy for border enforcement.
Under the law, executed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Border Patrol Officers, children and parents who cross the border illegally, as well as some seeking asylum, may be separated from each other.
The practice was denounced by many of the Bishops, many of whom stood curiously on the sidelines and silent when the very same practice was initiated and continued throughout the years of the Obama Administration.
Another indication that the USCCB is more Democratic in its leanings than Catholic.
“Even though what I am saying may be risky or dangerous, I think it’s important to point out that canonical penalties are there in place to heal — first and foremost to heal,” the Bishop said. “And therefore for the salvation of these people’s souls, maybe it’s time for us to look at canonical penalties.”
Well, Bishop Weisenburger, your statements are neither risky nor dangerous, they are politically partisan, and as often the case when it comes to debates within the USCCB, clueless and hypocritical.
You are readily prepared, anxious almost, to canonically sanction Border Patrol Officers duly carrying out their sworn obligations, you and your Confrers are eager to deprive them of the Sacraments of the Church, but for years have avoided even the slightest mention of such penalties for politicians who support and legislate a permanent separation of a child from its mother permanently through the gruesome and horrific act of abortion.
Where has your moral outrage been all these years when it comes to sanctioning those who would seek to legally undermine the protection of children and life itself.
Sanction Border Patrol Officers, but do nothing to the politicians and advocates who permit the unjust taking of innocent life within the womb!
Ludicrous.
Good grief, Bishop Weisenburger’s own Episcopal Vicar for Hispanic Affairs, the Reverend Paul Trevizo, speaking on behalf of the Bishop and the Diocese of Tucson, stated: “The relationship between mother and child is sacred to us. If you destroy that and that doesn’t mean anything, what does?”
What will history record about this time within the Church?
As expected, following his remarks to the USCCB, Bishop Weisenburger was nowhere to be found.
It is upsetting and a bit depressing to witness how such Bishops and the USCCB repeatedly embarrass themselves and the Church in their hypocrisy, arrogance and unabashedly partisan politics.
How long, O Lord?
At the spring meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Bishop Weisenburger suggested punishments under Church law, such as denying Communion, to Catholics who carry out that portion of the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy for border enforcement.
Under the law, executed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Border Patrol Officers, children and parents who cross the border illegally, as well as some seeking asylum, may be separated from each other.
The practice was denounced by many of the Bishops, many of whom stood curiously on the sidelines and silent when the very same practice was initiated and continued throughout the years of the Obama Administration.
Another indication that the USCCB is more Democratic in its leanings than Catholic.
“Even though what I am saying may be risky or dangerous, I think it’s important to point out that canonical penalties are there in place to heal — first and foremost to heal,” the Bishop said. “And therefore for the salvation of these people’s souls, maybe it’s time for us to look at canonical penalties.”
Well, Bishop Weisenburger, your statements are neither risky nor dangerous, they are politically partisan, and as often the case when it comes to debates within the USCCB, clueless and hypocritical.
You are readily prepared, anxious almost, to canonically sanction Border Patrol Officers duly carrying out their sworn obligations, you and your Confrers are eager to deprive them of the Sacraments of the Church, but for years have avoided even the slightest mention of such penalties for politicians who support and legislate a permanent separation of a child from its mother permanently through the gruesome and horrific act of abortion.
Where has your moral outrage been all these years when it comes to sanctioning those who would seek to legally undermine the protection of children and life itself.
Sanction Border Patrol Officers, but do nothing to the politicians and advocates who permit the unjust taking of innocent life within the womb!
Ludicrous.
Good grief, Bishop Weisenburger’s own Episcopal Vicar for Hispanic Affairs, the Reverend Paul Trevizo, speaking on behalf of the Bishop and the Diocese of Tucson, stated: “The relationship between mother and child is sacred to us. If you destroy that and that doesn’t mean anything, what does?”
What will history record about this time within the Church?
As expected, following his remarks to the USCCB, Bishop Weisenburger was nowhere to be found.
It is upsetting and a bit depressing to witness how such Bishops and the USCCB repeatedly embarrass themselves and the Church in their hypocrisy, arrogance and unabashedly partisan politics.
How long, O Lord?
POPE FRANCIS AND THE VATICAN STRANGELY SILENT AS ARGENTINA DEBATES UNRESTRICTED ABORTION LAW
This week, Argentina’s Senate began debating an historic abortion bill passed by the lower house Chamber of Deputies last month.
In June, the Chamber of Deputies backed a bill decriminalizing abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, and beyond that in cases where the infant would not survive after birth, by 129 votes to 125.
