Another Bishop Under Fire

This latest episcopal misadventure has sort of a Mahony in February vibe. Or Bishop Bill, if you prefer. Given that Roberto Gonzalez Nieves is not a cardinal, but more than an Outback bishop, I suspect this will go less successfully for his 2014 Confirmation calendar than the Frequently Scheduled One. Perhaps slightly better than the Australian discussion (not promotion) of ordination.

Archbishop Gonzalez’s supposed transgression is covering up sexual predation and other offenses of his clergy. That’s somewhat John Myers material. The level of hierarchy is the same, so maybe this is a preview of the New Jersey prelate’s future. Will he try a cringe-worthy message to his people, who, so far, seem to have a supportive streak?

I beg of you, please, do not send letters to the Holy See with expressions of solidarity. There is only one thing to do in situations like these: Pray.

The Vatican wasn’t impressed with the leak of a February letter he wrote to Cardinal Marc Ouellet at the Congregation of Bishops. Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, didn’t comment on the situation (the Culture of Silence) but he did say the letter’s release was an “indiscretion.”

So let’s try to sum up this thing, aware that no mortal on this planet likely has the whole story. Accusations from a reporter, and the bishop says, “Go home.” A serious investigation leads to three pink slips, and the bishop says nothing. The Vatican accuses, and the bishop claims, “Innocent!” All independent of any kind of truth in the situation.

 

Interdict?

So … when the Vatican says it won’t ordain any bishops for a country until an investigation is complete, is it something like an “episcopal interdict?” Cardinal Marc Ouellet, head of the Congregation for Bishops, has communicated his office will not fill three vacancies in Scotland dioceses. And despite Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s sensational resignation on conclave eve, the investigation continues. Cardinal Ouellet’s office “also wants evidence on the allegations of a ‘gay mafia’, sexual bullying and open sexual relationships in seminaries made in a recent book by a serving priest in Lanarkshire, Father Matthew Despard.”

This could get interesting.

I still think there should be a more explicit connection between the faith witness of an archdiocese or diocese and its status as a red hat see. A scandal-ridden bishop taints his diocese. There should not be red hats for Boston, Philadelphia, or Edinburgh. Or any other archdiocese touched by serious cover-up of criminal clergy. At least not for another round or two of appointments. Additionally, the premiere see of a region should shift to another city. Keep an archbishop  in Philadelphia, for example, by all means, because of its size and standing. But the metropolitan should be in Pittsburgh or Hartford of elsewhere.

Even if Pope Francis doesn’t take my suggestion and shake up the hierarchy, it does look good that Rome is getting serious about the cover-up of sex abuse. We’ll see how this plays out in places like Newark.

 

Mamapapabile

Someone should cover the mothers (and other family members) of the papabile more carefully. Quote of the day from Eleonore Schönborn:

Christoph would not be up to the bitchiness in the Vatican. The intrigues in Vienna are enough for him.

 

Curia vs Who?

I admire Rocco Palmo’s enthusiasm and optimism about the Church that infuses most all of his writing. Even when he reports bad or difficult news, he wants to draw the reader into his own sadness or disappointment.

I have to take exception to his headline, “The Curia vs. The World.”

The world is very close to not caring about the curia at all. The pope still matters. The real headline should be: The Curia vs The Church. There is a long list of people who dislike or distrust the curia. Or some dis in between.

Rock’s analysis:

So powerful is the urge to “take the Vatican back” that, even if should a besieged Curial-Italian superbloc hold together – a development that would turn a cornerstone element of the prior “internationalized” Conclaves on its head – it wouldn’t seem able to withstand the drumbeat coming from those outside.

Again, though, a number unable to win can still thwart an otherwise strong push, forcing it to become more amenable to get over the top. In that scenario, other possibilities able to break the resistance down or peel it away will need to be sought.

In another shift of the scene, the elections of 1978 and 2005 saw ideology – of course, as determined by the legacy of the Council – as a key factor. That’s not the case this time – as ecclesial issues go, “reform” of governance usually belongs to the progressive camp, but many who wouldn’t be considered “liberal” by any stretch appear to be on-board.

In this election, the fault line can duly be termed “The Curia vs. The World.” And as a corollary to it, even if the scene remains immensely uncertain, yet another great upending of what’s long been taken for granted is thought to be taking place.

The curia isn’t a monolith. Cracks have appeared there. And the anti-curia bloc may well be able to pry enough cardinals away to achieve a reform of government with the next papacy.