A final debate on the matter will be held on August 8th.
Argentina's 72 Senators are largely opposed to the abortion bill, although 10 have not yet publicly revealed their stance.
Conservative President Mauricio Macri pushed the bill through Parliament despite making it clear he opposed women's right to choose to interrupt their pregnancy.
Anti-abortion protesters, backed by Argentina's Bishops, were due to hand over thousands of signatures to Senators on Tuesday, asking them to reject the bill.
At the same time, pro-choice protesters were due to take to the streets with banners and music to express their support.
Eight years ago, despite strong Church opposition, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage.
It is estimated that between 370,000 and 520,000 Argentine women have abortions in illegal and unsafe conditions every year. Currently, women are allowed to have abortions only when the mother's life is at risk, or when pregnancy was the result of rape.
Abortion remains mostly illegal in Latin America. Only in Uruguay and Cuba is it entirely legal, as well as in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. In most countries, it is permitted only in cases of rape and where there is a threat to the life of the mother or if the fetus is disabled.
In El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua — traditionally Catholic countries but where Protestantism and atheism are on the rise -- abortion remains completely banned.
Pope Francis has remained strangely silent while the debate in his homeland rages on.
Perhaps, the Holy Father has been too distracted by his concern with migrants and climate change.
It is interesting to note what a reader pointed out to me just recently. He wrote: “I think I understand now why there are so many attacks against the Church. If the moral voice of the Church can be weakened, better yet silenced, opposition will be weakened as well against aberrations such as homosexuality, transgenderism, euthanasia and all the other moral perversions with which society seems bent on promoting.”
If the reader is correct (and I suspect there is quite a bit of truth in his observation), it is even more critical that the voice of the Vicar of Christ be clear and consistent in decrying abortion as a sin that cries out to God.
If the Church, in the person of the Successor of Peter, will not stand before the culture of death and expose it for what it is, pure narcissism and licentiousness, who will?
And who will counsel the generations of those yet to be born who will come into a world where abortion and other forms of psycho-sexual dysfunction are the norm?
Dear Pope Francis, if not for loyalty to your country of origin, then for the future of the Church and civilized society please call your homeland to its senses and lift your voice in defense of the innocent unborn now threatened with death.
Please, Holy Father, and now!
In June, the Chamber of Deputies backed a bill decriminalizing abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, and beyond that in cases where the infant would not survive after birth, by 129 votes to 125.
A final debate on the matter will be held on August 8th.
Argentina's 72 Senators are largely opposed to the abortion bill, although 10 have not yet publicly revealed their stance.
Conservative President Mauricio Macri pushed the bill through Parliament despite making it clear he opposed women's right to choose to interrupt their pregnancy.
Anti-abortion protesters, backed by Argentina's Bishops, were due to hand over thousands of signatures to Senators on Tuesday, asking them to reject the bill.
At the same time, pro-choice protesters were due to take to the streets with banners and music to express their support.
Eight years ago, despite strong Church opposition, Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage.
It is estimated that between 370,000 and 520,000 Argentine women have abortions in illegal and unsafe conditions every year. Currently, women are allowed to have abortions only when the mother's life is at risk, or when pregnancy was the result of rape.
Abortion remains mostly illegal in Latin America. Only in Uruguay and Cuba is it entirely legal, as well as in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. In most countries, it is permitted only in cases of rape and where there is a threat to the life of the mother or if the fetus is disabled.
In El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua — traditionally Catholic countries but where Protestantism and atheism are on the rise -- abortion remains completely banned.
Pope Francis has remained strangely silent while the debate in his homeland rages on.
Perhaps, the Holy Father has been too distracted by his concern with migrants and climate change.
It is interesting to note what a reader pointed out to me just recently. He wrote: “I think I understand now why there are so many attacks against the Church. If the moral voice of the Church can be weakened, better yet silenced, opposition will be weakened as well against aberrations such as homosexuality, transgenderism, euthanasia and all the other moral perversions with which society seems bent on promoting.”
If the reader is correct (and I suspect there is quite a bit of truth in his observation), it is even more critical that the voice of the Vicar of Christ be clear and consistent in decrying abortion as a sin that cries out to God.
If the Church, in the person of the Successor of Peter, will not stand before the culture of death and expose it for what it is, pure narcissism and licentiousness, who will?
And who will counsel the generations of those yet to be born who will come into a world where abortion and other forms of psycho-sexual dysfunction are the norm?
Dear Pope Francis, if not for loyalty to your country of origin, then for the future of the Church and civilized society please call your homeland to its senses and lift your voice in defense of the innocent unborn now threatened with death.
Please, Holy Father, and now!
POPE FRANCIS' HIGHLY SELECTIVE INDIGNATION AND OUTRAGE
At a Mass commemorating the fifth anniversary of his trip to Lampedusa, Pope Francis called on Catholics to speak out in the face of injustice towards migrants.
“The Lord promises refreshment and freedom to all the oppressed of our world, but he needs us to fulfill his promise . . . He needs our voice to protest the injustices committed thanks to the silence, often complicit, of so many,” said Pope Francis in his homily at the July 6 Mass for Migrants.
According to the Holy Father, the silence is multifaceted. He spoke of “the silence that thinks ‘it has always been done this way’” and “the silence of ‘us’ as opposed to ‘you’” among the “many silences.”
“Before the challenges of contemporary movements of migration, the only reasonable response is one of solidarity and mercy,” the pope continued, calling for migration policies “concerned for the good of one’s own country, while taking into account that of others in an ever more interconnected world.”
The Pope stressed that a just migration policy is one at the service of “every person involved,” meaning it is “a policy that provides for solutions that can ensure security, respect for the rights and dignity of all.”
Might I suggest that the same indignation be directed to Church leaders regarding the shame of so many innocent minors who have been victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Clerics.
Might I further suggest that the Holy Father use the same speech but simply substitute the word “migrant” with “minors” and the word “government” with “Bishops and the Church”.
Truly, the Pope’s highly selective indignation that always points toward migrants and away from internal Church scandals and missteps is simply remarkable.
And the authority and credibility of the Church continues to be degraded and membership declining because the response of Church leaders, mostly at the highest level of authority, has been nothing more than silence.
And the beat goes on...and on...and on.
“The Lord promises refreshment and freedom to all the oppressed of our world, but he needs us to fulfill his promise . . . He needs our voice to protest the injustices committed thanks to the silence, often complicit, of so many,” said Pope Francis in his homily at the July 6 Mass for Migrants.
According to the Holy Father, the silence is multifaceted. He spoke of “the silence that thinks ‘it has always been done this way’” and “the silence of ‘us’ as opposed to ‘you’” among the “many silences.”
“Before the challenges of contemporary movements of migration, the only reasonable response is one of solidarity and mercy,” the pope continued, calling for migration policies “concerned for the good of one’s own country, while taking into account that of others in an ever more interconnected world.”
The Pope stressed that a just migration policy is one at the service of “every person involved,” meaning it is “a policy that provides for solutions that can ensure security, respect for the rights and dignity of all.”
Might I suggest that the same indignation be directed to Church leaders regarding the shame of so many innocent minors who have been victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Clerics.
Might I further suggest that the Holy Father use the same speech but simply substitute the word “migrant” with “minors” and the word “government” with “Bishops and the Church”.
Truly, the Pope’s highly selective indignation that always points toward migrants and away from internal Church scandals and missteps is simply remarkable.
And the authority and credibility of the Church continues to be degraded and membership declining because the response of Church leaders, mostly at the highest level of authority, has been nothing more than silence.
And the beat goes on...and on...and on.
Friday, July 6, 2018
CARDINAL FARRELL: REFLECT BEFORE YOU SPEAK
Interesting how one can condemn himself with his own words, isn’t it?
Just listen to what Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life said recently in disparaging the counsel and comfort Parish Priests offer to those entrusted to their care.
“Catholic Priests lack credibility to prepare the faithful for the Sacrament of Marriage because they have never been married, according to the leader of the Vatican’s office for ministry to the family. Priests are not the best people to train others for marriage.”
“They have no credibility,” Cardinal Farrell said, “they have never lived the experience; they may know moral theology, dogmatic theology in theory, but to go from there to putting it into practice every day.... they don’t have the experience.”
Though I do not, let’s take His Eminence at his word: one must live an experience before he can establish credibility in his judgments and counsel.
Well, let’s apply that same principle to Bishops, many of whom have never been Pastors of parishes, never had to balance budgets, pay bills, maintain property, respond to emergencies in the middle of the night, preach and minister to the same communities of faithful congregants for years on end.
What credibility would such a Bishop have in offering any advice, insight or leadership in dealing with Pastors and Parish Priests?
According to His Eminence, none.
But, let's consider a brief overview of Cardinal Farrell’s own clerical career as a case in point.