That reform is essential. For better or worse, the pope has a certain teflon character. But we don’t pray for the curia every day at Mass. The curia isn’t much different from a diocesan chancery. Except that it’s largely less competent and more filled with clergy.

Twenty-four hours before “extra omnes,” I’m feeling rather hopeful about all this. Lent is here and a penitential attitude may be afoot in some cardinals. One, I heard, delayed his arrival in Rome because he was on retreat. It might not be a bad idea for future red-hat meetings before a conclave to include a retreat instead of a conference. A retreat would be a far better way to be open ot the Holy Spirit. Far less secular.

 

The Unanswered Question

From David Gibson at RNS, Reuters correspondent Phil Pullella to Vatican spokesperson Federico Lombardi SJ:

The American cardinals did not leak anything in their briefings. The Italian cardinals did leak and are continuing to leak things outside the General Congregations. Does this not send a message of confusion?

Some theme music for the occasion.

“Clash of the cardinals?” We know that the more purified the Catholic Right gets, the more aggressive and cannibalistic instincts can emerge. I would love love love to be a fly on the wall in the meetings. Even so, I have to root for the curia to dig itself a deeper hole. It’s pretty deep already. They might need a fairly deep chasm to bury the antigospel attitudes built up over the years if not centuries.

Meanwhile, less than a hundred hours to conclave. We could have a new pope by this time next week. The interregnum may be more than half over.

 

More Conclave Thoughts

Here’s a quote of the day from last month, via RNS. Robert Mickens, The Tablet:

It’s not clear that it would make any difference to have a pope with an African or Latin American face if he turned out to be more Roman than Caesar.

The North American and European cardinals talking about going “outside Europe” are crazy like foxes. They know well that a pope from outside Europe will work out about as well (nor not) as the last two choices from outside Italy. I think I’m sticking to my meme of the past decade: a bishop should be chosen from among the priests of the diocese. Perhaps a see as important as Rome might merit someone from the region. But generally, I’d say a bishop in Marquette, Michigan, say, should be chosen from among the clergy of Marquette. A bishop for Portland from the clergy of that Oregon diocese. Selecting a pope, a bishop for Rome, from the ranks of bureaucracy, from another country even, and from anything less than a pastoral and administrative position in working with people makes no sense practically, traditionally, or Scripturally.

At minimum, nobody campaigning for the spot should be considered. That said, I noticed a blog commentator somewhere talking about the “via negativa” factor from embittered cardinals. Maybe those with king-making aspirations will be limited to the role of king-breaker, passing on stories, and urging journalists and even other cardinals to consider supporting doomed candidates.

It’s why I’m praying for the conclave. We need a good pastor. I’m not convinced that another diehard conservative will sway the Barque enough for another Council. But regardless of ideology, we need a good pastor who can pull the plug on the curia.

 

Beyond Humiliation, the Curia

If Cardinal Mahony had come out on his own blog about the smail’s pace of the curia in dealing with priest predators, it might have come across as somewhat self-serving. I’m inclined to think there’s blame to spread around, if not up, with this LA Times piece. One predator was yanked from his parish. But he appealed to Rome to prevent his defrocking. The Humiliated One wrote to Rome in ’93:

The case has been there for many, many months. The lengthy delay has created serious problems for my own credibility as a Diocesan Bishop.

No kidding.

The reporters:

(Confidential archdiocese records) suggest that Mahony at times had to press an unresponsive Vatican to get molesting priests out of the church.

Cardinal Mahony was unwilling to comment for this piece. Interesting. He’s been public with a lot of comments lately. A comment on the CDF and the Congregation for Clergy might be very illuminating at this point. Or maybe personally dangerous.

I wonder if there would be a thaw in that approach after the upcoming conclave. I can imagine an icy reception in Rome if he decided to spill beans like the ones he spit out at Archbishop Gomez a few weeks ago. If he’s going to post personal honesty pieces on his blog, I’d rather see some sense of honesty about the situation as it unfolded all those years ago. I’d like to think the man who harbored criminals from prosecution in the 80′s had learned something by the 90′s. If nothing else, a recognition that he and his brother bishops dislike having their credibility impaired by their being so slow on the uptake.

Cardinal Mahony, after this conclave, has nothing to lose. There will be no more cushy appointments for him. Clearly, he’s been led down a road he didn’t expect and wouldn’t have taken. What was the Petrine experience of John 21:18? Perhaps that is the path beyond the humiliation of abandoning the innocent.