Bishop Farrell was born in Dublin, Ireland, on September 2, 1947, the second of four sons, and grew up speaking Gaelic. His older brother, Brian, is also a Bishop and Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.
After studying at a Christian Brothers’ school in Dublin, he joined the Legionaries of Christ in 1966. He visited the United States the following year while fundraising for the missions in Latin America.
Over the following 10 years, he gained seven degrees in a range of subjects. First, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Salamanca in Spain, then a Master’s Degree in philosophy and a Licentiate in theology from the Jesuit-run Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He went on to obtain further degrees in dogmatic theology (1976) and in pastoral theology (1977) from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas (the Angelicum). Later on, he gained a Master’s Degree in business and administration from the University of Notre Dame in the United States.
Ordained priest in Rome on Christmas Eve 1978, the Archbishop subsequently served as Chaplain to the University of Monterrey, Mexico, and gave seminars there in bioethics and social ethics.
Moreover, he worked as General Administrator of the Legionaries of Christ, with responsibility for seminaries and schools in Italy, Spain and Ireland.
A crisis developed in the Legionaries in the 1970s, and, after what he called “differences of opinion” with its leadership, he left the Order and went to the United States.
He was subsequently incardinated into the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., by Archbishop (later Cardinal) James Hickey in the early 1980s, and went onto serve as Associate Pastor in three parishes of the Archdiocese in two years. In 1986, he succeeded Father (now Cardinal) Seán O’Malley, O.F.M.Cap., as director of the Archdiocese’s Spanish Catholic Center. Two years later, he became assistant Executive Director and then interim Director of Catholic Charities, and from 1989-2001, was Secretary of Finance for the Archdiocese.
In 2001, the Cardinal-Archbishop of Washington, D.C., disgraced Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, appointed him as Vicar-general for the Archdiocese and Pastor of the Church of the Annunciation.
On December 28 of that same year, St. John Paul II named him Auxiliary bishop of Washington, and on Feb. 11, 2002, the Cardinal ordained him Bishop. He served as the main Vicar-general and Moderator of the Curia until 2007, first under McCarrick and from May 2006 until March 2007 under Archbishop (now Cardinal) Donald Wuerl.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Bishop of Dallas, Texas, on March 6, 2007.
So, in 40 years of Priesthood, Cardinal Farrell has served as an Associate Pastor for two years (in three separate parishes, mind you) and Pastor of one parish for under a year.
Well, Your Eminence, to paraphrase your own words: “you have never lived the experience; you may know moral theology, dogmatic theology in theory, you may even have seven degrees and served as an ecclesiastical bureaucrat for years, but to go from there to judging Parish Priests and the effectiveness of their counsel....you don’t have the experience...you lack credibility.”
Oh how the arrogant bring themselves to ruin every time!
Just listen to what Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life said recently in disparaging the counsel and comfort Parish Priests offer to those entrusted to their care.
“Catholic Priests lack credibility to prepare the faithful for the Sacrament of Marriage because they have never been married, according to the leader of the Vatican’s office for ministry to the family. Priests are not the best people to train others for marriage.”
“They have no credibility,” Cardinal Farrell said, “they have never lived the experience; they may know moral theology, dogmatic theology in theory, but to go from there to putting it into practice every day.... they don’t have the experience.”
Though I do not, let’s take His Eminence at his word: one must live an experience before he can establish credibility in his judgments and counsel.
Well, let’s apply that same principle to Bishops, many of whom have never been Pastors of parishes, never had to balance budgets, pay bills, maintain property, respond to emergencies in the middle of the night, preach and minister to the same communities of faithful congregants for years on end.
What credibility would such a Bishop have in offering any advice, insight or leadership in dealing with Pastors and Parish Priests?
According to His Eminence, none.
But, let's consider a brief overview of Cardinal Farrell’s own clerical career as a case in point.
Bishop Farrell was born in Dublin, Ireland, on September 2, 1947, the second of four sons, and grew up speaking Gaelic. His older brother, Brian, is also a Bishop and Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.
After studying at a Christian Brothers’ school in Dublin, he joined the Legionaries of Christ in 1966. He visited the United States the following year while fundraising for the missions in Latin America.
Over the following 10 years, he gained seven degrees in a range of subjects. First, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Salamanca in Spain, then a Master’s Degree in philosophy and a Licentiate in theology from the Jesuit-run Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He went on to obtain further degrees in dogmatic theology (1976) and in pastoral theology (1977) from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas (the Angelicum). Later on, he gained a Master’s Degree in business and administration from the University of Notre Dame in the United States.
Ordained priest in Rome on Christmas Eve 1978, the Archbishop subsequently served as Chaplain to the University of Monterrey, Mexico, and gave seminars there in bioethics and social ethics.
Moreover, he worked as General Administrator of the Legionaries of Christ, with responsibility for seminaries and schools in Italy, Spain and Ireland.
A crisis developed in the Legionaries in the 1970s, and, after what he called “differences of opinion” with its leadership, he left the Order and went to the United States.
He was subsequently incardinated into the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., by Archbishop (later Cardinal) James Hickey in the early 1980s, and went onto serve as Associate Pastor in three parishes of the Archdiocese in two years. In 1986, he succeeded Father (now Cardinal) Seán O’Malley, O.F.M.Cap., as director of the Archdiocese’s Spanish Catholic Center. Two years later, he became assistant Executive Director and then interim Director of Catholic Charities, and from 1989-2001, was Secretary of Finance for the Archdiocese.
In 2001, the Cardinal-Archbishop of Washington, D.C., disgraced Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, appointed him as Vicar-general for the Archdiocese and Pastor of the Church of the Annunciation.
On December 28 of that same year, St. John Paul II named him Auxiliary bishop of Washington, and on Feb. 11, 2002, the Cardinal ordained him Bishop. He served as the main Vicar-general and Moderator of the Curia until 2007, first under McCarrick and from May 2006 until March 2007 under Archbishop (now Cardinal) Donald Wuerl.
Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as Bishop of Dallas, Texas, on March 6, 2007.
So, in 40 years of Priesthood, Cardinal Farrell has served as an Associate Pastor for two years (in three separate parishes, mind you) and Pastor of one parish for under a year.
Well, Your Eminence, to paraphrase your own words: “you have never lived the experience; you may know moral theology, dogmatic theology in theory, you may even have seven degrees and served as an ecclesiastical bureaucrat for years, but to go from there to judging Parish Priests and the effectiveness of their counsel....you don’t have the experience...you lack credibility.”
Oh how the arrogant bring themselves to ruin every time!
FATHER JOSEPH JIANG, TWICE ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, WILL NOT BE ASSIGNED TO A ST. LOUIS PARISH
A personal disclaimer in posting this story. I am a Priest of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis and was still in active ministry when stories about Father Jiang's alleged sexual misconduct with youngsters first broke. I have followed developments regarding these allegations through the years and continue to do so as circumstances warrant.
A Roman Catholic priest with a controversial past will not be assigned to a parish in the fashionable St. Louis Hills neighborhood of the Archdiocese.
The announcement about Father Joseph Jiang came down in a letter from Archbishop Robert Carlson and St. Gabriel Archangel Church’s Pastor, Monsignor John Shamleffer, after many parents voiced their concerns when they learned of his assignment to their parish earlier this year.
A meeting where parents would have been asking about Fr. Jiang’s appointment was cancelled.
Father Jiang was twice accused of sexual misconduct involving children.
Both charges were eventually dropped.
Some parents said they are pleased with the Archbishop's decision but the matter could have been handled better.
In the letter, Archbishop Carlson stated that he plans to meet with school and parish leadership to talk about discuss concerns and “work toward a better understanding of what Father Jiang has gone through, the reaction to his appointment on the part of so many parishioners, the work that the Church has done over the years to safeguard our children, and then to discuss where we go from here as a parish and as an archdiocese."
A spokesperson for the Archdiocese said Father Jiang remains in residence at the Cathedral Basilica for the moment.
A Roman Catholic priest with a controversial past will not be assigned to a parish in the fashionable St. Louis Hills neighborhood of the Archdiocese.
The announcement about Father Joseph Jiang came down in a letter from Archbishop Robert Carlson and St. Gabriel Archangel Church’s Pastor, Monsignor John Shamleffer, after many parents voiced their concerns when they learned of his assignment to their parish earlier this year.
A meeting where parents would have been asking about Fr. Jiang’s appointment was cancelled.
Father Jiang was twice accused of sexual misconduct involving children.
Both charges were eventually dropped.
Some parents said they are pleased with the Archbishop's decision but the matter could have been handled better.
In the letter, Archbishop Carlson stated that he plans to meet with school and parish leadership to talk about discuss concerns and “work toward a better understanding of what Father Jiang has gone through, the reaction to his appointment on the part of so many parishioners, the work that the Church has done over the years to safeguard our children, and then to discuss where we go from here as a parish and as an archdiocese."
A spokesperson for the Archdiocese said Father Jiang remains in residence at the Cathedral Basilica for the moment.
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